Food photography, fashion photography, architectural photography, head photography and portrait photography are just some of the types of photographs included in the commercial field. Actually, it's quite difficult to pinpoint a definition of commercial photography. Some people would say that it only applies to advertising photographs, but others include images from catalogs and e-commerce. So how can you tell if you're doing commercial photography? In general, a commercial photographer is employed by a brand or company to promote their products or services.
Let's take the example of Ansel Adams. Most would say they're a landscape photographer, and that's true. But when he worked for the Department of the Interior photographing national parks for advertising purposes, it would be more accurate to describe him as a commercial photographer. Commercial photography is what it seems.
It is photography for commercial use. A commercial photographer provides photos that show a certain product, person, or service. Companies will use photos in everything related to business activities. This category involves photographing a space for commercial purposes.
This can be to show off the architect's design or to show the attractiveness of a retail store. In a nutshell, commercial photography is the creation of images for use in sales, marketing, packaging, or other materials that generate revenue. Good commercial photography can include portraits, lifestyle images, landscapes, architecture, fashion, food, and any other type of photography you've seen used to advertise or sell photographs of services or products. As a commercial photographer, you will take photographs of products or people, which will be used to sell a product or service.
Commercial photography is a general category that consists of any type of photograph for editorial purposes of a product, person or service. In the case of commercial photography, this doesn't necessarily mean that you have to photograph the same thing all the time. The most experienced photographers in commercial photography often resort to a “one-size-fits-all contract” that isn't really written with commercial customers in mind. You can send them a message directly introducing yourself and your work and offering them an introductory rate, or you can request that they include you in any future Request for Proposal (RFP) they send to photographers.
However, it does mean that you'd better choose a particular area of commercial photography that you want to focus on. We contacted photographer Kim Fetrow to talk about her foray into the commercial arena, the importance of using a commercial photography contract, and how ShootProof helps ensure that your commercial customers return time and time again. Also, understand whether the customer will make commercial use of the photos for online advertisements, billboards, flyers, or other retail outlets. Since the definition of commercial photography depends on the end use of the images and not on the actual content of the photographs, specializing in this field can generate a particularly varied career and a very varied portfolio.
If there are other commercial photographers who are more advanced in their career in your area, you can contact them to see if they need help with any future sessions. Once you have a portfolio, consider doing an internship or working with an established commercial photographer. Most of the photography industry is independent, but you might be able to get commercial photography jobs as an in-house photographer if you're really lucky. Today, Kim's commercial photography projects range from gourmet dishes to photographs of executive directors and narrative publishers.
Once customers and photographers know exactly what commercial photography is, the industry becomes less intimidating. .
