As a Raleigh based commercial photographer, RTP and specifically the Davis Drive area is one of the top Triangle spots that I work in on a regular basis. Although I don’t specifically target a lot of companies in the medical field, I seem to work with my fair share of them. But as a commercial photographer, I also provide photography (and video) services for IT Companies and numerous other verticals. I’m not restricted to one particular industry.

I like being exclusive to the commercial use side of photography. Most of the images that I shoot, including headshots, are typically used for business not personal purposes. Unlike many commercial photographers, I do provide lifetime, global usage rights for the images purchased. I like keeping things simple and easy to understand.

If you have never hired a professional commercial photographer, it may be more affordable than you think. Stock images may seem like the cheap way out, but have you read the extended license agreement? What impact does a stock image have on your brand if the same image or images get used by hundreds of other companies?

There is no harm in getting a quote from a commercial photographer, but don’t based your decision solely on the quote. You should ask questions and be sure you are clear on why one photographer charges more than another. Staying within a budget is important, but commercial photography is not all about price. You’ll likely find that most commercial photographers are priced very similar to each other. There will likely be a few that are super cheap (be careful) and a few that may be super expensive (learn why).

The best thing to do is to just see what is available in your market, so you’ll have a better understanding of your options.

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Commercial photography doesn’t have to only be super creative shots for BIG brand advertising campaigns. A commercial photographer usually provides images that are meant for commercial use like a company website, a brochure, a mailer, a linkedin profile, an email campaign, etc. On the other hand, a consumer image is likely just used to share with friends and family and is not meant for commercial use.

In my case, I focus solely on the commercial side of photography. Although I do have a studio in North Raleigh that is designed exclusively for professional headshots, most of my work is shot on location for law firms, medical practices, investment firms, other professional services and even the Fortune 500. That includes general commercial photography and other types of photography like corporate events and architectural photography.

Stock Images vs. Custom Images

It’s better to have custom images in most cases than stock images to represent a brand because stock images almost always look like stock images plus the same image can also be used by someone else. In addition, stock images do not use the actual attorney in the law firm conference room like the image pictured at the top of this post that was actually shot in the law firm conference room of one of the attorney’s at the firm. Custom commercial images are far better in the end most of the time than stock images.

What About Pricing?

Don’t be fooled by stock images low pricing. You should read the fine print to make sure that you are in line with the usage rights. Stock images with extended usage rights can be $50 to $100+ per image. Once you get into that range, you should compare the cost to customized commercial photography. An established local commercial photographer coming on site will be more than the standard stock image license, but may be competitive with the extended use fees associated with stock images. However, you are getting images in the end that will represent your brand better than most stock images.

Getting caught using a stock image outside the usage rights could lead to getting a letter saying you owe $500+ for that one image. In my case, I provide lifetime usage rights of all images purchased. So there is no need to worry about usage rights and compliance.

Most commercial photographers will likely incorporate a combination of things to get to their final quote for your commercial images. You’ll likely hear things like 1/2 day or full day rate, price per image and licensing usage rights. I like keeping it simple and say something like this: “I’ll come out for up to a 1/2 day, provide ___ number of final edited images which averages ___ per image and lifetime unrestricted usage rights are included.” That’s about as simple as it gets.

Use the online form to get a custom quote or call 919.723.8453.

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As a commercial photographer, I do photography mostly of people, but I also do my fair share of product images. Any image that is meant for commercial use can be considered commercial photography and does not have to be a big brand photoshoot for an ad campaign. However, I have also been fortunate to work with some big brand clients as well.

Consumer photographers focus on weddings, families, babies and other consumer use images which typically are not published on business websites, in print media or on platforms meant to drive business. On the other hand, commercial photography is used to build brands both large and small as well as promote individuals or companies in order to help drive revenue.

If you are considering hiring a photographer, should you hire a consumer photographer or a commercial photographer or a photographer that does both? In my case, I do not cross over into consumer photography. Although I love photography, I have no desire to photograph weddings, families or babies, and I do not have the skill set to truly do that area of photography justice. Skill set should likely be a key part of your decision.

