Category: Photography Basics > 7. Genres & Subjects Article ID: 7.2 Created: May 2026

The Essentials at a Glance

• Landscape photography shows the human environment in wide views—from seasons and landscape types to weather conditions
• Nature photography is a subgenre with a narrower focus: individual plants, animals, and details of nature
• Wildlife photography is in turn a subgenre of nature photography—with its own technical requirements (long telephoto lens, patience, camouflage)

Explanation

Landscape Photography

Landscape photography shows the human environment—natural or shaped by people. It includes:

• All seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter)
• All landscape types (forest, field, ocean, mountains, desert, cityscape)
• All lighting conditions (golden hour, blue hour, storms, fog, snow)

Wide-angle shots with a large depth of field are typical, combining a foreground, middle ground, and background. The goal is often to convey a mood or atmosphere—not merely to document a location.

Panoramic photography special feature: Multiple images are combined (stitched) to achieve very wide aspect ratios (>2:1). A tripod and specialized software are required.

Nature Photography

Nature photography shows smaller sections of nature—individual trees, flowers, mushrooms, rocks, and streams. It falls between landscape and macro photography and often requires less equipment than wildlife photography.

Technical characteristics:

• Close-ups require short focusing distances → macro mode or a macro lens
• Sensitive to wind: even slight movement can cause blur in small subjects → use fast shutter speeds or wait for a lull in the wind

Wildlife Photography

Wildlife photography requires a long telephoto lens (200–600 mm) to maintain the necessary distance without disturbing the animal. Burst shooting, fast autofocus, and plenty of patience are essential.

Technical requirements:

• Long focal lengths (200–600 mm)
• Fast continuous AF (Servo/CAF)
• Fast shutter speeds (1/500–1/2000 s) to freeze motion
• High ISO in poor light

Behavior and ethics: Animal welfare comes first—never disturb nesting sites or resting areas, keep a sufficient distance, and do not use lures that alter natural behavior.

Underwater Photography

A specialized field with its own equipment: a waterproof housing (underwater housing) or underwater camera, specialized lenses (wide-angle for close-up shots), and often underwater flashes (strobes), since sunlight is quickly absorbed underwater.

Practical Tip

For getting started in wildlife photography: A garden and city park are enough—birds, butterflies, hedgehogs, and squirrels are everywhere and provide good subjects for practice. Telephoto zoom lenses (70–300 mm) are affordable and sufficient. Patience and quiet behavior are more important than expensive equipment.