Commercial photography is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of photographic niches, from food photography to fashion photography, architectural photography to face and portrait photography. It is the creation of high-quality images for commercial purposes, and it can be difficult to define exactly what it entails. Some people may say that it only applies to advertising photographs, while others may include catalog works and e-commerce photos. So how can you tell if you're doing commercial photography? Generally speaking, a commercial photographer is hired by a brand or company to promote its products or services.
An example of this is Ansel Adams, who is often referred to as a landscape photographer. However, when he was working for the Department of the Interior photographing national parks for advertising purposes, he could be more accurately described as a commercial photographer. At its core, commercial photography is photography for commercial use. A commercial photographer provides images that showcase a certain product, person, or service.
Companies will use these photos for any business-related activities, while customers will be looking for a commercial photographer to produce high-resolution photographs for their own commercial purposes. Portrait photographers typically charge a one-time fee for a portrait license, while photographers can charge a price per use of a business license. It is important for commercial photographers to ensure that the final product is polished in order to make more money for their customers. Types of commercial photography include product photography, lifestyle photography for brands, photography for use in product packaging, images for brochures, photos for use on social media by brands and organizations, fashion photography, portrait photography if for commercial use, real estate and architectural photography, and more.
Nowadays, since much of the sale and promotion of products is done online, commercial photographs can be taken with Instagram in mind.
