Myths and False Expectations in Professional Commercial Photography

One of the popular myths about advertising and commercial photography is that it’s always about beautiful or handsome models in gorgeous settings.  Could it be this myth that fires the imagination of new photographers, at least in part?  Certainly, it played some part in my decision to go pro, 30 years ago.

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Genuine talent will rise to the occasion no matter what the subject.  But, while beautiful people in exotic settings would seem to be an easy assignment, that can be a trap.  Thus my use of the word “myth” in the previous paragraph.  In fact, an assignment in which the people and setting are so beautiful can lead to expectations that cannot be met by any but a select few.

Exceeding expectations is right up our alley.

 Niths1On the flip side of that, some subject matter presents a different kind of a challenge.  Some items we photograph are not universally regarded as beautiful, although they may be just that to those who depend upon the subject matter for a living.  Manufacturing, industrial and shipping facilities are just such subjects.  One might legitimately ask, how do professional photographers deal with those venues?

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 Professional Photographers Create the Right Images Under All Conditions

Niths2Obviously, our first concern is to render these subjects in as positive and professional a manner as is possible.  Treating an image differently from a photographic point of view is one way to accent parts of a photo that might get lost. This can vary by using black and white vs color reproduction, cropping differently to heighten composition and accent a feature, or vignetting some areas to allow others to shine through more dramatically.

 Niths3When all is said and done however, it’s up to professional photographers to create images for advertising and corporate publications that meet or exceed the needs of our clients and communicate their message to their customers.

Niths5 That is what we do at Jeff Behm Photography.  Call us at 724-730-8513 about your project.  We’re located in Frederick, MD, and shoot in studio or travel wherever we’re needed.

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