Commercial Photography In The Digital Age

Commercial Photography In The Digital Age

by William Lulow

I think we can agree that commercial photography is not what it used to be. As I have said many times, today, anyone with a decent camera is a photographer. And, it has become so easy to take pictures, you almost don’t have to think about it. But that’s where the difference between a professional commercial photographer and the person with a decent camera really comes into play.

The problem is that too many people (and there are clients mixed in with them) think that because it’s so easy, it doesn’t require any special expertise. I guess that’s why people come to my workshops to learn techniques of professional photography. It must be THAT easy!

Top professional photographers have techniques and skills that it takes years to perfect. The problem comes when someone needs some professional pictures and says that it will only take an hour or so. It may only take an hour to shoot, but what they’re not realizing is that there is transportation, parking, set up, set strike, assistants to help carry equipment, light testing and travel time, just to name a few items. Lately, I’ve also seen photographers charging usage rights along with the production costs, as they should. When you’re working with a neophyte client who has not purchased professional photographic services before, they don’t realize that usage is a billable expense. Usage rights are a common add-on when it comes to magazines, broadcast networks, cable companies, advertising agencies and public relations firms. But, corporate clients need to be educated about what goes into the cost for professional photography just as amateurs need to be taught professional techniques.

So, with automatic cameras, highly sensitive CCDs, autofocus lenses and computers why should anyone hire a professional? Well, if you need something to look good on your website, if you need a shot of a product that requires a tight close-up that is super sharp, if you need several shots to look alike in exposure and background, if you need something very small photographed, if you need special stop-action shots, if you need a portrait that really brings out a personality, if you need several shots that maintain a certain consistency, if you need images that will stand large blow-ups – if you need things like this, then you need the services of a professional photographer. And, you need to be able to pay for it!

Most advertising professionals realize this, which is why competition for their attention is, and always has been extremely strong. Agency art directors know what it takes to produce top-quality commercial images. That is why most large companies turn to agencies to produce effective ads to sell their products or services. And, that is why top-quality photography costs money.

Let’s say a company like Ely Lily wants to sell a new drug they have made. If they didn’t advertise it, no one would know about it. The question then becomes, what kind of image is necessary to showcase the product best. (I’m only talking about still photography at the moment). Would it be a really good product shot, or perhaps a “lifestyle” shot like so many drug companies are using today?

In many respects, commercial photography these days has gotten much more inclusive than it used to be. That is, many clients now expect everything to be done by the photographer. This includes retouching, image processing, printing (sometimes) and digital delivery. In the past, we used to be able to bill separately for these things. Now, clients expect us to do everything and not charge any more. It is almost taken for granted that the photographer will deliver a complete, retouched and printed image. So, workflow has become all-important to commercial photographers. We have to know where everything is in our computer system and how to do manipulations, change backgrounds, color balance everything and deliver it camera-ready to a printer or to the client.

Yes, it may be technically easier to make a commercial image, but it now takes a completely new list of abilities to make it all happen correctly. So, what separates the really good digital photographers from the amateurs? It may sound trite, but it all comes down to vision and communication. The really successful practitioners these days are those who have a unique vision and have the ability to listen to their clients and to develop a relationship with them that benefits both.