Advertising Photographer

Advertising Photographer Career

---

Advertising Photographers take pictures that help sell products. This is not just snapping a shot of a cereal box—their work can be as visually impressive and challenging as any other form. If you’ve ever flipped through a fashion magazine, for example, the ads can be as beautiful as the fashion spreads, thanks to the Advertising Photographer.

Often you — an Advertising Photographer — sell your product more by what you associate it with than by the actual thing itself. For example, if you photograph a pair of sandals, you are marketing to different audiences if you shoot them on someone running to catch a bus versus if you shoot them on a beach towel.

Your job is to create a visually compelling image that aligns with the brand image you are representing. To do this you meet with your clients and feel out their expectations. You design the photo shoot and convince them of your vision. You then arrange any and all necessary props and models to set up and execute the shoot. After that you edit your photos, and present the finished products.

You will have a lot of artistic license in this work and cover a large range of requests, so get ready to draw on your whole arsenal from lighting skills to combination printing and soft focus fades.

How do I become an Advertising Photographer?

---

As a photographer you work mostly in print media, so magazines, posters, and billboards. But your skills are translatable to filming if you decide that commercials are your thing. And while a degree is not strictly necessary, this is a competitive field and degrees will help you get internships which are a foot in the door.