Lett Studio is commercial photography but one could wonder what that means exactly?
The easiest way to decode the meaning of these two key words (commercial and photography) is by referring to a dictionary.
Commercial or in other words Advertisement -> advertising (verb) is an “action encouraging potential customers to buy specific goods or use specific services” (acc. PWN – Polish Scientific Publishers)
Photographing is “recording images using a camera” (acc. PWN – Polish Scientific Publishers)
However what happens when we put these two words together?
ONLINE STORES vs. TRADITIONAL STORES
At first glance commercial photography is encouraging customers to buy goods, using images. This I suppose is the most accurate definition, because is it not the attractive photo, that catches one’s eye while browsing through an online shop or auction? A good photo is bait for a potential customer – an invitation in the direction to purchase.
Of course, one cannot argue the importance of a well- written and accurate description but as science shows we are becoming a visually- wired civilisation and most aren’t keen on paying too much attention to the fine print.
The situation shifts a bit when it comes to traditional stores. There, we can touch a product, try it on, inspect it at close-range or even smell it. In online retail the key factor influencing sale is the photo, or more accurately a product photograph professionally referred to as a packshot.
Research shows that product photos are important for 77% of e-commerce customers.
E-bay on the other hand carried out research showing that adding at least one professionally taken product photo increases sale by 2%
What is a PACKSHOT
A Packshot is nothing other than a photo taken on a white background. A well carried out one has no unnecessary shadows, is well illuminated, and has no specks of dirt or other obstacles in its frame (like a wardrobe in the background). One can try to produce a perfect packshot on their own or delegate the task to an employee by giving him a camera and an appropriate retouching program. However is such a solution cost-effective? The initial sum of commissioning this task to a professional commercial photographer seems higher, than delegating it to your own employee. Let’s pause and calculate how much it will cost us to dedicate the time needed to learn how to attempt a well- conducted packshot and the risk of failing at this, not to mention putting aside other standard tasks. The final account sums up to quite a high number.
Contrary to what one might think, taking commercial photographs is not a piece of cake. The proper lamp setup – so they illuminate the entire product, use of diffusors – for nice flashes and immaculate white background are key. Poorly done packshots instead of encouraging to buy our product, discourage and lead to the loss of credibility in the eyes of a potential customer.
