Photography Photography Genres and Techniques Syllabus

Photography Genres and Techniques syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Photography Genres and Techniques in Photography, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Portrait Photography

   4 topics

   • Posing and Directing Subjects
   • Headshots and Environmental Portraits
   • Lens Choice and Compression
   • Capturing Expression and Connection
2. 2

   Landscape and Nature Photography

   4 topics

   • Planning and Scouting Locations
   • Maximizing Depth of Field
   • Seascapes and Waterfalls
   • Weather and Seasonal Conditions
3. 3

   Street and Documentary Photography

   3 topics

   • Candid Shooting Techniques
   • Working Discreetly
   • Ethics and Permissions
4. 4

   Macro and Close-Up Photography

   3 topics

   • Magnification and Working Distance
   • Extension Tubes and Diopters
   • Lighting Small Subjects
5. 5

   Action and Wildlife Photography

   3 topics

   • Tracking Moving Subjects
   • Telephoto Technique and Stability
   • Anticipating Behavior
6. 6

   Night and Astrophotography

   3 topics

   • Light Painting and Star Trails
   • Milky Way Photography
   • Long Exposure Noise Reduction
7. 7

   Product and Still Life Photography

   3 topics

   • Tabletop Setups and Backdrops
   • Controlling Reflections
   • Food Photography Basics

Photography Genres and Techniques flashcards for Photography

23 of 51 cards from the Photography Genres and Techniques deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In portrait posing, what is the general rule about angling the body versus the camera, and why?

   Turn the subject's body about $30^{\circ}$–$45^{\circ}$ away from the camera while the face turns back toward the lens; this slims the figure, adds depth, and avoids a flat, static 'mugshot' look.

2. What is the posing principle 'if it bends, bend it'?

   Joints (elbows, wrists, knees) should be slightly bent rather than locked straight, because straight limbs look stiff and unnatural while gentle bends create relaxed, flattering lines.

3. When directing subjects, why are action-based prompts (e.g., 'walk toward me and laugh') preferred over static commands like 'smile'?

   Action prompts produce genuine movement and authentic expressions, whereas static commands yield forced, frozen poses; direction through activity keeps subjects relaxed and natural.

4. What is the key difference between a headshot and an environmental portrait?

   A headshot is a tightly framed image of the face/shoulders on a simple background emphasizing the subject's likeness; an environmental portrait shows the subject within a meaningful setting (workplace, home) that tells a story about who they are.

5. Which focal length range (full-frame) is classically recommended for headshots, and why?

   Approximately $85$–$135\ \text{mm}$; these short telephotos render facial features with flattering proportions (no wide-angle distortion) and allow comfortable working distance with pleasing background blur.

6. Why do environmental portraits often use wider lenses (e.g., $24$–$35\ \text{mm}$) and smaller apertures than headshots?

   Wider lenses include the surrounding context that defines the subject, and smaller apertures (e.g., $f/5.6$–$f/8$) keep the environment recognizably sharp so it contributes to the story.

7. What is 'lens compression' and what actually causes it?

   The apparent flattening of perspective where background elements look larger and closer to the subject. It is caused by camera-to-subject distance, not the lens itself: shooting from farther away (as telephotos require) reduces the relative size difference between foreground and background.

8. Why does a wide-angle lens used close to a face exaggerate the nose?

   At close range the nose is proportionally much nearer the lens than the ears, so perspective renders it disproportionately large; the distortion comes from the short shooting distance the wide lens encourages.

9. For the same framing, how does switching from a $35\ \text{mm}$ to a $200\ \text{mm}$ lens change the background in a portrait?

   The $200\ \text{mm}$ shot (taken from farther away) shows a narrower slice of background that appears magnified, closer, and more blurred — compressing and simplifying the scene behind the subject.