If you are considering using your images for commercial use, then you should seriously consider an experienced commercial photographer. A photographer that is great at baby photography may not truly grasp how to work with you and your needs especially if it is in a corporate environment. You wouldn’t hire someone that specializes in building decks all day everyday to build your dream home, so don’t hire a photographer that is not skilled in commercial photography if that is what your need is. Let wedding photographers do weddings and commercial photographers do what they do best.

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In the consumer photography world, it’s not uncommon for someone to spend $1,000 to $1,200 on a nice consumer camera with a kit lens and think the nice camera will now help the user achieve greatness. Yes, it’s true that a good consumer camera can do a lot cool stuff and produce great images, but it’s also very true that the person behind the camera is often what really matters in the end.

As a full time commercial photographer based in Raleigh, I believe that several things are true when it comes to commercial photography:

1) Gear ( Professional Gear )
2) Experience ( The Person Behind The Camera )
3) Backup Gear And Cards ( Lots of It )
4) Post Production Editing

1) Gear ( Professional Gear ) – I believe that professional gear is more reliable and better quality than consumer gear. When it comes to lenses, the glass is a critical element in the quality process. $1,000 to $1,200 will not even pay for most Canon Pro Lenses. If you are looking for a commercial photographer, do you really want them showing up with one bag of goodies or a truck full of goodies like the picture to the left. All that gear means nothing without #2 below: Experience!

2) Experience ( The Person Behind The Camera ) – The person behind the camera that not only knows how to operate all those buttons on the camera but also knows how to work with people on a commercial photo shoot is very much a key part of the end results achieved. On a recent commercial photo shoot, I was asked by the agency contact to do several things that I was able to pull off quickly off the cuff because of experience. Although I did not list people skills separately, experience will help a good commercial photographer know how to work and direct people on the shoot in a manner that is done both efficiently and professionally.

3) Backup Gear And Cards ( Lots of It ) – I shoot all over the US and recently spent 5 days in California photographing a conference. Part of my (our – wife Brenda) commercial photography business includes assignments like corporate events that requires less gear than the image above, but I still flew from East Coast to West Coast with 96 pounds of gear. I had backup everything. And, as luck would have it or bad luck, on the last evening I was in California, I broke my hotshoe one of my camera bodies and the flash would no longer fire properly. Notice I said BODIES. I’m not flying 3,000 miles across the US with one camera body and one lens. Any experienced, true professional, commercial photographer will have lots of backups of everything whether they are shooting local or 3,000 miles away.

4) Post Production Editing – This is Brenda’s area of expertise. Commercial photography is not the same without post production editing ( Lightroom & Photoshop ). Anyone wanting to hire a commercial photographer should ask for details about this area because any photographer giving JPG images straight out of the camera is not a truly experienced commercial photographer. It takes post editing most of the time for optimal final images that look truly professional.

I don’t do this in every blog post, but if you are looking for commercial photographer in the Raleigh, North Carolina area for a local project or anywhere in the US or abroad, please use the button below or call me direct at 1.919.723.8453.

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The top image above was taken by my equipment assistant, John, who is listed on the team page. The bottom image is one of several final images that I shot during this setup.

In the first image, you’ll see my primary assistant, Lindsay, who is also listed on the team page, holding a Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlite. Lindsay is pointing the speedlite at the subject to provide fill flash outside. I was standing about 25 feet away with my Canon 5D Mark III with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and the Canon ST-E3-RT mounted on the hotshoe. The Canon ST-E3-RT communicates wirelessly with the Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlite. I was using TTL High Speed Sync mode rather than manual mode on the speedlite.

Shooting out in the open like this scenario can be difficult when using studio strobes because of the sync speed issue. Even when the ISO is set to 100, the shutter speed will likely not get to 1/200th or less when the lens is set to f/5.6. That’s the beauty of High Speed Sync: I was able to set the camera to AV mode which means that I set the f/stop like I wanted it and the camera chose the shutter speed. With High Speed Sync, I don’t have to worry about the shutter speed being greater than 1/200th of a second when using flash outside.

Yes, there are other ways to do the shot above like using a reflector or reflectors, but I like the simplicity of the way that I did this shot. I simply placed my assistant with one speedlite in her hands close to the subject and I set the camera to AV mode with the flash to High Speed Sync. It’s that easy and it’s not complicated.

