Commercial photography is one of the many genres of photography, typically involving photos of products or portraits with products. The ultimate goal is to create commercial value or attract the attention of viewers to purchase the showcased products. Often, the creation of commercial photography involves a diverse team, including makeup artists, model agencies, stylists, digital artists, and, of course, the photographer. In addition to those mentioned, there are many others who contribute to the creation of commercial photography.
Recently, I created a commercial photography portfolio. Although not as complex as the real thing, it provided me with insights into what it will be like to collaborate with professionals in the field. My goal in creating the portfolio was not only to gain experience as a photographer but also to understand the process of capturing photos for commercial use. It turns out to be a complex process, requiring good public speaking skills, and most importantly, the photos must be well-captured in the camera to minimize editing time.
As a photographer, it is essential to understand the client's needs for commercial photos. We must identify the selling points of a product so that the messages conveyed through the photos can be easily understood by viewers. Communicating the value of a product from our perspective as a photographer is known as the pitching process. This process showcases our strengths as a photographer and explains why a client should choose us for commercial photography.
The photo above is one of the images I captured while creating a portfolio with my friends in Jakarta. It's actually part of a series of photos I took earlier, contributing to the Untitled Project—a project dedicated to creating portfolios with fellow photographers. I live quite far from Jakarta, and to get there, I have to take a plane since I reside on the island of Kalimantan. The journey takes approximately 2 hours by plane, and I believe it's a reasonable price to pay for creating a portfolio.
The concept of this photo was, in fact, a serendipity. Working with professionals in their respective fields meant endless creative possibilities. The idea of using Air Jordan shoes originated from the model herself. She noticed me wearing Air Jordan shoes and suggested using them for the shoot. The result was this photo.
I decided to play around and make it resemble a shoe advertisement. Observing Air Jordan's own advertisements featuring individuals wearing their shoes, I thought this concept aligned with that style. Additionally, the model's outfit, resembling a college student's attire, looked dynamic and suited the active vibe associated with wearing the shoes. The pose and display of the shoes added an interesting touch to the overall composition.
This photo session was actually a lot of fun. As a photographer, we weren't required to use specific techniques or lenses for this project. I personally had a great time participating; I could experiment with various focal lengths that matched my imagination. Surprisingly, I found that I really enjoyed using a lens with a focal length of 10-24mm on an APS-C camera. I felt that the resulting photos were dynamic and unique, as exemplified by the last photo. I had the opportunity to explore different angles with this lens. While some may argue that a focal length like this isn't suitable for portrait sessions, isn't photography considered an art form? Therefore, I love experimenting with lenses of various focal lengths.
Oh, I hope you also enjoy my photographic works and continue to support the photos I create. Thank you to those who have visited this post. Feel free to ask any photography-related questions; I'll be more than happy to answer.
Warm regards from me.