One of the most common questions brought to our studio is what is the difference between commercial and advertising photography?
Commercial photography and advertising photography are specialised types of photography, used within the marketing plan of a business. They are high quality images used to promote products or services. But whilst similar, commercial and advertising photography are not the same and can easily be confused. With this in mind, the team at Abraxas, professional photography Bedfordshire, have created a guide explaining the difference between both types of photography.
What is Commercial Photography?
Commercial photography focuses on the particular product you are selling and these types of images are particularly popular on ecommerce websites; such as amazon, B&Q and John Lewis. Here, commercial photographers take ‘stock images’ which can be used on your website. The goal of commercial photography is to create images that will show the best representation of the product; that will, in turn, boost sales for the client.
What is Advertising Photography?
Unlike Commercial photography, advertising photography has more creative freedom to interpret how products can be presented. This type of photography is more likely to be featured in magazines and brochures by telling a story about the product or services. Advertising photos are more about showing the lifestyle that comes with buying a product, rather than the product itself.
How the Two Differ
Advertising photography is much more promotional than commercial photography. Advertising photography tells a story that helps products to become more appealing to the audience. To do so you can use a variety of techniques in terms of lighting, background and props to produce a stylish set up.
Unlike advertising photography, commercial images are neutral to prevent anything from distracting the viewers’ attention away from the product itself. These often utilise plain backgrounds and simple lighting; primarily focusing on the technical details of the product.
When produced correctly, both types of photography can be powerful marketing tools. Here at Abraxas, product photography Bedfordshire, we provide a range of corporate photography services to ensure your products look professional and effectively reflect your brand message.
For more information about our professional product photography services, get in touch with our expert team today.