Tawna,
Your question is very wide open, although you probably don't realize it. There are many fields of professional photography. Below is a list of the various fields I can think of; there are probably more. This may help get you started. You can ask questions about a specific field you might be interested in.Fine Art:
Photographs you would find on people's walls or in art galleries. Photographs made for fine art cover the entire range of every type of photograph, both in a studio and on location: landscape, scenic, architectural, portrait, candid, etc. These photographers are typically free-lance and may even have their own art gallery to sell their photographs. Photojournalism:
Photographs used for newspapers and news magazines. These help "tell a story." Sometimes a photographer is sent with a reporter, and sometimes the photographer is the reporter who also writes the story. The photographer may be free-lance or work for the publisher. Editorial:
Similar to photojournalism, I make a distinction between this and photojournalism. Editorial photographs are used in monthly (or longer time period) magazines to tell help tell a story in depth about something. The difference between this and photojournalism is the coverage. Usually there are more photographs made over a longer time period to cover a single story. The photographer may be free-lance or work for the publisher. Portrait:
Traditionally done in a studio, it can can also be done on-location outside a studio, or at a place of activity (an "environmental" portrait). The purpose is to capture someone's likeness. The photographer often owns their own studio, but can also work for a larger company which specializes in portraiture such as Olan Mills. Wedding:
This is a special combination of portraiture and editorial photography to photograph the wedding party's likenesses and tell the story about the wedding. Very little studio work with nearly everything done on-location. Nearly all wedding photographers are free-lance and also do standard portraiture. Fashion:
Done in a studio or on-location, it is similar to portraiture, but highlights fashion instead of a person's likeness. Some are free-lance and others may work for the publisher of a fashion magazine. Commercial/Industrial:
Creates photographs for catalogs, brochures, annual reports, corporate training or other commercial purposes. The types of photographs cover a wide range from architectural to macros of small products. Larger companies have their own photography staff. Smaller ones hire a free-lance for each job, often someone who also does weddings and portraits. -- John
March 22, 2001
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