If you are a photographer and don’t own a speedlite with TTL and High Speed Sync options, you may want to do some research into the best speedlite for your budget that offers both TTL and High Speed Sync. Currently, Canon’s top speedlite is the Canon 600 EX-RT and Nikon’s is the SB-910. Both are between $500-$550 each as of this writing.

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I absolutely love being a commercial photographer and shooting images like you see above. I’m as passionate about commercial photography as a friend of mine is about weddings, but I’ll let him stick with weddings. I’ll take full day commercial shoots like the one above any day. FYI, I don’t cross over to the dark side of weddings. I’ll let the photographers who love doing them keep doing them.

Any experienced photographer that tells you they never make mistakes and all their images are fabulous is, well, not completely honest because just like professional golfers take some bad shots so do professional photographers. The digital age just makes it easier to get more great shots.

With the image above, I wanted to see the side of the fire truck in addition to the fireman using the radio. However, when I first saw the reflection in the side of the truck, it was of orange cones, brown grass and a canopy tent. So I had an idea: There was another fire truck just over my shoulder that was not in view of this scene, so I worked with the firemen on set to position the other fire truck where I could see it in the side of the main fire truck that I was shooting.

Yes, in the modern age of Photoshop, the reflection could have been changed or even made to be no reflection at all, but there is no need for all that additional post editing work. With that said, Photoshop and post production editing in general is definitely helpful to enhance images, but don’t have the mentality of, “I’ll fix that, and that, and that, in Photoshop.” There is huge value in trying to get things as close as it needs to be in camera and saving some post editing time.

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Linda Craft 30th Anniversary Mailer

There are lots of photographers that don’t understand what commercial photography is all about. I know because I recently explained this to a fellow photographer friend who was asking about commercial photography to better understand it.

This post will not be just about me seeing my personal images in print, but it will also provide some insight into the basics of commercial photography.

Commercial Images In Print

One of the core things that I like about commercial photography is seeing my images used for advertising purposes like the example above.

For Linda Craft’s images, I shot the one of her with the sold sign to be updated on many of her vehicles as well as signs to go in front of houses. The flyer above was used as a mailing and I have also seen the image in the Triangle Business Journal. As a commercial photographer, it’s nice to see my commercial photography images being used in print media and not just on the web.

There are numerous other ways that my commercial photography is used in print media like billboards and publications with many of my images being used for international advertising. As a commercial photographer vs. being a consumer photographer, I like going beyond the 8 x 10 print of the consumer photography world. It’s one of the benefits of being a commercial photographer.

Some Basic Differences: Commercial Photography

Describing how commercial photography is different could likely take up a book, but I’ll use a few sentences below to give some of the basic differences.

Typically commercial photography is used for some kind of commercial use as mentioned above like print media. However, commercial images may only be used on the web and never used for print. Therefore, commercial photography is not just about print media but really comes down to the intended use of the image(s).

A commercial image is generally an image shot for a company or agency for some kind of commercial use whereas a family in the park will likely be used by the family for personal use. However, this is an area that commercial and consumer photography share another unique difference. A family could be photographed in the park for commercial use like an ad campaign for an insurance company just to name one example. It really comes down to the intended use of the image(s).

In closing, commercial photography can involve long contracts and may require the photographer have proof of liability insurance. In addition, commercial photography is also typically based on a certain number of images to be licensed for a certain length of time. Some commercial photographers may license the image(s) for 1 year and require a renewal fee while others may provide lifetime usage rights.

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HDR Image of DEA in front of an abandoned warehouse. Image Copyright David Williams

The image on the left was taken in Lee County North Carolina on a full day commercial photoshoot for an international brand. The image was taken near the end of the day and was just 1 of 5 locations the day encompassed.

Although several people have told me it looks like a gaming image which I consider a compliment, it’s actually not for a gaming company. It’s just a quick creative HDR of 1 of 1,400+ shots that I took on location throughout the day. I’m not sure how the client will use the image. 

The title of this blog post is “North Carolina Commercial Photographer – David Williams Based In Raleigh,” but in reality, I travel throughout the United States and Internationally. I used North Carolina in this title because I did this commercial photoshoot outside of the Raleigh are but still in North Carolina.

