I’ve been a commercial photographer for around 20 years now, working with businesses across Manchester, Cheshire and beyond to help their company to stand out from the crowd.
But what exactly does a commercial photographer do? What makes us stand out from other types of photography out there? I thought it might be a good idea to dig a little deeper into what commercial photography is, and what we commercial photographers can bring to your business.
If you’re considering using a commercial photographer, or just want to find out a bit more about what we do, hopefully this should help!
So, in a nutshell, what do commercial photographers do?
Commercial photographers specialise in creating images for all types of businesses and corporations, as well as design, content, and PR agencies. Our photoshoots can range from simple headshots through to editorial campaigns used for media advertising.
One day, I may be photographing a team for website headshots, and the next I might be working on a national advertising campaign. Whilst the work of a commercial photographer can be very varied, one thing that connects all the work I do is that every image should tell the story of your business. Commercial photography is the ‘face’ of your business: an integral part of your brand.
The images captured by commercial photographers can be used for advertising, editorial, and design. My work includes product photography, company brand photography, images for advertising, editorial, and design.
The main aim of commercial photography is to sell or promote your product or service. As a commercial photographer, we want to showcase the best features of your product or business while also giving potential buyers a good idea of what they’re getting.
What kind of businesses do commercial photographers work with?
Any type of business can work with a commercial photographer! I’ve worked across a huge variety of industry sectors. As an example, some of my clients are Land Rover, the WI, Chester Zoo, RMS PR, Gorvins Solicitors and Souter PR.
As well as working directly with companies and organisations, I am also commissioned by design, advertising, and PR agencies on behalf of their clients.
Whether I’m commissioned by an agency or working directly with a business, the key to achieving successful commercial photography is gaining an in-depth understanding of what the client needs, and getting to know their business and brand. Great commercial photography should reflect a company’s core values through photography.
Why should you hire a professional commercial photographer?
The aim of commercial photography is to help to make your business money. For that reason, it’s really important to get it right. High-quality, creative commercial photography can be the key to your business standing out from your competition. Your business is unique, so the last thing you want to do is use stock images that don’t tell the true story of your company, or reflect the ethos of your brand. Instead, the images you use in your advertising, website and brochures should be as unique as you are.
Great imagery can make a real difference in how the general public perceives a business, which in turn affects how they interact with it. It is the role of a commercial photographer to listen and understand a client’s business and their needs in order to produce imagery that successfully represents the company’s values as well as getting their message across.
A good commercial photographer should bring creativity, enthusiasm and technical knowledge to all their work. A professional commercial photographer will also consider elements such as where your images will be used: for example, images may need to be featured in newspapers, brochures, and other print media as well as on screen. This means you need high quality images that will look just as good viewed on a screen as they do when printed.
Hopefully this helps to answer a few questions around what commercial photography is, and what commercial photographers do. If you think that your business could benefit from working with a professional commercial photographer, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m based in Stockport, Cheshire, and work with businesses across Manchester and the North West, as well as further afield.
