Genres of photography - where is the master’s soul hidden?

The photographer, like the artist, conveys mood, emotions and feelings through his work. As a rule, if photography has become a favorite profession, the master chooses for himself one or no more than two subjects of imprinting.

The genres of photography most accurately reveal the inner world of the photographer. And depending on what the soul of a professional or an amateur is full of, in the end the viewer sees a reflection of the master’s inner world.

Among the variety of subjects, it is customary to distinguish four main groups of objects captured by the camera lens: a person, nature (living and nonliving), as well as events. And, accordingly, there are such genres in photography: portrait, still life, reportage and landscape.

Portrait

To capture a person is, it would seem, the simplest thing. But this is not so. In each photo work of this kind, a special role is played by the “model - photographer” combination. Therefore, experts identify the following mini-genres of photographs in the “Portrait” category:

• studio shooting and work in field conditions,
• psychological and non-psychological portrait.

In studio shooting, the main task of the portrait photographer is to create the necessary lighting for the model. Depending on the purpose of the image, the light can be backlit or simulated. The first is located behind the model and creates clear boundaries between it and the background. The second characterizes the top location to create a game of chiaroscuro.

Working in field conditions requires, first of all, the photographer to elaborate on the idea of ​​portraiture - the terrain, the location of the light source, additional objects in the frame that emphasize the advantages of the model.

Such genres of photography as a psychological and non-psychological portrait are created by the master for a variety of purposes. Reflection of the model’s inner world is necessary for the photographer’s or captured person’s own purposes. A non-psychological portrait is the most striking example of commercial photography, where the real feelings of a person do not have much significance.

Scenery

Do you know what was the first photo in the world? Landscape - “View from the window”, 1826. It is the landscape that is considered the aerobatics of capturing with the camera. As in Portrait, this category has its own mini genres of photographs: architectural, weather, terrain, flora and fauna, aerial photography. But, despite the wide variety of objects, for the whole category there are uniform rules for the success of landscape work. Firstly, the use of tripods and special filters. Secondly, the correct alignment of the composition by choosing the right angle. And, thirdly, patience, with the help of which that single frame will be made, combining light, color and the shooting point.

Still life

The genres of photography are diverse in their level of performance, but, according to most camera masters, Still Life is the most difficult. The role of the photographer is to convey the mood and soul of photography through special “silent” models. It is worth remembering that a still life is always a studio shoot. And, therefore, composition and arrangement of lighting play a huge role in this art. In addition, almost any photo of this direction, according to luminaries, is subject to processing to highlight the central element or edit the background and minor objects.

Reportage

Dynamics in the moment, so you can describe this genre. Among all the directions in photography, it is in the reporting that there is no place for staging. It is always a documentary depiction of current events. The photographer needs instant reaction and professional handling of the camera. It should automatically adjust the desired shutter speed and aperture value.

The report includes mini-genres of photography: event and regular reporting, documentary photography, street photo reporting. They all differ from each other in special features, but the main thing remains the Faustian motto: “Stop, a moment! You are beautiful. "

The genres of photography have one thing in common - they all convey the intent and mood of the photographer.