13 Commercial Photography Ideas
One of the most difficult things in business is determining how to present your brand.
Do you go with what previously worked, try something new, or copy your competitors? What do you do?
To help inspire you, we have 13 different commercial photography ideas below that could work for your next photography project.
1. Macro Photography
Starting with macro photography, which includes an extreme close-up of an object that may not be visible to the naked eye.
A lot of advertising campaigns that are related to water, purity, or clarity usually use the macro photography technique.

As seen above, we’ve used the macro photography technique combined with a shallow depth of field. This emphasizes the water droplet while still making the “Crystal” logo prominent in the image.
2. Colour Theory
Using colour theory in commercial photography is a good way to create appealing images that evoke a specific emotion.
Below, you can see we used a mixture of warm and cool colours to ensure that not one colour overpowered all four shown.


Also, props we used for this shoot to showcase the food colouring for our client Yas Sepidvash. These props, which were the fruit, further describe the colour of the food colouring.
3. Product Lineup
A very common commercial photography idea is a product lineup. Put simply, a product lineup is a row of products that are usually related to each other in a collection.
With Piruna, we used the product lineup technical to get an overview of their entire premium quality makeup line.


What’s important about product lineup is product positioning. You must consider the individual products’ shape and size to ensure each has its own spotlight.
4. Close-Ups
Close-up photography is mainly used to advertise a product where you want to present the finest detail. With this type of shoot, the product is the image’s focal point.
Below is a close-up shot of an Emporio Armani watch. With this close-up shoot, you can see the smallest of details, from its slightly brushed face to its textured leather.


Alongside this, close-ups usually have a blurred background. This technique ensures that the viewer’s eyes are focused on the product, not the background.
5. Product Display
For e-commerce, product display images are essential. They help present the product(s) in a clear and detailed way to help the consumer understand your product offerings.
The whole goal here is to present your product clearly so the viewer understands exactly what it is you offer.

The above image, which we did for Part Polymer Iranian, clearly showcases their plastic tubes while showing their different available colours.
6. Food Styling
The food industry is becoming more competitive year on year. Though the food you offer needs to “wow” your customers’ taste buds, it also needs to be presented and advertised in a delicious way.
Over the years, the presentation of food has almost out-competed the taste of food. For this reason, food styling for your commercial photography, if you’re in the industry, is highly important in driving sales.


Back in 2017, we worked with MiveBox, which offers ready-to-go food such as sliced fruits. The goal here was to present the food in a mouthwatering and easy-to-eat way, targeting the thoughts of those who prioritise healthy eating but are in a rush.
7. Overhead Shot
Another commercial photography idea is the “Overhead Shot” technique. This is created for certain products that people use in their everyday lives, as it helps them visualise what they look like from their perspective.
For example, with the below example, Prima Plastic, we were asked to showcase their plastic plates in a way the viewer could visualise them. To do this, we set up some props and also used an overhead shot technique as if they were actually there.


The overhead shot is commonly used within the food industry as it helps provide a view of the food, much better from a side or front profile.
8. Minimalist
A minimalist photography shoot is about a focal point with minimal distractions, highlighting certain parts of the images, such as features.
The whole idea of a minimalist shoot is to provide a modern, clean approach to what the product does.
For example, with Persia Plastic, we showcased how their plastic containers can be used to pack doughnuts.


The reason this image works so well is that it clearly represents what the product is for – The doughnuts on the left go into the package cover on the right.
This is just one example, also. You can use minimalistic techniques to clearly demonstrate other product features for all types of industries/target audiences.
9. Flat Lay
Another commercial photography idea is flat lays. As you can probably guess, flat lays are when a product is displayed on a flat surface.
This type of photography can be used with or without props. In the example below for Maskologist, we use props to help the reader smell the product through imagery.


The flat lay worked well here for several reasons. Firstly, it presents the product as the centrepiece of the image. Second, it adds depth to the product. And third, we could use props, in this case, rose petals, for the viewer to smell the mask through the image.
10. Water Element
Using elements, such as water, in product photography can enhance the message of hydration and freshness.
This is very important for several products, especially skincare products. In the example below, we use the water element technique with our customer Maskologist.


With a mixture of photography and editing, we were able to show the product box against a water-like background with droplets that added a fresh and hydrating feel.
By doing this, we’re highlighting the hydration and freshness of the product and how nourishing it can be for somebody’s skin.
11. Black and White
Another commercial photography idea that you could use in your next project is the black-and-white technique.
This type of photography technique can be very powerful for the fashion industry. It strips away any distractions, allowing the viewer to focus on the model’s pose and facial expression.
In the example below, we wanted a strong focus on the model’s facial expression and makeup. We were able to do this by using the black-and-white technique and making the external features less distracting.


You can use the black-and-white technique for many different types of applications. However, it’s mainly used for high fashion editorials, where the emphasis is on the artists and not necessarily external colour factors.
12. Portrait
You can also use the classic portrait photography technique. These profile shots are classic and elegant and are normally used in the fashion and beauty industry to highlight a model’s features and styling.
For example, with the Sana Varshochi image below, we used a portrait image to showcase her hair, and makeup, and clothes from a side perspective.


This portrait shot of the model provides a timeless and elegant look. We also use soft lighting and natural tones to highlight the model features and intricate details of her attire and accessories.
13. Interior
Suppose you are in an industry which focuses on interior, such as furniture, interior design, or real estate. In that case, interior photography can help capture your products in a natural setting or the interior of a home/property.
In the example below, Zeytoon Furniture, we use interior photography to showcase their luxury furniture. When doing this, it’s very important to get the location right, as it will target a specific target audience.
Luckily, we were able to use the Zeytoon showroom, which perfectly positions its furniture in an environment that represented its target audience.


Two of the most important factors of interior photography are positioning and environment. If you nail both of these factors, you can create interior photos that accurately represent your target audience or its dedicated purpose.
Conclusion
After reading the above, you should know 13 new commercial photography ideas you can use in your next campaign.
Whichever you choose is entirely up to you. You may not even go ahead with any of these ideas, but hopefully, it’s inspired you to think about other options that may be possible.
If you’re interested in getting your commercial photography done by a professional, then you can always contact us at Masound Raoufi.
My team and I specialise in commercial photography and have served many businesses in Dubai and the UAE area with their commercial photography projects.
For more information about how we can help, feel free to get in touch with a helpful member today.
5 Comments
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