Genres, Movements & Theory — 60 Terms Defined

Still Life Photography Genres, Movements & Theory Photography of inanimate objects arranged deliberately by the photographer.

Straight Photography Genres, Movements & Theory An approach insisting that photography's proper qualities are sharpness, detail and tonal range, without imitation of other media.

Street Photography Genres, Movements & Theory Candid photography of everyday life in public places, made without directing the subject.

Studium Genres, Movements & Theory Barthes's term for the general, culturally shared interest a photograph holds — its subject, context and craft.

The Decisive Moment Genres, Movements & Theory The idea that in any unfolding event there is a single instant at which form and content align most expressively.

The Family of Man Genres, Movements & Theory count A 1955 exhibition at New York's Museum of Modern Art presenting 503 photographs from 68 countries as evidence of shared human experience.

The Gaze Genres, Movements & Theory A critical concept describing how looking is structured by power, and how images position their subjects and viewers.

Travel Photography Genres, Movements & Theory Photography of places, cultures and journeys, combining landscape, documentary and portrait approaches.

Underwater Photography Genres, Movements & Theory m (depth) Photography made beneath the surface of water, using housings and dedicated lighting.

Vernacular Photography Genres, Movements & Theory Everyday photographs made for practical or personal purposes rather than artistic ones — family albums, passport photos, evidence shots.

Wedding Photography Genres, Movements & Theory Photography covering a marriage ceremony and its surrounding events, combining documentary, portrait and detail work.

Wildlife Photography Genres, Movements & Theory Photography of animals in their natural environment, generally without interference or baiting.