The Business Of Professional Photography
To fully understand what commercial photography is and isn't, we need to address the distinction between the various types of professional photography businesses that exist in today’s marketplace. The business of professional photography can essentially be broken down into three main segments or business models. These three segments are Commercial, Editorial and Retail.
Though certain types of photography are closely associated with each of these segments, the distinction between these three segments are not the type of imagery being produced, but rather how the images are licensed and ultimately used in the marketplace. For example, while a picture of a little kid running outside on a sunny day blowing bubbles might be closely associated with the retail segment, that’s not to say that same image couldn’t also be used in an editorial cover story about how kids benefit from the outdoor activities at an early age. Additionally that same image could easily be used on product packaging for that bubble brand or on a print advertisement and have real commercial value for that company.
To put it another way, how the images are used out in the world will dictate the business model and pricing structure associated with creating and licensing a photograph. It’s important to note that commercial, editorial and retail photography businesses have their own set of business practices and pricing structures unique to each of the markets they serve.
Understanding Copyright & Usage
In each of these three market segments (commercial, editorial and retail) the imagery being produced is the intellectual property of the photographer as they are the creator and therefore own's the copyright to the imagery. This intellectual property is then licensed for specific uses by the end user in the form of a contract, also known as a usage license or licensing agreement.
What is Commercial Photography?
Commercial photography refers to photographic imagery that is used to promote and sell a product, service or idea. Whether the photography is being commissioned by a small business or a large global corporation, commercial imagery is ultimately created with the intent of making the end user of the imagery more money; a return on investment for the usage of the photographs. Using photographs for marketing and advertising purposes is considered to be “Commercial Usage.”
What makes a commercial photography business different from other types of photography businesses?
Most commercial photographers work strictly B2B (business to business), not with the general public (consumers). Clients for commercial photographers can range from working with ad agencies, to product manufacturers, to architecture firms, to companies who sell services like insurance or food delivery. This type of work really requires the need for a good business acumen and an understanding of how other businesses operate. Commercial shoots generally have more on the line both in terms of logistics and budgets. Generally speaking, there’s more planning involved, more paperwork to be filled out, more legalities and more emphasis on the technical execution of highly creative concepts.
What is Editorial Photography?
Editorial photography refers to photography that is used in education and journalism. You’ll see this type of photography in textbooks, magazines and other news sources. Using photographs in this manner is considered to be “Editorial Usage.” Don’t confuse editorial usage for commercial usage however. If you were to open up a Forbes magazine, you’d see a combination of articles and advertisements. The images found in an advertisement for a single page Capitol One credit card ad would be considered commercial usage, while the imagery found within the context of the article about “How Artificial Intelligence Is Used In B2B Companies” would be considered editorial. Even though these types of images exists next to each other within the same magazine, the usage is completely different and so are the budgets associated with them.
What makes an editorial photography business different from other types of photography businesses?
Like commercial photographers, editorial photographers work B2B as well. The difference being the an editorial photographer's clients are usually magazines, news outlets and other publications with the end goal of telling a story.
What is Retail Photography?
Retail photography refers to photography that is created for the sole purpose of personal use. You’ll see this type of photography filing the walls and picture frames in people’s homes, invitations or personal social media accounts. Most commonly, these are professional photographs of your family, kids and pets; portraiture. These types of images are licensed for your own personal use, not for the cover story found in a magazine (editorial) or billboard advertisement (commercial).
What makes a retail photography business different from other types of photography businesses?
Unlike the commercial and editorial photography businesses that work B2B, photographers working in the retail segment are working B2C (business to consumer). This is a completely different business model than commercial and editorial photography. For example, a retail client could be an engaged couple needing wedding photos (personal usage) as opposed to marketing team working for a large corporation that needs product photography for a multi channel campaign (commercial usage).
Working directly with the consumer market changes the way a photography business is structured. Additionally, pricing in the retail segment is very different from commercial and editorial rates. I’d say that arguably, the retail segment has a lower barrier to entry, so the quality of work and experience of an individual running a photography business can vary dramatically. Whereas in the commercial arena, businesses are far less likely to take chances hiring an inexperienced photographer when thousands of dollars are at stake.
