Photographers look through their lenses with a certain frame of mind that determines how and what they capture.

These frames of mind are called styles of photography.

A photographer’s style is not something they choose overnight.

It emerges over time — shaped by temperament, values, artistic influences, and years of trial and refinement. While there are many recognised styles of photography, most sit somewhere along a spectrum between two foundational approaches:

Documentary photography and Fine Art photography.

These two styles operate on different perceptual planes — one horizontal, one vertical — and almost all other styles are variations, blends, or extensions of these two parent forms.

Understanding these distinctions is one of the most helpful things you can do when choosing a family photographer or portrait photographer in New Zealand

Five Common Styles of Family & Portrait Photography

While no photographer fits perfectly into a box, most professional photographers work primarily within one (or a deliberate blend) of the following styles:

Photojournalism / Documentary Photography
Cinematic Photography
Abstract / Conceptual Photography
Fashion / Editorial Photography
Fine Art Photography

Knowing what each style values — what its underlying drivers are — will help you commission a photographer whose work genuinely aligns with your vision, rather than hoping they can adapt on the day.

What to Expect From Your Family or Portrait Photographer

When you are looking for a family or portrait photographer, it helps to know a little of what each style is aiming at, so that you can commission a photographer whose artistic style matches your vision.

One important truth that photographers rarely state clearly is this:

You cannot ask a photographer to switch styles.

Each photographer has trained their eye to see in a particular way. A dedicated documentary photographer may feel deeply uncomfortable directing people. Likewise, a fine art photographer has spent years mastering composition, posing, and light — and would feel inauthentic pretending the camera “isn’t there.”

This is why researching photography styles before hiring a family photographer is so important. You’re not just choosing someone with a camera — you’re choosing a way your family will be interpreted and remembered.

Here are 5 styles of family photography for your consideration

Photojournalism / Documentary Family Photography

*Un-doctored, in-the-moment occurrences that the camera captured*

Rooted in news media and war correspondence, documentary photography aims to capture life as it unfolds, without interference.

In documentary family photography, the photographer fades into the background. Conceptually, it is almost as if the photographer does not exist. There is little to no direction, minimal interaction, and often no looking into the camera at all. The goal is for subjects to be comfortable to show their emotions & actions in front of the camera.

Editing styles vary:

some remain very true to reality
others soften tones or lift shadows to create a memory-like quality

Is Documentary Family Photography Right for Me?

— We are comfortable being seen as we are

— We value authenticity over polish

— We want to memorialise a “day in the life” of our family

— Our lifestyle feels meaningful without needing to be arranged

2. Cinematic Family Photography

Cinematic photography sits between documentary and fine art. It borrows realism from documentary work but introduces direction, structure, and narrative.

How much direction will depend on each photographer. Conceptually, this style has a predetermined or curated storyline. It has a start, a middle and an end. Wide, establishing shots, playful action shots and close, emotional shots.

There is careful intention behind the photographer’s direction and thus the photographer is much more involved with the ‘actors’.

You may receive direction such as:

“Walk toward each other from opposite ends of the frame.”
“Rest your hand on her shoulder and pause there.”

A cinematic photographer will often bring the landscape more into play, setting the scene, as it were, for the family or couple.

The editing of cinematic photos is much more open to artistic play according to each individual photographer.

Cinematic portraits can look more dramatic and imply a grander purpose behind the scenes — they can appear almost spiritual due to the higher perspective of the family or couple. It may also be that they literally take a higher perspective by using drones.

Is Cinematic Photography Right for Me?

We enjoy being gently guided
We want our story told with drama and depth
We love images that feel expansive and emotional
We want artwork that feels larger than life

3. Abstract / Conceptual Portrait Photography

Are you a rule breaker? Do you see more when the lines are blurred? Does your mind go to more creative places than most others? Well in any case, this type of photographer certainly does.

While there may be less in terms of the quantity of photos that you receive from this style of photographer, you will get more in terms of uniqueness, originality and artistic interpretation.

