Comercial Advertising Photography

Commercial or Editorial ? Whats the difference?

The differences between Editorial and Commercial are quite simple:

- Commercial photographs are being used to sell the product by only using the photographs

- Editorial photographs are showing the product but this also being accompanied by an article of text which goes into more detail about the product, such as recipe books or magazine pieces.


Commercial photographs are being designed to persuade the viewer to want and need the product, this is done more effectively when the photographer understands Semiotics; this is the meanings and significance of objects and colours within the photograph. The visual elements will connote specific thoughts and reactions in the viewers, all of the viewers look at the work with preconceptions of the world and it is the job of the creatives to understand how people will read and react to the work so that the can create the most effective advertisement.

Brands are cultural entities that need to be understood as they have all created an identity that fits with the target audience and the culture that they have been created in. To create a new brand the culture that it will be presented in needs to be understood in order to reach maximum potential.


In this lecture we also looked some product photographers:


David Parfitt

He shoots a variety of products but the most interesting to me is the perfume bottles that he shoots, to shoot a perfume advertisement the brand identity and also the style and the purpose that the perfume has been created for (days, nights, who is the target?). Semiotics will help the photographer understand how his photograph will be coming across as even something as the colours used in the background will affect how the viewers read the photographs.


Ray Massey

This photographer specialises in shooting with liquids and splashes, he also does his own retouching which is useful because he understands his vision and he can execute it himself without having to rely on another to understand his vision. The way he photographs liquids is a talent I would like to improve on as I think it creates an usual look that is not typical.


Eugenio Franchi

Both a photographer and a retoucher he creates extraordinary works that showcase the products, he has worked for many companies in creating advertisements. The drinks portfolio he has on his website shows spilling drinks and I think that this would be a great project to try myself.