Photographic work can be divided into dozens of categories, many with lots of sub-categories. The following list describes some common types of photography.
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Aerial
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From a plane, helicopter, balloon or other airborne
device.
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Adventure, Action
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Adventure sports, daring feats, etc.
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Amateur
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Any type of photography practiced by
non-professionals.
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Animal, Pet
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Pets and their relationships with humans. Note that the
human content is often as important as the animal.
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Architecture, Real Estate
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The art of making property appear attractive. Often
involves panoramic photography.
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Artistic
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Photography in which creative composition is the
goal.
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Astrophotography
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Space photography, through a telescope.
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Aura
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A controversial type of photography which some claim can
photograph a person's aura. Often confused with Kirlian photography.
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Black & White
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Not simply photography without colour, black and white
photography explores shapes, tones and textures. Shadows and highlights
become much more important.
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Camera Phone
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Convenience photography using a mobile phone's built-in
camera. While not the best quality, camera phones have opened a new world of
spontaneous, on-the-spot photo opportunities.
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Commercial
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Product shots, advertising, etc.
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Digiscoping
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Photography through a telescope or binoculars.
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Documentary
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Journalism, Events, Historical, Political, etc.
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Event
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Concerts, parties, festivals, weddings, etc.
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Forensic
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Police and legal photography.
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Infrared
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Photography in which the recording medium is sensitive to
infrared light rather than the normal visible light spectrum.
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Large Format
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For use on posters, billboards, etc.
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Kirlian
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A type of contact print photography in which an object
touching a photographic plate is connected to a high voltage source, creating
an aura-like image. Often confused with aura photography.
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Macro
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The art of photographing very small and/or close-up
objects.
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Medical
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Specialized photography for clinical purposes, i.e. to
help reveal and diagnose illness.
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Microscopic
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Any technique for photographing objects too small to be
visible to humans.
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Modeling
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Photographing objects to be converted into 3D models.
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Nature
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Landscapes, animals, plants, sea, etc.
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Night
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Any technique used to capture images at night. Often
includes infrared photography.
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Panoramic
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Views of wide areas, up to complete 360° panoramas.
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Paranormal
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Ghosts, unexplained phenomena, etc.
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People
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Candid, Family, Fashion, Glamour, Passports & Visas,
Portrait, Pregnancy, School, Sports, Wedding
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Pinhole
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Uses the most basic type of camera possible — a box with a
tiny hole to let light in.
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Scenic
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Landscape, Cityscape
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Satellite
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Views of Earth from orbit.
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Scientific
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Any specialized photography used for scientific endeavour,
e.g. electron microscopy photographs, medical photography, astrophotography,
etc.
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Sports
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The specialized art of shooting people engaged in sports,
games and adventure activities.
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Stereoscopic (3-D)
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Involves taking two photos simultaneously to simulate 3-D
vision.
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Stock
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Photographs taken for distribution to other people, for
use in their projects. These photos tend to be quite generic, e.g. people
working, landscapes, places, etc.
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Time-lapse
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Photographs with a very long exposure, used to illustrate
something happening over time. A popular example is a street at night with
car lights blurred into long lines.
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Travel
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Photography to showcase locations, illustrate travel
literature, etc.
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Ultraviolet
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Photography in which the recording medium is sensitive to
ultraviolet light rather than the normal visible light spectrum.
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Underwater
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Any type of photography taken under water with a water-tight
camera housing.
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Urban, Industrial
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Emphasizing urban environments.
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