Commercial Photography – Explained
Commercial photography is a term used to categorise all photography that is provided for any kind of business however big or small. Good photography can greatly enhance the profile of your business to your customers and business partners alike. In world where competition is fierce, budgets are lower than they have ever been and customers are choosy about how and where they spend their money, portraying a good image can make all the difference.
Know how to employ your photographer and how to use their talents to get the results you want
Commercial Photography Disciplines
There are 5 different disciplines to commercial photography and I have attempted to explain them below. It is important to clearly define these disciplines so that you can understand them in order to get the most value for your investment in your photographer and his professional skills.
PUBLIC RELATIONS Use
Public Relations photography use is defined as: ‘Photographs distributed (without charge to the publications) to the independent editorial sections of regularly published magazines, newspapers and internet sites with the desired goal of achieving unpaid articles about the event or organisation’.
Public relations (PR) photography can have up to 7 times the value of advertising when you consider that a half page advert in a national newspaper can cost up to £5000.00 a day. Good PR photography tailored for editorial use can provide free advertising for a short period in all manner of publications.
It is important to choose a photographer for your PR events who knows what the papers will print. Picture editors on the tabloids and broadsheets are very particular about the pictures they publish, therefore editorial photography experience is essential.
EDITORIAL Use
Usage for this editorial category is defined as: ‘Regularly published magazines, newspapers, websites and trade publications, available to the general public in connection with the original story’. A guarantee against final usage applies.
If your product or service can be promoted by real life stories or events then this may be the way of getting free promotion of your product by publishing a directly or indirectly related story in the national press. I can get reporters on board to write stories and press releases that the press will snap up providing the story’s a good one!
CORPORATE Use
Corporate use is defined as: ‘Photographs used in internal and external literature such as Company Newsletters and corporate internet and intranet sites. Broadly speaking ‘people to people’ stories rather than informing staff of company products or procedures as internal marketing efforts’.
With corporate photography you get what you want for a specific task. You may have a specific space in your website that needs filling with a stunning photograph or you may need corporate portraits or avatars for your staff. Cool smart photographs of your managers and directors can portray departments and individuals in the right light and can be very affordable indeed.
MARKETING Use
Marketing Use is defined as: ‘Photographs used in internal and external Marketing literature, promotional and sales brochures, catalogues, and annual reports and includes use on internet and intranet sites. Reprints of previously published editorial articles are among the numerous types of photography that is in this category’.
Internal and external marketing will be used to inform staff and customers alike of new products, services, promotions and all manner of other information. In order that your marketing remains vibrant, informative and interesting to the eye you should consider employing your photographers skills to convey the messages you wish to spread within your organisation.
ADVERTISING Use
Advertising use is defined as: ‘Photographs used in paid media space. Paid articles (advertorials), catalogues, billboards, and advertisements fall into this category’.
Your marketing department will tell you that advertising is a whole different beast. Well thought out advertising campaigns need people on board that have experience, fresh ideas, a flexible working attitude and most importantly be a team player when it comes to your business.
When hiring or employing a photographer it is important that they are involved from the very start of the advertising process, this early input will make sure what you wish to achieve is possible and you get value for money from the outset. Good advertising photography can have an insurmountable effect on sales. Even if you are a small business which has no marketing department, a good photographer with great ideas will be able to provide you with the right photography to suite your needs.
Client Advice Area
I have compiled a page that contains some useful advice and tips for Businesses that are thinking about employing a photographer. From copyright advice to notes on what to expect from your photographer, this page should offer some guidance.
Commercial Portfolio
Please take a look at my Commercial Portfolio. A short selection of commercial images, pictures taken for public relations events, portraits, advertising and marketing for a large range of businesses.
