Quick Guide To Commercial Photography in 2025 (Types, Examples, Job Descriptions)
Commercial photography is a field of work that involves photos as a form of advertisement. There’s a wide range of types of commercial photography within the industry. Commercially focused photography examples include fashion photography, product photography and more.
There is an abundance of questions surrounding the commercial photography industry. How do you get into commercial photography? How does one break into the commercial photography industry? What’s a typical commercial photography salary? What are some commercial photography jobs? Is wedding photography commercial photography? We’ll be answering all of these questions and more as we go through the specifics of the photography industry, types of photography in this domain, including commercial and retail photography and how you can break into the workforce.
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What Is Commercial Photography?
What Is Classed as Commercial Photography?
Commercial Photography is photography used to sell a product or service or advertise something. Is wedding photography commercial photography? Not exactly. Wedding photography is instead considered retail photography since it's not used to advertise or sell a product or service. Retail photography is typically for individual clients rather than larger companies or small businesses that are trying to support their goods and services.
Commercial Photography Examples
Commercial photography is a broad category; you likely see it daily without even realizing it. Some examples of commercial photography include fashion photography, product photography, food photography, entertainment advertising and real estate photography. Any photograph trying to sell something or advertise a product or service can be classified under the list of commercial photography jobs. Any photographic advertisement you have ever seen is likely commercial.
Types of Commercial Photography
1. Fashion Photography
Fashion photography is the type of photography you see in magazines or clothing store catalogs. If it's advertising an outfit, fashion makeup or any sort of accessory, it likely falls under fashion photography. Most photos you see of models in magazines or in online advertisements are considered fashion photography.
Fashion photography is a vital advertising technique for clothing brands and high-end designers. People want to know what clothes will look like before buying them, especially when shopping online. Clothes can drape very differently on a person than on a hanger, and buyers want to know that the clothes they are getting will look flattering on their figure before they make the purchase.
2. Product Photography
Product photography is photography that sells you something physical. Photos of the newest iPhone, cars, TVs or any other product a company may be trying to sell to you are classified under product photography. Product photography is one of the most common styles of commercially focused photography.
You’ll often see product photography in store catalogs, or, more recently, in online advertising. Any company trying to sell a physical product likely uses product photography in their marketing.
3. Food Photography
Food photography is used in advertisements for restaurants or other food services. If you’ve ever seen an ad for a pizza place where they pull a slice up and the cheese is oozing down, that is food photography. Food photography makes food look even more appetizing than it does in real life. Oftentimes, fake foods will be used to achieve the perfect appearance.
Food photography is displayed in online advertisements, menus, food delivery services and web pages. Food photography is essential for any restaurant that wants to advertise their food and give clients a mental idea of what the food will look and taste like before they have even tried it.
4. Entertainment Photography
Entertainment photography is meant to capture an experience. Photos from concerts or theme parks are a perfect example of this. Entertainment photography is made to be immersive and make the viewer want to visit said location or experience.
Disney is a prime example of entertainment photography. They are well known for their photographic advertising, which sells theme parks, cruises and immersive experiences. They use commercial photography to excite viewers and make them feel like they are already there and a part of the experience, increasing their desire to buy tickets and book a trip.
5. Architecture Photography
Architecture photography is most commonly used in real estate when selling houses. Photographers will come into homes to capture the perfect photos to help sell houses. This style of photography can also be used to sell apartments, Airbnb rentals, condos or other architectural experiences. Photographs of museums or famous viewing sites such as the Eiffel Tower all fall under architectural photography.
According to The Art of Education University, architecture has come a long way, developing into a refined category of art and serving many purposes from places of worship, to homes to live in and buildings for work or recreation. Architecture is integral to all cultures and architectural photography can commemorate that.
6. Headshots
Professional headshots used for websites, press releases and more all fall under commercially focused photography. Headshots are a type of portrait photography typically taken of authors, actors, pop stars or celebrities to advertise them and their work. But these days many people use them for their professional LinkedIn profiles. Headshots can be used in playbills, books, magazines, IMDb pages, social media profiles and many other places. In any spot where a sizeable professional figure is advertised, it is in their best interest to have a professional headshot taken.
7. Product Packaging
Any boxes or packaging that display a product and its uses falls under commercial photography. Think of iPhone packaging, frozen food boxes or most children’s toys. These packages have photos of their intended product to help advertise them in-store. This type of business photography is similar to product photography except that product photography is used to advertise things before you see them, and product packaging is made to sell something as you will see it in the store.