10. Name three techniques for drawing genuine expression and connection from a portrait subject.

    Maintain conversation and eye contact away from the camera between frames; use humor or prompts that evoke real memories/emotions; shoot continuously through and after the 'posed' moment to catch unguarded micro-expressions.

11. Why is focusing on the subject's eyes considered essential in portraiture?

    Viewers connect with a portrait through the eyes; if the nearest eye is not critically sharp the sense of connection collapses, so the eye closest to the camera should always be the focus point.

12. What should a photographer evaluate when scouting a landscape location before a shoot?

    Sun position and light direction at the planned time, compositional foregrounds and vantage points, access routes and safety, tide/weather conditions, and potential obstructions — ideally visiting at the same time of day as the planned shoot.

13. What are the 'golden hour' and 'blue hour,' and why do landscape photographers plan around them?

    Golden hour is roughly the hour after sunrise and before sunset with warm, low-angle, soft directional light; blue hour is the twilight period just before sunrise/after sunset with cool, even, ambient light. Both provide low-contrast, colorful light far more flattering than harsh midday sun.

14. What kinds of tools are used to plan sun, moon, and Milky Way positions for a location shoot?

    Ephemeris/planning apps (e.g., PhotoPills, The Photographer's Ephemeris) that show sunrise/sunset azimuths, moon phases, Milky Way position and timing overlaid on maps, plus tide tables and weather/cloud forecasts.

15. State the hyperfocal distance formula and what focusing at that distance achieves.

    $$H = \frac{f^{2}}{N \cdot c} + f$$ where $f$ is focal length, $N$ is the f-number, and $c$ is the circle of confusion. Focusing at $H$ renders everything from $\frac{H}{2}$ to $\infty$ acceptably sharp — maximizing depth of field for landscapes.

16. List the three main factors that increase depth of field.

    Smaller aperture (larger $N$, e.g., $f/11$ vs $f/2.8$), shorter focal length (wider lens), and greater camera-to-subject distance. DOF is approximately proportional to $\frac{N \cdot d^{2}}{f^{2}}$ for subject distance $d$.

17. Why do landscape photographers avoid stopping down to the smallest apertures like $f/22$, and what technique substitutes for extreme DOF?

    Diffraction at very small apertures softens the whole image; instead they shoot near the lens's sharpest apertures ($f/8$–$f/11$) and use focus stacking — blending several frames focused at different distances — for front-to-back sharpness.

18. What shutter speed range gives waterfalls a silky look while retaining some texture, and what accessories make it possible in daylight?

    Roughly $\frac{1}{4}$ s to $2$ s; achieved with a tripod, low ISO, small aperture, and neutral density (ND) filters to cut incoming light.

19. A 10-stop ND filter reduces incoming light by what factor, and how does it change a $\frac{1}{60}$ s exposure?

    By $2^{10} = 1024\times$. Each stop doubles the exposure time, so $\frac{1}{60}$ s becomes about $\frac{1024}{60} \approx 17$ s.

20. In seascape photography, how do different shutter speeds render moving water?

    Fast speeds ($\geq \frac{1}{500}$ s) freeze crashing waves; around $\frac{1}{2}$–$1$ s records streaking, receding water trails; very long exposures ($\geq 30$ s) smooth the sea into a calm, misty surface.

21. Why are tide tables essential when planning a seascape shoot?

    Tides change composition (exposed rocks, reflective sand at low tide), determine safe access and escape routes, and incoming tides can strand or endanger a photographer — so shoot time is planned around tide height and direction.

22. Why is overcast weather often preferred for waterfall, forest, and macro photography?

    Clouds act as a giant diffuser producing soft, even, low-contrast light that eliminates harsh shadows and blown highlights, saturates foliage colors (especially when wet), and permits longer shutter speeds.

23. What atmospheric conditions immediately after a storm make it prized by landscape photographers?

    Clearing storms bring dramatic broken clouds, crepuscular rays, rainbows, exceptionally clean transparent air, and rapidly changing directional light — high drama with strong color.

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