Putting It All Together
Now that you have an understanding of the key differences between a commercial photography business, an editorial photography business and retail photography business, let’s put this new understanding into real world practice. To put things into perspective, let’s take an image from my existing portfolio and explore the differences in how this single image might be approached in a commercial, editorial and retail market. Let’s use a portrait because when most people think about photography, the first thing that comes to mind is portrait photography.
Before we begin, here’s a little background info on the photograph itself. Many years ago in my career, I had booked and hired talent through an agency for a job I was producing. I ended up booking a model that did a awesome job and I had a great experience working with. After some discussion, we later decided to work together to create some portfolio images a.k.a. time-for-print as it’s traditionally called. Additionally, we also worked with a makeup artist on this shoot. A skilled makeup artist can add an incredible amount of value to any production involving people.
We ended up creating a wide variety of looks over the course of the day. Because I’m a commercial photographer, I wanted to create commercial looking imagery. This meant very fine tuned lighting, interesting poses and ultimately creating a series of images that could potentially sell something. This image has a beauty fashion vibe and was easily one of my favorite shots from that day. Below I’ve created a series of hypothetical use cases for this specific image as it relates to retail, editorial and commercial markets. Read on for a better understanding of how that translates to real world scenarios.
This Studio Portrait In A Retail Scenario
People may want or need photographs of themselves for a variety of reasons. If this image was photographed for the retail segment of the market, this photo could have been created for the spouse of this woman. The image could be framed, put on a wall and cherished for many years to come.
The Production
The production of the image could have been as simple as having this person walk into a studio, pose in front of a gray seamless, with some studio lights set up. Post-Production might vary depending on the skill level of the portrait studio or photogrpaher being hired.
The Cost
The cost of this photograph might be in the hundreds possibly over a thousand if the client were to purchase a large printed gallery wrap or other specialty print items.
The Usage
The usage of the photograph in this scenario is considered “personal use.” The client, in this scenario is a “consumer” and would likely be placing the framed image in their home for the own personal use.
Consider The Following - A Case for Commercial Usage
I think It’s also worth mentioning that this same framed photo could easily have commercial value if it were printed and put in a frame to be sold in hobby lobby stores across the United States. The photo could be licensed by the frame manufacture in order to help sell the frame in retail stores. This would be an example of commercial usage.
This Same Studio Portrait In An Editorial Scenario
If this same image was photographed for the editorial segment of the market, it could have been created for a women’s lifestyle magazine or other news source for a cover story on “How To Feel Beautiful Inside & Out."
The Production
The production of the image could have been shot on location somewhere with a portable studio set up. The magazine may have provided some creative direction and art direction for the story. It’s possible that if this were public figure, the photographer may meet with a media relations representative or agent while on set.
The Cost
The cost of this shoot could be in the hundreds as editorial rates are really low. That being said with additional fees for equipment, travel and the possibility of space used exceeding the day rate (photographer gets additional compensation for more space in the magazine if the space rates add up to more than the creative fee or day rate) then this should could easily yield anywhere between $1000 - $2500.
The Usage
The usage of the photograph in this scenario is considered “editorial usage” because the image is being used in journalism.
This Studio Portrait In An Commercial Scenario
If this same image was photographed for the commercial segment of the market, it could have been created for an advertisement for a lipstick manufacturer.
The Production
The production of the image could have been shot in a variety of ways. It could have been shot on location somewhere requiring travel along with the need to set up portable studio. Alternatively this could have been shot at the photographer's studio. The photographer might be shooting on set with someone from the marketing team of the corporation that makes the lipstick or someone from the ad agency they’re working with. This person might be providing art direction on set and overseeing the entire production of the photo shoot. There might be a team of stylists on set that specialize in hair, makeup and wardrobe. There could also be assistants on set making sure lighting and grip equipment are in place. There could also be a digital tech making sure that images are being backed up and a tethering station is properly set up to accommodate client image reviews. We can’t forget about post production services. If this image were going into an advertisement for a beauty brand, by most industry standards, this image would need to be flawless. So, there would need to be a retoucher in the mix for this production as well. As you can see, this production is turning out to be much larger and more involved than both the retail and editorial side of things.