8. Lifestyle Photography
Lifestyle photography is made to look natural and capture real-world events or interactions. Everything feels lively and moving as if it were a video. Lifestyle photography can be used similarly to entertainment photography or overlap with product photography. A naturalistic photo of a family at the beach to sell a cruise vacation is lifestyle photography. A photo of a family in matching Christmas pajamas or a group of kids with cool new back-to-school backpacks also falls under lifestyle photography.
Lifestyle photography is made to look as fluid and authentic as possible. Things can’t look stiff; it has to look as if the scene was captured accidentally but is still compositionally pleasing. Lifestyle photographers must work within fine lines and use photography tricks to ensure their work looks lifelike but still professional.
Commercial Photography Industry
Commercial Photography Jobs
There are many commercially available photography jobs out there and there are two main routes commercial photographers go. Either they work for themselves and freelance, or they get hired by an advertising agency. Photography jobs in the commercial world include real estate photographers, editors, photo retouchers, thumbnail photographers and product photographers, just to name a few. The possibilities are endless and even broader if you also loop in retail photography. Retail photography jobs include wedding photographers, family Christmas photos, pet photography, maternity photos and so much more.
Commercial Photography Salary
Is commercial photography good money? While it certainly can be, it will take a bit to get your foot in the door and become known in the industry, and salaries may be low within the first year or even years. Commercial photographers often set their rates, so if you are an established and credited photographer, you can make good money off jobs.
Photographers typically charge by the hour or per image. According to VSCO, a beginner photographer can make 25-75 dollars per hour or 10-25 per image. A high-level professional, on the other hand, can make 250-500 per hour or 200-1,200 per image. “These photographers can be paid up to $10,000 daily based on their experience and specialization.”
Commercial Photography is a challenging industry, but well-established photographers can do quite well for themselves. Commercial photography salaries can be very high per job for those established in the industry. Still, it is primarily a commission-based job, so you may have to consider a steady income. You may get more money in some months than others, and you have to adjust for that and find what works best for you.
How Do You Get Into Commercial Photography?
There are many ways to become a photographer. An easy way to start if you’re just beginning is to learn the basics on your iPhone. You won’t want to use a phone camera as a professional, but phones are great, easy-access tools to start learning composition and editing. Learn about color schemes, the rule of thirds and other photographic techniques. You can also take a photography course specializing in commercial work to hone these skills. If you have the money, upgrading to a professional camera for photography will be ideal.
Once you've obtained a quality camera, you can begin practicing. Photograph outdoor landscapes, your friends, pets, family or anything else you would like to photograph as practice. These jobs will typically be done for free or at a very low cost. The goal here is not to make money but to build your skill set. As you continue you will want to create a niche, but there’s nothing wrong with experimenting to start. This will help you to build a portfolio you can share on social media pages or a custom website which will help to attract potential clients.
Connect with other photographers in the industry if you can. Watch them work, ask for advice and learn from them. Seek internship opportunities or volunteer jobs to get your name out there and become established in the industry. If you're interested, there are even college majors and courses that go into depth and teach you the ins and outs of commercial photography. Learn however works best for you and continue practicing until you can attract clients and start doing paid jobs.
What Does Commercial Use Mean in Photography?
Commercial use in photography includes any photos that are intended to be used for advertisement, marketing or promotional materials. This includes things like magazine covers, billboards, online advertisements, food menu photos and more. If you would like to learn photography for beginners and earn your spot in the industry, you may benefit by taking a commercial photography course. The following links include helpful resources for anyone interested in learning the ins and outs of photographing in the commercial world.
- online photography classes
- photography classes in Atlanta
- photography classes in NYC
- photography classes in Los Angeles
- photography classes in Boston
- photography classes in Chicago
- photography classes in Dallas
Commercially focused photography is a vast field that includes any photography used for marketing or advertisement. Commercial photographers typically work for larger corporations rather than individuals, though this is not always the case. Other forms of professional photography fall under the category of retail photography. This includes things such as wedding photography or family photos. Both of these forms of photography have the potential to make excellent salaries if one is an established photographer in their industry.
The industry takes time to break into, but many resources are available for those who would like to try. The photography industry is fun and creative and allows a lot of imagination and freedom. It can be a fascinating industry to be involved in and is an excellent industry for anyone with an eye for color or composition.
Commercial photography is critical in our society and is used for a wide range of things. The industry covers everything from billboards to magazines, packaging, social media posts and more. Chances are you see commercial work every single day without even realizing it. It is a valuable industry that greatly aids us in modern-day marketing.
For even more fun photography ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!
