Advertising and product photography

Products

Matter, shine and staging

Photography is currently the preferred medium for corporate communication strategies, for both paper and multimedia media.

Increasingly present and valued, with the development of the Internet and the multiplication of distribution channels, advertising campaigns are all the more effective the more successful and impactful the photos.

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Advertising photography

In addition to the practical, artistic and theoretical foundations learned in photography school or as a self-taught photographer, the product photographer is a specialist in detail and staging.

His skills must therefore be linked to advertising, so that his work is adapted to the expectations of the client in charge of communicating their brand and the targeted media.

By definition, the advertising photographer is an astute observer, passionate about the business world, and knows the keys to image marketing to give the visual impact needed for advertising campaigns. He or she also fits seamlessly into the whole range of professions working to achieve the best possible photographic media.

Advertising photographers are curious people who learn by experience. Their training is consolidated outside school by the trials they carry out, for professional or personal use, and they need to be sure of their theoretical background when they are called upon, whether for fashion, portraiture, packshot, reportage, etc.

The shots are studied and designed to meet the objectives of the advertising campaign. The photographer advises the company as an expert in advertising images, ensuring effective presentation of products or services.

His creativity, style and artistic touch enable him to sublimate the people and products photographed. There’s no room for error: promotional photos must be of the highest quality and instantly recognizable.

A specialist in product photos

Today’s advertising and commercial photographer is one of those professions that opens up a wide range of opportunities, particularly as requirements evolve in line with the rise of digital photography and the growing demand for reportage, portrait and packshot photography.

Whether on location or in the studio, with black, white, plain or more creative backgrounds, commercial photographers need to know how to adapt to their customers’ needs. As advertising photo specialists, these photographers bring their expertise to the communications agency team they work with, aiming to deliver advertising messages in the most influential and appropriate way, while meeting their client’s needs.

This process of striving for perfection is the same when working directly with a company or brand, and cannot be learned at school. Only ongoing training will enable you to perform at your best and integrate with other team members.

Consequently, the added value of a professional advertising photographer lies in his or her ability to create photos that match the marketing approach and attract the attention of the target audience.

The advertising photographer and the packshot

Advertising photographers are professionals whose specific photographic mission is to create packshots or photographic objects designed to sell a company’s services or products via the media.

Used on paper or multimedia spaces, advertising photos not only display, but also sublimate the object and create a different atmosphere depending on the product, telling a story around it. The mission of this expert in product photography is to produce photographic media in line with customer requirements (deadlines, budgets, etc.) and in compliance with intellectual property rights, thanks to product photography in a photo studio.

They are also responsible for retouching and transmitting photographs. They can work alone or as part of a team, independently or within a company (studio, laboratory, photo agency, press agency).

Specializing in the “packshot” (also known as the “product shot”, the type of photo that best represents a product on a black or plain background), the advertising photographer has the right framing, the right lighting, original backgrounds and attention to detail during the retouching phase. They also have to deal with a variety of constraints, which often require them to quickly find original and relevant solutions for the product packshot.

Photographic projects are then used in magazines, catalogs, on posters, for events, flyers and on the Internet. They can also be used by communications and advertising agencies. The choice of media is an essential component in guiding the professional through the photographic process.

Photographers are often asked to work with inspiring people who are brimming with ideas to present them with a real technical challenge. The ability to communicate well and work as part of a team is therefore essential.

An advertising project has its own challenges, and advertising photographers have to go the extra mile to find creative solutions to meet their objectives. Finally, given the tight deadlines and lack of margin for error, good implementation of technical aspects and attention to detail are essential.

Service stages

Working with an art director (except perhaps for reportage), the advertising photographer has a single goal. It’s to create images that will sell. He or she is involved in most of the creative process, from conception to implementation of the concept presented by the client. Acting as advertising image experts, they provide artistic and technical support:

Formulate or reformulate customer requirements: be able to quickly analyze and understand customers’ visual communication needs. Take into account the technical and material constraints required for the shoot in order to draw up a quote,
Summary of the creative component of the assignment: definition and framing of what is expected by the creative team of a photographer and/or advertising or communications agency. Propose ideas in line with the artistic guidelines and adapt the artistic approach to the client’s requirements,
Production management: this stage includes location scouting, setting the scene, correcting plastic defects and details, thinking about lighting, framing and composition, adjustments and artistic directions to determine which photos to keep in post-production, and the medium on which the photo will be distributed (multimedia, paper, etc.),
Post-production: Selection and retouching using professional software (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.) of the best-selling shots in line with the initial specifications. The final result must be delivered to the customer ready for use.

The special case of food photography

The business of culinary photography is booming. It’s a service that requires a sensibility linked to fashion and styling. There are very few photographers who can produce successful renderings for food photography.

A great chef wants to see his creations highlighted. The job of the food photographer is to understand the chef’s work in dialogue with him, like an architectural photographer with an architect.

The chef must give the photographer the keys to finding the play of textures, colors and aspects, as well as the details of the dish, so that the chef’s wishes are conveyed to best effect. As the chef’s job is subject to considerable and constant pressure, this work must be carried out precisely and quickly during the shoot.

Advertising photography expert

As projects are subject to significant financial and time constraints, an expert eye is needed to advise and support the customer throughout the project and the creative process.

His technical and artistic guidance will help to sublimate the products to be showcased, so that the photo is a real sales force and has a decisive impact on the target audience of the multimedia or print communication campaign.

Knowledge of the professional world and marketing enables a skilled advertising photographer to understand the project’s needs as quickly as possible, and to adapt to different working environments in record time.

His effectiveness doesn’t stop at the shoot, but also in the post-production phase, where his sharp visual sense and attention to detail will give the photo the impact it needs.

Finally, good management of priorities and stress is essential to maintain a quality dialogue with clients throughout the creative process. In short, being an advertising photographer is anything but improvisation. When you call on her skills, her constant self-training and her sense of service will help you achieve the expected result.

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