Understanding Different Photography Styles

Most people don’t start looking for a photographer thinking, “I love documentary style,” or “I want editorial portraits.” They start with something much simpler: they know what they like when they see it. Most people know which photos feel natural to them, and which ones feel a little too stiff or too styled. And most people know whether they want direction or freedom, structure or spontaneity. What they don’t always have yet are the words for those preferences—and that’s completely normal. Photography styles just give language to different ways of telling stories. Not to put you in a box, but to help you recognize what kind of experience you actually want, and what kind of memories you’re choosing to create.

Why Photography Style Actually Matters

Understanding style isn’t about labels—it’s about experience. Because the way a photographer works shapes more than how your images look. It shapes how your session feels, how comfortable you are, and how present you get to be in the moments being documented.

Photography style influences:

• How much direction you’re given
• How much freedom you have to just be
• The emotional tone of your images
• The kind of memories you’ll carry forward

At its core, photography isn’t just about images—it’s about memory-making. It’s about how your life, your relationships, and your seasons are preserved and remembered.

The Most Common Photography Styles

So what does that actually look like in practice? Let’s break down some of the most common photography styles—not in technical terms, but in real-life terms—so you can start recognizing what feels right to you.

Traditional / Classic

Defining traits: structured, posed, direction-heavy, polished

This style works beautifully for people who value:

• Formal portraits
• Clear structure
• Timeless, clean images
• Predictability in the process

Emotional feel: polished, classic, composed, timeless

Documentary / Photojournalistic

Defining traits: unposed, observational, moment-driven, story-first

This approach tends to resonate most with people who:

• Want real moments over perfect ones
• Value authenticity over aesthetics
• Feel uncomfortable with heavy posing
• Care more about memory than performance

Emotional feel: honest, lived-in, human, deeply connected

Editorial

Defining traits: stylized, fashion-influenced, mood-driven, curated

This style works beautifully for people who:

• Love intentional styling
• Want dramatic, cinematic imagery
• Are drawn to magazine-style visuals
• Enjoy being directed

Emotional feel: elevated, artistic, cinematic, bold

Lifestyle

Defining traits: light guidance, natural environments, soft structure

This approach tends to resonate most with people who:

• Want natural images without feeling lost
• Like gentle direction
• Value comfort and ease
• Want sessions to feel relaxed, not rigid

Emotional feel: warm, natural, relaxed, connected

Fine Art

Defining traits: artistic composition, strong visual identity, photographer-led vision

This style works beautifully for people who:

• Love aesthetic consistency
• Are drawn to artistic expression
• Value visual storytelling as art

Emotional feel: poetic, intentional, gallery-worthy

The Truth: Most Photographers Are a Blend

Here’s the part most people don’t realize: very few photographers fit neatly into one single category. Most styles overlap, mix, and evolve—because real people and real stories don’t live inside clean lines.

Labels are helpful, but they aren’t the whole story and what matters more than a style name is:

• How the photographer works
• How the experience feels
• What they value
• How they tell stories

How to Know What Style Is Right for You

Instead of trying to pick a label, start with questions—not about photography, but about you.

Ask yourself:

• Do I want memories or magazine covers?
• Do I want structure or spontaneity?
• Do I want guidance or freedom?
• How do I want these images to feel in 20 years?
• What kind of experience makes me feel most at ease?

And your answers will tell you far more than any style category ever could.

My Approach

This is where personal connection matters, because style isn’t just about how photos look—it’s about how they’re made, and what the photographer believes the images are actually for.

My work is rooted in documentary storytelling, emotional honesty, and connection-first photography. I care more about truth than perfection, presence than performance, and memory than polish. I believe your story matters exactly as it is—messy, beautiful, chaotic, tender, and real.

Not everyone wants this—and that’s okay. But for the families and couples who do, this is where the magic lives.

So…

At the end of the day, choosing a photography style isn’t really about photography at all. It’s about memory, meaning, and choosing how your life gets held and remembered.

You’re not just hiring someone to take pictures. You’re choosing how your story will be told back to you. And that’s worth choosing with intention.