The Cost
The cost of this shoot could be in the thousands, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands depending on the client, the level of production involved, and the extent to which the image is licensed. For example, using this image in a multichannel ad campaign involving well known national consumer magazines, billboards and digital display ads would cost far more than simply using it on the brands website only. More usage means more eyeballs are seeing the image. The more an image is used, the more that image costs.
Something else to consider: If the goal of this shoot would have been to visually portrait a celebrity endorsement, the cost of hiring a celebrity would also add to the cost of production, more so than hiring talent from a traditional agency.
The Usage
Remember, commercial use is for selling a product, service or idea. The usage of the photograph in this scenario is considered “commercial usage” because in this hypothetical scenario, we’re selling a product; the lipstick.
Lets Recap
As previously stated, most photography businesses focus solely on one of the 3 segments or business models; commercial, editorial or retail. However, that’s not to say that it's uncommon for a photographer to work in multiple segments. This is why it's vital to recognize and understand the differences in business practices and pricing structures of each segment regardless of whether you’re working as a photographer or working client side.
I’d argue that cross over between segments is more common between commercial and editorial than with retail. Commercial and editorial are similar in a lot of ways, whereas retail is a completely different business model and target audience. That’s not to say that someone working in the retail arena couldn’t do a good job in the commercial arena. However, they would need to have a sound understanding of best practices in commercial photography, coupled with the ability to handle complex logistics and understand how to accurately bid photography with a commercial value attached to it.
To recap, the distinction between these three business models are not the type of imagery being produced, but rather how the images are licensed and ultimately used in the marketplace. So again, while most people think of "portrait photography” being closely tied with the retail segment, it’s also very common to see portraits of people in editorial and advertising imagery as well.
Most people associate product and architectural photography with commercial and editorial usage, however, I could also see a scenario where consumers with disposable incomes would want a unique fine art still life or architectural image hanging on the walls of their custom built home. Therefore a photographer could be commissioned to create an architectural or still life product image to hang on their wall for their own personal use.
Conclusion
As a commercial photographer, my business caters to B2B clients. While I’m known for my high end product and architectural photography, I do photograph people as well. But again, understand that when I photograph people, it’s for the intent and purposes of commercial usage, editorial usage or simply for my own portfolio. As a commercial photographer, I’m not working with consumers or the general public.
It makes sense that commercial photography would cost more than imagery produced in both the retail and editorial segments because there’s way more on the line. For example, the 2021 rate to run a full page print ad in Food Network for six months would cost a company $86,628. So if you’re a brand like KitchenAid and you were running an ad in Food Network magazine and spending thousands of dollars on that media buy, it would make sense that the product photography in that ad would need to be amazing!
All of this to say, companies that spend tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars on advertising, are going to hire someone with the right skills and experience. A brand like KitchenAid isn't going to hire a $500 photographer working in the retail segment to produce commercial imagery for an $86,176 ad buy. They would want to hire a commercial photographer with experience in their respective field as it relates to their project. They would hire a commercial photographer who understands their craft. A commercial photographer who understands the logistics involved in producing a project for a national brand. A commercial photographer who understands licensing and the value of their respective work in the marketplace. A commercial photographer with sound business practices, an understanding of their industry and pricing structures that are competitive with other commercial photographers with similar skill levels.
Interested In Hiring A Commercial Photographer? Ready To Work Together?
If you have a commercial photography needs, I’m happy to take a look at your project to see how I can help! But first, please make sure that your project has some clear direction. A Creative Brief and Shot List are essential documents in helping me understand your goals.
Learn more about creative briefs here: https://digitalartthatrocks.com/blog/2020/29/9/why-your-company-needs-a-creative-brief-when-hiring-a-commercial-photographer-and-how-to-write-one
Learn more about shot lists here: https://digitalartthatrocks.com/blog/2020/15/9/why-your-company-needs-a-shot-list-when-hiring-a-commercial-photographer-and-how-to-write-one
