Cinematic Photography: A Key to Creative Brand Marketing

From tourism boards to tech companies to apparel brands, every business is unique and develops a marketing plan to help them reach their demographic. As a travel and lifestyle photographer inspired by film, I aim to add creativity to each project and make each photoshoot an opportunity to tell a story.

Advertising photography should be more than just selling a product, but telling a narrative of the brand’s ethos through creative imagery. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with sales and marketing teams, as well as social media managers to produce digital marketing content for websites and social media.

In this article, I’ll be talking about some concepts and ideas I think about when planning a commercial photoshoot for a brand.

One of my first commercial shoots at Pacifica’s Marina del Rey Hotel featuring actress and model DeAnza Banuelos.

WHAT IS THE STORY FOR THE BRAND PHOTOSHOOT?

Just like any good film, a campaign for commercial photography thrives on the story that fits the brand and product. Every commercial brand photographer should always ask what core values does the company work under, and what kind of photoshoot would be the best way to tell a story with those values in mind.

A water bottle brand might be very focused on sustainability and make a conscious effort in taking a stance against the use of plastic bottles. A backpack brand might create a variety of luggage gear (gym bags, camera bags, business daypacks). Each product serves a different purpose, and therefore, would have three different stories.

Stories are incredibly important for commercial photography because they not only give direction that will influence the rest of the photoshoot, but because they have the power to impact the brand’s audience and invest in both the product and the company behind it. 

In a way, commercial advertising can be a very emotional art for photographers, videographers, and creative directors to be a part of.

CHOOSING THE LOCATION

In films, an establishing shot is a great tool to use in order to set the tone of a scene. Brand photoshoots shouldn’t be any different. As a travel enthusiast, I’m always drawn to photographing new and interesting locations. But it’s always important to make sure that the location of the shoot makes sense for the story.

Chances are if a photographer is going to be taking photos for a commercial campaign for a beach-inspired fragrance, they won’t be going to an industrial city location or inside of a studio with a blank white wall.

Choosing a location is also important because it plays a big part in the model being able to interact with their environment (more on that later). If photographing a hiking backpack in the woods, are there mountains that the model can safely climb? Is there a waterfall that would serve as a beautiful backdrop?

For me personally, I have a preference for shooting outdoors and in natural light. But of course there will be instances when renting a studio location might be necessary.

It all goes back to the story and what the client needs.

THE CAST FOR THE COMMERCIAL PHOTOSHOOT

Having a professional model on set is a huge asset when it comes to a brand photoshoot and can really make the project come alive. Product photography is a great way to focus on certain features and specifications, but adding a model to the shoot creates an opportunity to get more versatile images. 

When working as a creative director on brand photoshoots, I encourage the model to try a variety of different poses and facial expressions, in order to add versatility to the photoshoot. Models are a vital part of adding the cinematic feel of a commercial shoot.

One thing I always go over when doing a commercial photoshoot is understanding the style needed for the session. I’ve had the opportunity to do a few beach photoshoots with model and actress Jenna Zhu, and one of the first things that we discussed when planning for the photoshoots was the wardrobe. One beach photoshoot we went with a more ethereal and peaceful vibe. For the second photoshoot, we went with a look that was more editorial.

Having a diverse catalog of product shots and lifestyle images is a great way to show the versatility of a product. But the most important thing is that the images all tell the same story and share a consistent tone.

EDITING THE FINAL IMAGES

As a video editor who has worked on documentary-style videos and short films, the editing process is just as important as the actual production of the photoshoot. Photo editing plays a huge role in finalizing the mood of a photoshoot.

I generally prefer to handle the editing of the photos I take myself. But if working with another editor, it’s important that the entire team is on the same page and delivers a consistent tone.

Using professional editing software is a must for me, as it allows me to have more creative control over the final image. I work with Adobe Lightroom for most of the editing, and then head into Adobe Photoshop for retouching and final touch-ups if necessary. The wide variety of features that both of these programs offer has been very useful in developing a consistent style among brand shoots.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are plenty of topics that I didn’t touch on when discussing the entire production of a brand shoot. I wanted this blog post to focus more on the creative aspects of commercial photography that I have in mind. But the ability to execute a successful commercial shoot is dependent on administrative and clerical skills (understanding budgets, setting up meetings with the clients, developing mood boards, etc.)

One of the reasons why I love brand photography is because the initial meeting with digital marketing managers and creative directors is an opportunity to learn more about what kind of story they want to tell. A brand campaign story has a lot of elements beyond just the product they’re selling. 

It’s my job to not only tell their story in a creative way through beautiful images (and sometimes video), but also to make sure that the message gets sent across to their potential customers.

If you’re interested in elevating your brand campaigns with cinematic commercial photography, then please don’t hesitate to reach out by email or through the contact form.