Taking a concept that perhaps only occurs in the heat and opportunity of the moment, or else pre inspired, this photographer will play and play and play with the settings on their camera, the angle of the shot and all sorts of other seemingly wacky ideas, to produce a portrait or gallery that could be in an exhibition.

There ain’t no telling what directions an abstract photographer might give but here are some concepts they might play with:

– Double exposure

– Symbolism & metaphor

– Low shutter speed to produce blur

– Reflections & distorsion

– Lens filters

Trust is a big part of this relationship between client and photographer.

You may not know or understand what the heck they are doing while they are shooting — they may not either — but they are guided strongly by their intuition to produce a piece of art to abstractly represent your family or relationship.

Is Abstract Portrait Photography Right for Me?

We are creatively minded
We value originality over quantity
We want an art piece, not a record
We trust the photographer’s intuition and vision

4. Fashion / Editorial Portrait Photography

This style of photography is all about showing off what you’ve got. Materialistic? Yes, but aesthetics is a legitimate passion and a real skill.

This style of photography aims at the quality of material items — including the lovely architectural home & expensive vehicle — with high status & wealth implied within them.

People who have fought their way to the top of their game are well within their rights to want to show it off. Wealth is nothing to be ashamed of. Status is a game we are all playing.

Side note: With this style of portraiture, commercialism may have entered the chat too which means that if you are making money out of the images, your photographer will need to charge accordingly and provide the correct contracts.

Because the focus is more on the material, the choices that an editorial photographer makes will be in service of luxury and finesse.

There is no restriction in where or how they will take their photos — they might cross realms like landscape, abstract and fine art but you will always pick up on the undercurrent told within an editorial style shot.

Implied in what I have already said but providing the material items will allow the photographer to do their thing. The dress inspires the backdrop. The vehicle accentuates the status. The house sets the scene for luxury. The Rolex finishes the details.

Is Editorial Photography Right for Me?

We value aesthetics and design
We want to showcase the lifestyle or brand that we are proud of
We are comfortable with high polish and direction
We want images that feel luxurious and aspirational

5. Classic Fine Art Portrait Photography

I may be biased here because this is my preferred style of photography. Fine Art portraiture’s roots stretch back to Renaissance and Romantic portraiture, where artists studied how the human eye naturally finds balance, meaning, and beauty.

Fine art photographers have mastered the art of the image through:

– Composition — a balance between symmetry and asymmetry

– Colour & texture — rich & complimentary hues, natural fibres

– Emotion — Life in the eyes, quiet comfort and implied care

– Direction — Striking the perfect balance of posed and unposed

– Exposure — Light and shadow made to be interesting & flattering

Royal families have been portrayed for centuries in a fine art aesthetic that has a focus on beautiful skin tones, flattering but demure poses and very subtle interchanges between subjects.

Fine Art style is adaptable to many types of portraits including animals because of the way they are placed — as if they are meant to be remembered. Like the living version of a statue. There was something important about this being.

This style produces timeless images. There will be a sense of legacy and history imbued within the fine art gallery that your photographer delivers. Your fine art photographer has multiple generations in mind when they are creating this gallery.

Some things don’t need changing and fine art knows what those elements are. Fine art family portraits don’t shout. They endure.

Is Fine Art Family Photography Right for Me?

We value legacy and history
We want images that will age well
We prefer quiet, meaningful portraits
We want our family remembered with care and intention

Choosing the Right Family Photographer for You

Questions to ask yourself when choosing a family or portrait photographer are: What draws you in most? What image has stuck with you — you keep remembering it. Is there a consistent theme in your Pinterest mood board?

After reading through the information in this article, you have some themes to pinpoint what style of portrait photography they are.

Your next steps are to find local portrait photographers who fit that style through Google and social media searches— you’ve added an extra keyword to your search (e.g. Fine Art Family Photographer, Bay of Plenty, NZ) which brings you infinitely closer to creating your dream family portrait.

If you happen to be looking for a family portrait photographer in the Central North Island, New Zealand and you prefer the mixture of classic Fine Art & Documentary style portraiture, you might have found your photographer already.

Otherwise, good luck on your search — I hope this article was helpful & you can find more information on portrait photography below.