Genres of Photography: A Practical Guide
The post catalogs thirteen distinct genres of photography—from aerial and candid to conceptual and wildlife—grounded in Cameroonian practitioners and contexts. It addresses the conflation of wedding photography with the entire discipline, and offers practical guidance on equipment and niche selection for aspiring photographers.
Social media has ushered in a new era in the art of photography - Every photo taken today needs to be instagram worthy and everyone is using whatever camera comes with their phone in conjunction with some photo editing app to bring out the professional in them.
Some of you may even be thinking of going into the photography business. One day you may be asked ‘what kind of photographer are you? ’ and you may either be tempted to think 'what a stupid question' or the only thing that will come to mind is 'wedding photographer.'
First off, that is not a genre of photography and secondly, remember who saved you the embarrassment when next you use this knowledge to show off how well versed you are in the art of appreciating photography.
Any-Ha!
Let’s look at some common genres of photography.
1. Aerial Photography: Simply images that are captured from above like what you would expect to achieve with a drone or through the window of your plane seat. The most renowned aerial photographer in Cameroon is - you guessed right - Camairdroneboy.
2. Candid Photography: Capturing moments as they happen - mostly with the subjects unaware they are being photographed. Event photographers fall under this category. Wedding photography is a perfect example of this style of photography and when we talk of wedding photography, number one on our lips is Penjo Baba.
3. Documentary Photography: This is basically story telling through photos. It can overlap into candid photography.
4. Fashion Photography: This is photography intended to sell or advertise a piece of fashion. Nji Asonganyi does a lot of this with his sister Ozi.
5. Food Photography: This type of photography is used by restaurants, websites or bloggers to entice customers to try and sell their products. A Tip: One of the most crucial factor in food photography is to use natural light. Always remember to turn off the flash. It’s a big ‘No’ in this style of photography.
6. Landscape photography:This is one of the most popular types of photography. We all love to capture some amazing scenery. A renowned landscape photographer in Cameroon goes by the name Franck Mensah Gampson. We have used some of his images here on poise in the past. Check out his facebook page from some of the most amazing landscape photographs from around Cameroon.
7. Timelapse Photography: This is usually used to show how a scene transforms over a period of time. 24 hour time lapses are common.
8. Photojournalism: This photography is similar to the documentary genre. The only difference here is that a photographer captures live events as and when it happens and informs the world about it.
9. Conceptual/ fine art photography: This is something we are used to getting from Studio89, William Nsai and Alain Ngann. In conceptual/ fine art photography the photographer creates his/her own fiction with characters in a made-up environment. This genre is all about an emotion, an idea or a message. The photographer tries to convey a message through his image.
10. Portraiture: This kind of photography seeks to capture facial emotions/expressions. They can be close-up images, body portraits etc.
11. Sport photography: This category involves getting up-close to the action in a very fast-paced and action-packed setting. Sports events are captured with very long lenses as we usually see photographers during an event.
12. Street photography: Capturing ordinary, everyday life in public spaces or life as it happens is known as street photography. It is very similar to candid photography but the photographer documents the public space as he or she sees it.
13. Wildlife photography: The art of capturing animals in their natural habitats.
Now that you know these different genres of photography, you can see which is underserved here in Cameroon and niche it. You also realize these different genres require different kinds/combinations or equipment.
Shop wisely.
By 2017, smartphone photography and accessible editing apps had democratized image-making, blurring the line between casual documentation and professional practice. The post responds to this moment by clarifying taxonomy: establishing that photography is not a monolith, that genres require different skills and tools, and that the Cameroonian creative scene already hosted practitioners of distinction in each area.
The piece serves a dual function: it educates a growing audience of hobbyists and semi-professionals on craft categories they may not yet recognize, while quietly mapping the Cameroonian photography ecosystem—naming Camairdroneboy, Penjo Baba, Nji Asonganyi, Franck Mensah Gampson, Studio89, William Nsai, and Alain Ngann as representatives of excellence. Then as now, such writing helps emerging creators see professional pathways and understand that specialization, not generalism, opens doors.