There is a whole range of genres in the world of photojournalism, each of which has its own characteristics and unique contribution to the perception of events and phenomena.
The category of informational genres of photojournalism includes photo reportage, photo correspondence and photo exhibition. The analytical genre includes photo-correspondence and photo-feuilleton. In many aspects of art and journalism, similarities can be found, in particular in genres such as sketching and portraiture. The relationship between the art and science of photojournalism is interdependent.
In photojournalism, genres can be divided into two categories: informational and journalistic. The informational genre is aimed at reproducing the facts of an event that is reflected in newspaper publications, online publications or magazines, where it is important for readers to receive fresh and relevant information. In this context, it is important to focus on simple, everyday situations in life. However, the information genre is characterized by an objective reflection of facts, efficiency and quick response to events.
The journalistic genre, in turn, covers a wider range of realities. It aims not just to reflect one fact, but to highlight several aspects of reality. Facts in such materials are used not just as empirical data, but also as a means of argumentation and disclosure of a phenomenon. A photojournalist, working on a journalistic piece, usually does not limit himself or herself to just one event, but tries to identify the connections it has with different aspects of reality.
Photojournalism has a variety of genres, each of which has its own characteristics and peculiarities. A photo essay is one of these genres and acts as a form of prompt reflection of various aspects of social reality, including both positive and negative aspects. Photo reportage, which also plays an important role in photojournalism, can have different manifestations, including individual shots that reveal the development of a particular event. Obviously, photojournalism has qualities that are characteristic of the information group of genres. It answers the same questions as a photo essay: what? who? where? when? But the main question-answer of a photo essay is how?
As a genre, the photo sketch emphasizes important aspects of contemporary life, although it often has no journalistic coloring. A photo essay, in turn, is an attempt to concisely reflect the realities of contemporary society through the actions and aspirations of a person.
The formation of a photo essay is characterized by the laconicism of reflection. The object of reflection of a photo essay is the phenomena of modern social life. Moreover, it is revealed through the actions and relationships of a person. Therefore, a photo essay often appears as a form of storytelling about a person’s fate.
Photomontage, in turn, allows you to combine several fragments of reality to create new images or ideas. Photographic portraiture, as a high artistic genre, focuses on the reproduction of a personality through figurative means. A photo series, regardless of the form of presentation, allows you to create a single work that is dedicated to a specific topic or problem.
Thus, it should be emphasized that the variety of genres in photojournalism reflects a wide range of possibilities for reproducing various aspects of social reality. Each genre has its own unique features, which are reflected in the way it is shot, approaches to image processing and the purpose of information transmission. Photojournalism, as an art and journalism, continues to evolve, and the diversity of its genres provides a deeper and more complete understanding of the modern world.