A commercial photographer takes corporate headshots for website team pages and product photography for brochures, right? The scope of commercial photography is probably far broader than you might think. We live in visual times. Businesses today need a plentiful stock of high quality imagery for everything from websites and social media to press editorial, advertising and brochures.
So, what else falls under the classification of commercial photography? A commercial photographer is commissioned by a business to take photographs that benefit an individual or company from a business point of view. Employees at work, corporate events, individual portraits, teams working together, corporate buildings, factories and industrial plants, food, fashion and products of every description. Just about any picture taken for the purpose of selling or promoting a product or service could be labelled as a commercial photograph, I have done most thing’s, if not all, here are some recent successes.
The 7 main types of commercial photography
- Product photography
- Food photography
- Fashion photography
- Environmental and location portraits
- Industrial photography
- Headshots
- Architectural photography
How to choose a commercial photographer
When you start to search for a commercial photographer, you’ll find many of us have specialist areas of interest. This could be the sectors we support or a particular style we’ve perfected. It’s important to choose the best match for your brief and business. I have worked across most of the genres above in my time as a commercial photographer, but here, I highlight three of my favourites – product photography, portraits and industrial photography.
Commercial product photography
Gone are the days where commercial portrait photography was limited to traditional corporate headshots – team members awkwardly striking a pose, looking straight into the camera’s lens. Today, I’m finding businesses are far more open to experimenting with more natural portrait photography.
In some cases, this is to capture the individual characters of the team and the energy they bring (like when I photographed these hospital ancillary workers) Other businesses, simply want to show their people doing what they do at work.
Industrial photography
Photographing an industrial space for commercial purposes can be a fascinating creative opportunity for a commercial photographer. The shoot environments are typically challenging, requiring careful planning and plenty of precautions (think PPE and a thorough risk assessment). But the pay-off is the opportunity to capture sparks flying, the glow of red hot metal and the power and scale of industry in action.
My project for Liberty Steel is perhaps my favourite example of how what at first seems to be a bleak, factory space can become a striking, dynamic backdrop for commercial brand imagery.
Are you looking for a commercial photographer
Based near Birmingham, I take on commercial photography assignments for small and large businesses, global companies and growing independent brands across the UK. Let’s discuss your photoshoot next
