Today we live in a world of visual communication. We use it every day and each of us communicates with it in some way, in business or private. The history of photography goes so far that the exact day, date, year is actually unknown. Photography, as a visual medium, has a great impact on society because it is part of our everyday lives. We transmit a large amount of information through photography, but we must be prepared for photography to transmit false information. This is why it is important to develop an awareness of visual literacy. The paper elaborates a short history of photography, a detailed presentation of the camera and lens. Although there are many genres of photography, four genres have been selected in the paper that have been processed: portrait photography, art photography, documentary photography and street photography. The most important role in this medium is played by the photographer because he conveys the message to us through his works in his own unique way, and the audience has the choice of interpreting those messages in their own personal and diverse way. The paper also mentions the great photographer Marija Braut, who with her pictures conveyed to the audience what she wanted to say. Photography is not just information or an ordinary medium, it is the art of today. People have a different view of photography, but that's what's special about it because every photographer takes the same photo in their own way, so every viewer sees that photo differently. The photo shows us the person behind the camera and his vision of that moment. It shows us the outside world, what is happening far away from us, on other continents, in other people’s lives. Photography writes the life stories of each of us.