Visual content is some oft he most important out there. Whilst a lot of focus is placed on videos, the truth is that photographs and images still hold a very important role in how you present your business. Whilst there are a number of different ways you can present your business via images, one of the most common, and effective ways, is through commercial photography. But what exactly is commercial photography, and how does it differ from other photography types?
What is Commercial Photography?
The definition of commercial photography is relatively simple. It’s any type of photography that\s used to promote or market a product or business. The goal of commercial photography is to present a compelling, consistent and interesting visual display to the companies target audience to help products or services get sold. Unlike a lot of other forms of photography, there is very little focus on artistic integrity. Commercial photography is focused on meeting highly specific marketing and business objectives.
What is Considered Commercial Photography?
Any from of photography utilised by a business to meet its marketing objectives can likely be classed as commercial photography in some sense. This is one of the reasons why commercial photography is so essential to a business, because every business uses imagery in some form to advertise themselves or their products.Â
Despite it’s wide use their are certain types of commercial photography which have developed into specialist areas themselves. These include:
Product Photography
Product photography is a common form of commercial photography, where images of a product are created for use in advertisements or e-commerce sites. These images can be used all over the web to drive sales of the products, making it an essential part of any eCommerce business.
Fashion Photography
We’ve all seen photos of models wearing clothing when we’re purchasing new clothes for ourselves. The truth though is that fashion photography isn’t just about traditional photographs of models wearing the clothing. There’s more technical elements that need to be paid attention to such as Ghost Mannequin Photography, where the clothes are visible and nothing else is.Â
Food Photography
Emma Milestone Commercial Photography – Pizza oven restaurant
The visuals of food play a massive part in making it appetising for potential customers, so effective commercial photography for use in adverts, cookbooks, on
menus is necessary to generate interest in the product. It also is one of the trickiest forms of commercial photography around, as working with food is notoriously difficult.Â
Why Should You Use Commercial Photography?
If you’re not sure about whether or not commercial photography is worth the investment, then you should be aware that commercial photography has a number of benefits that are widely acknowledge.
Benefit 1: Professionalism
With the proper use of commercial photography you can present your business as the professional outfit that it is. Without proper commercial photography you can look more amateurish than you actually are, which can impact on how your clients view you, and their likelihood to convert.Â
Benefit 2: Increased Sales
Effective commercial photography is widely acknowledged to be an effective way to make your products and services more desirable and appealing. By showcasing features, or the products themselves, you can increase the likelihood that someone will actually purchase your products or services.Â
The Challenges of Commercial Photography
Whilst commercial photography is very important, it’s also very difficult to do properly. The most common pitfalls that cause issues for inexperienced photographers are:
Lighting & Composition
Lighting and composition are two of the most important aspects of photography of any sort, and because commercial photography can require shoots in unusual locations or utilising complex compositions to tell the brands story. This can be very difficult to do if you’re not an experienced commercial photographer, so it’s advisable to bring in a professional commercial photographer to handle the shoot.
Post Production
Once the photos have been taken they will likely need editing and post-production, This requires specialist software, and knowledge to get the images to the point that they will work properly as commercial photos. The software costs alone means that it’s beneficial to bring in an experienced commercial photographer who can handle the editing and post-production
Because commercial photography involves creating visually compelling images that effectively convey a brand’s message, products, or services it’s essential to work with an experienced commercial photographer that can handle all of the challenges that commercial photography poses. This will allow you to ensure that you have high quality images that convey your brand, and products in a meaningful way to help meet your marketing objectives.Â
