What type of commercial photography is right for you?
- Jack Rintoul
- Mar 13, 2022
- 2 min read
Commercial photography on its own is quite a broad range of things. Essentially, it's a type of photography used to sell or promote a business or product. But within the umbrella term of 'commercial photography', which is the best for you?
Types of commercial photography
Food and Drink Photography
Photos that promote or showcase a snack, meal, or multiple meals. Drinks can be added in the photo alongside the food to create more interesting or be a standalone photo promoting a beverage or range of beverages. They can either be shot as a tabletop image or lifestyle, with a person as an added element.
Product Photography
Photos that promote or demonstrate the use of a product. Product photography has a lot of flexibility and can be a great outlet for creative ideas. A lot of product photography features a person in the shots too, interacting with the product.
Architecture/Interior Photography
Photos of the exterior and interiors of a building or room. Architecture photography captures the design elements of the exterior of the building while interior photography focuses on creating a welcoming presence inside of the building. Composites are used a lot –– although not always necessary –– in architecture and interior photography to achieve sharp and clean details within the scene.
Fashion Photography
Photos displaying and promoting stylish and unique pieces of clothing, mostly seen on-figure (on models). They can also sometimes be done off-figure as a flat lay. Fashion photography can be done either in-studio or out-of-studio. It also serves as an outlet for large creative ideas to take place.
Personal preference
These are just a few examples of the more common types of commercial photography.
As stated in "My start into commercial photography" blog post, I'm personally interested in product and food photography. I've done a bit of architecture and fashion photography, as well as other types, but I didn't have as much fun with it. I don't have as keen of an eye as to what makes people or clothing look its best and I prefer working at a smaller scale than buildings and landscapes.
Other than just table top shots, I've also been working on adding human elements into my photography to add more interest and create more of a story –– whether that be having a hand hold the product or having the person be the main subject. It's been a bit of a challenge as I don't have as much experience photographing people but it's something I want to continue to work on; maybe that'll help me enjoy portraits more.
What about you?
If you know what type of commercial photography you're into, great! You're set and ready to hone in on your craft. But if you're still figuring it out –– or want to try something new –– here are some tips to help you choose which is right for you.
If you don't like photographing people, then product or food and drink photography is the completely opposite and a good option to try.
OR the complete opposite: if you don't like still life, then portrait photography is great for you –– there are commercial routes for portraiture too.
If you don't like the idea of being in a studio, try landscape or lifestyle photography to get out more and take in your surroundings.
If you enjoy the city and urban settings, try some architecture photography while you're around those conditions and see if you enjoy it.
Try new things
It's okay to try new things to find what you truly enjoy the most. Whether you're just starting out or have 20+ years experience in the industry, it's good to switch things up and keep your brain thinking –– it's great to keep you creative and thinking of new ideas wherever you are.
Go to my contact page, email me or call me to talk further!
Jack Rintoul
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