What is a Commercial Photographer?

Simply put, a commercial photographer is someone who creates photography to be used by the client, which ultimately is to generate income. These images may be used in advertising, merchandising, or more recently in advertorials (a kind of commercial editorial piece).

The most commonly seen commercial photography is Fashion Photography. Often very creatively, the photographer’s aim is to produce an inspirational photograph of the clothing, garment or accessory. This image is used to entice the consumer. Be it with the lifestyle of the imagery or the attractiveness of the item itself. In this instance, this photograph is the seed in the consumers mind, potentially growing into a sale.

Experience in this Field

I love this area of photography, as it often gives me a chance to challenge my creativity, run with eclectic ideas and develop interesting concepts.

One of the most important aspects, is appropriately reflecting a company’s value and identity in the image created. It’s here where I get to be nosy, and dig around, finding out about the company and how best to approach the shoot.

What Goes in and What Comes Out

Commercial photography is one of the more involved areas of the profession, often with high production values. Behind the scenes, a commercial photograph often requires large doses of planning, production, post production, professionalism and not to mention paperwork. All fine by me… except for the paperwork!

The value of commercial photography becomes clear in its use. By creating a striking image, the photography can often earn dividends for the client and photographer for years to come.

Final Thoughts for Anyone Considering a Commercial Photographer

Commercial photography is an area businesses can sometimes overlook. Yet often, along with the actual product and customer service, it is one of the most important.

Whether it’s aspirational lifestyle photography or high production product photography, it is the often the first visual representation a customer will see of your business. It’s the thing they see long before even considering buying your product, whether it be clothing, cars, jewellery or machinery.