When I introduce myself as a commercial photographer, the most asked question is not the one you might expect. It is without fail, 'what does a commercial photographer do?’

I have always found this a strange question, as to me commercial suggests anything to do with businesses. I get asked this question more than any other, so I thought I would explain what I do.

The short answer is, I provide professional images for businesses. These can be of you and your staff, events (social or news), property, processes, products, or anything else that you require to promote your business. To explain this further, I have broken it down into sections and included a few images to illustrate.

people

Comedian Al Murray outside in the sun dressed in a blue polo shirt with the Union Jack flying on a flag pole in the background

BROADCHALKE, SALISBURY, WILTSHIRE, UK, 29th June, 2024, The Grand Tour and former Top Gear presenter, television personality James May standing in front of a vintage Chevrolet in the sunshine while visiting the Chalke History Festival to give his ta

Gyles Brandreth pictured standing in the garden at Arundells, Salisbury.

When you think of images of you and your staff, I am sure the first thing that comes to mind is the traditional business shot on a white background. This is still the most popular for websites etc., but as you can see there is so much more that can be done to make your business stand out from similar companies.

When you book us to shoot your business portraits, we work with you to design a look that enhances your business profile.

products

Professional images of your product are a must for everyone looking to impress the more discerning client. Designed to ensure your product stands out, every detail is considered before the first image is captured.

Working with your website or catalogue/brochure designer we create the lighting and background to enhance the design.

property

Drone photography of St Nicholas Hospital, Salisbury showing its proximity to Salisbury Cathedral

Aerial drone photograph of the 13th century parish church of St Peter’s, East Tytherley, Hampshire. Showing front elevation view and roof line with partial view of the graveyard. Surrounded by rural landscape of fields.

Property photography is something that all businesses should consider. Shops, hotels, developers, builders, bed and breakfast establishments, public buildings, and even service companies should have professional images.

When shooting property the weather has a big part to play, as does the orientation of your property, time of year and exterior lighting. We work with you to get the look you desire. All of these components are analysed to ensure the perfect image is delivered.

events

Our event coverage is second to none, and is available for everything from a staff party to an annual awards event.

The images can be used for post event publicity, as well as event promotion the following year. Bespoke backgrounds, greenscreen technology and onsite printing and/or framing are just some of services we can offer, alongside our general event coverage. An online password protected gallery is also available if required.

We have regularly covered events for the society pages of local magazines such as Salisbury Life and Wiltshire Living. Inviting the local media to your event is a great way to gain valuable free publicity for your company.

FOOD

One of our favourite subjects to photograph (and taste obviously) is food. Our mouthwatering food photography will have people queuing to try it.

You take special care to produce your amazing plates, so why would you want them looking anything less than their best! Whatever image is required, we will ensure your food looks fantastic.

Promotion (PR)

Sharon Clarke, Elise Dedman, Lisa Evans (Branch Manager), Harriet Baldwin

PR images are the backbone of any marketing campaign or promotion. Required for your website, blog, press releases, and anywhere you want to profile or publicise your company. You can be assured we will deliver tailored images for you to use without fuss.

You now have an insight into the services we can offer your business. If you would like us to give you a no obligation image healthcheck, or discuss how we can help you promote your business, please email john@johnrosephotography.com

How often do you update your advertisements in printed media? Do you have a written implementation plan with accountabilities?

Many businesses run the same advert, month after month without monitoring its performance. It is more important than ever to make every penny count. How can an informed decision be made about which adverts are bringing an income to the business, and which are not, without a formal monitoring system?

There are many ways to do this;

Tracking numbers
Offer codes
Cut-out vouchers
Publication specific offers

Using any of the above, or one of the many others available, will let you know which ones are performing the best, and which ones are not performing at all.

Once you have this information you can introduce a plan to update, change, or stop altogether. One simple change can, and often does have a massive impact to how an advert performs.

Adding, moving or changing an image; changing the style, colour, typeface or rewording a headline can all make a difference to whether viewers make contact.

All of these things can, and should be tested to find the one that works best for you and your business. Each test should be monitored and logged, so the results can be used to make informed decisions.

I know; you're thinking ‘this is all fine but where do I find the time to do all of these things.’ Look at it another way, how much money could you be wasting be not doing them!

Obviously costs differ from business to business, but if you are paying £500 per month (£6,000 per annum) for a monthly advertisement in a magazine, and you have never had anyone contact you off the back of it, would that £6K not be better spent somewhere else?

Can you now find the time to monitor your adverts?!

What does a commercial photographer do?