A question about names

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I know we don't like to be pigeonholed, but there's a good reason for what I'm about to ask.

I mainly take three types of photo: townscape, landscape, and the other type. For a long time, I've enjoyed taking 'nice' photos, and sometimes 'wow' photos, if I'm lucky. Latterly, I've wanted to take more photos of the "other type", but I'm finding it difficult to get ideas and inspiration, and to see what other people are doing in this field, mainly because I don't know what the hell it's called.

That's the good reason. So what is this "other type"? I find it difficult to describe, but I'm hoping some of you will be able to give it a name, and point in the right direction. So here goes...

The photos address some sort of social, political, emotional, or physical issue, either directly or subliminally, hopefully deliberately, but sometimes through ambiguity. Rather than being eye-candy, pretty, or dramatic, the photo provokes thought, contemplation, upset, or strikes some chord. The subject can be big or small, profound or domestic.

So, does this have a name? Can anyone knowledgeable about the art of photography, suggest names, books, websites? I'd love to learn more about this sort of stuff, I just don't know where to start.
 
Documentary photography, contempary? can you give us an example of yours or someone elses that could better describe it? :)
 
I love this guessing game. :D

And while I remember probably a good show to watch is the Genius of Photography.
 
some guy used the word "abstract" on your comments... that kind of fits as well.
 
I thought Abstract had to use forms that weren't obviously recognisable.
 
Reportage or photojournalism usually involves people which your pictures don't. They are very nice and show a good eye. I would describe them as artistic although it is difficult to put a label on them.
 
awp said:
Reportage or photojournalism usually involves people which your pictures don't.
Click to expand...

They often do, but they are not limited to portraiture. It all depends on the subject. If I were doing a photo essay on abandoned industrial sites I could easily not take a photo with any people in.
 
True - my comment was a generalisation.
 
Thanks, Andrew!

I've actually been calling them my 'arty' photos for a few months, but the label seems wrong to me somehow, and I'm not sure why. I did a bit of a google last week, and the definition of Conceptual Photography popped up, and seemed close, but when I looked at some photos in the genre, they didn't seem right either.

I guess I should just try to find more examples, and see what those are called.
 
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