What is a documentary photographer? How do they differ from a lifestyle or portrait photographer? Are they hard and fast rules? Can the two be blended?

According to Wikipedia documentary photography is used to chronicle events or the environment, relevant to history and everyday life. To me Documentary Photography is stopping time forever, it is recording what makes up your life today to allow you to revisit this point in time when these moments have passed. It honestly chronicles life. To me this differs from lifestyle. With lifestyle photography, the connections are shown. The love between a family, but generally they are more directed and unrepresentative of real life. Portrait photography is just that, a portrait. Generally it includes directions such as sit here, look there, smile. I believe that there are no hard and fast rules. I try to blend all three styles together in my sessions to capture the best of all three.

I consider myself a real life photographer. Sometimes real life includes a mom and daughter in a tutu out in a field, looking regal and gorgeous. Some days, it includes 2 kids picking peaches in the hot summer sun.

As a photographer where do you lay on the spectrum? As a client what do you prefer?