Lami worked primarily in watercolour and lithography. He documented the social rituals of the European aristocracy with a reporter's eye. Works like Masked Ball in Venice or Court Ball At Buckingham Palace avoid heavy religious or historical themes. Instead, they focus on the movement of crowds and the play of light on formal wear. He often used thin washes of colour to suggest atmosphere. His compositions frequently place the viewer at the edge of the room, looking in on a private party or a royal crossing on a packet boat.

Modern collectors value Lami for his ability to record a vanished world without sentimentality. His prints offer a window into nineteenth-century interiors and public ceremonies. The small scale of his watercolours makes them suitable for contemporary homes. They provide a sense of history through specific architectural and sartorial details. Pieces such as Portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Brabant function as both art and historical documents. They capture the formal elegance of an era defined by its social theatre.