Types of Photography

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

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Why do leaves change color in the autumn?

The color of leaves are decided by the pigment called Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has a vital function: that of capturing solar rays and utilizing the resulting energy in the manufacture of the plant's food which are simple sugars produced from water and carbon dioxide. These sugars are the basis of the plant's nourishment. During the growing season, however, the plant replenishes the chlorophyll so that the supply remains high and the leaves stay green.

As fall approaches, chlorophyll is produced at a slower rate. Shorter days cause a layer of cork cells to form at the base of each leaf, gradually closing off the flow of water and nutrients into the leaf. As the supply of chlorophyll dwindles, other pigments are slowly unmasked and begin to show through.

The "best" fall color for an area occurs during the shortening days of autumn when days are bright, sunny and cool, when nights are cool but not below freezing, and when there has been ideal rainfall.

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