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Linda Craft 30th Anniversary Mailer

There are lots of photographers that don’t understand what commercial photography is all about. I know because I recently explained this to a fellow photographer friend who was asking about commercial photography to better understand it.

This post will not be just about me seeing my personal images in print, but it will also provide some insight into the basics of commercial photography.

Commercial Images In Print

One of the core things that I like about commercial photography is seeing my images used for advertising purposes like the example above.

For Linda Craft’s images, I shot the one of her with the sold sign to be updated on many of her vehicles as well as signs to go in front of houses. The flyer above was used as a mailing and I have also seen the image in the Triangle Business Journal. As a commercial photographer, it’s nice to see my commercial photography images being used in print media and not just on the web.

There are numerous other ways that my commercial photography is used in print media like billboards and publications with many of my images being used for international advertising. As a commercial photographer vs. being a consumer photographer, I like going beyond the 8 x 10 print of the consumer photography world. It’s one of the benefits of being a commercial photographer.

Some Basic Differences: Commercial Photography

Describing how commercial photography is different could likely take up a book, but I’ll use a few sentences below to give some of the basic differences.

Typically commercial photography is used for some kind of commercial use as mentioned above like print media. However, commercial images may only be used on the web and never used for print. Therefore, commercial photography is not just about print media but really comes down to the intended use of the image(s).

A commercial image is generally an image shot for a company or agency for some kind of commercial use whereas a family in the park will likely be used by the family for personal use. However, this is an area that commercial and consumer photography share another unique difference. A family could be photographed in the park for commercial use like an ad campaign for an insurance company just to name one example. It really comes down to the intended use of the image(s).

In closing, commercial photography can involve long contracts and may require the photographer have proof of liability insurance. In addition, commercial photography is also typically based on a certain number of images to be licensed for a certain length of time. Some commercial photographers may license the image(s) for 1 year and require a renewal fee while others may provide lifetime usage rights.

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David Williams

Owner at RTP Photo and Video, Inc.

Short Bio About The Author: I'm David Williams a professional commercial photographer focusing on corporate and business clients with some personal branding, lifestyle photography in the mix. My love for photography began in late 1981 while still in High School. I started making money with his camera in 1982. Brenda, my wife, and I started working together in photography in 1988 shortly after we met. Brenda and I married in 1989 and have two adult daughters. Please be sure to get a quote for services if needed. Call or Text: 919.723.8453. Please reach out to connect with me on LinkedIn.

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