Being a commercial photographer is something that I really enjoying doing. It’s nice to be able to shoot on location, do cool shots like this one and get paid to do it. Business and commercial photography is all I do. I have friends that are passionate about wedding photography and I’m more than happy to refer weddings to them. For me, I am super passionate about the commercial side of photography. Like my friends who love doing weddings, I love doing commercial photography and I’m happy to be based in Raleigh NC. I have no desire to re-locate to New York or Los Angeles. 

Commercial photography is different than consumer photography in two core ways.

1) The images are typically used for commercial use in various types of media like print, web, trade shows, publications, etc. For example, the images from this photoshoot are intended for worldwide use to promote the brand (which I’m not naming here).

2) The end client is typically a company or an agency not an everyday consumer. For me, I love working with business professionals, the director of marketing, creative directors, art directors, agencies and the like. 

In many of my posts, I try to provide information that is beneficial to a photographer who may want to pursue what I am talking about and to a potential client who may be interested in hiring me for what I am talking about:

Are you a company or agency that stumbled across this page and need to hire a commercial photographer?

Here are some things to help you out if you’d like to considering hiring me:

1) Take a look at my partial client list.
2) My commercial photography page is by no means all inclusive. I have shot products for a global brand that cannot be posted on my site for numerous reasons.
3) I’m not right for every commercial photography need nor is most any other photographer right for every need. But I am very experienced and easy to work with.
4) I do have liability insurance coverage.
5) I travel wherever a car, train, boat, jet or my feet will get me to.

You can reach me direct at 919.723.8453 or use the web form on my site to request a quote.

Are you a photographer wanting to start out in commercial photography or transition from consumer photography to commercial photography?

My advice in the next few sentences will be basic and is not meant to provide all the answers for your journey. Here are several things to consider:

1) You should try assisting a commercial photographer.
2) You should build a portfolio that represents your style that all commercial clients will not like, but those that do will hire you for your style.
3) You will learn quickly that working with consumer clients and commercial clients can be different in numerous ways which will not be listed here.
4) You should start working with commercial clients and agencies no matter how small in order to build your business. Bigger opportunities will come.
5) Shoot with the best gear that you can afford. Don’t show up to a commercial shoot with one camera body and a kit lens. 
6) Get some liability insurances. If you don’t, you will likely lose some commercial photoshoots. Oh, it’s typically NOT expensive.

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The image above and the portfolio samples below are from a half day commercial photoshoot at Hummingbird Creative Group in Cary NC.

The purpose of this post is to provide a simple overview of how the DWPPC team pulls off a successful half day commercial photoshoot that leads to some great image for the client.

1) Pre-Planning Call To Discuss The Photoshoot And Ask The Client To Create A Shot List With Our Insight
2) Decide Whether The Photoshoot Is A Half Day Or A Full Day
3) Decide On The Estimated Number Of Final Images Needed Which Is Based On The Shot List And Staff Size
4) Set The Date – Get Deposit
5) Receive Shot List From Client And Clarify Final Details At Least One Week Prior To Scheduled Date
6) Show Up With Photographer And At Least One Assistant (Potentially Two) Plus Utilize Kate Leser (The Makeover Expert) When Possible
7) Make The Photoshoot Fun, Professional And Efficient
8) Send Client Proof Link Within Two Business Days Of Photoshoot
9) Deliver Edited High-Res Print Files And Edited Web Files

If you are building a brand, truly care about your business, work for a major brand, etc., your business/company should NOT use stock images long term and should NOT use phone images for top level photography needs like a website banner, print media, company headshots or other truly professional needs. Phone images are fine for updating social media about the general day-to-day, attending a conference and other needs that may not require professional photography. However, even social media should have professional photography from time-to-time like a big company event or other needs where a phone just will not suffice.

Commercial photography is not as cheap as the weekend warrior family photographers that burn all the images to a CD for $99. However, commercial photography may be more affordable than you think and do more for your brand than you may realize. At the end of the day, do you want to trust your precious brand to nothing but phone photography or poorly done photography from someone who is not a full time professional with experience shooting for commercial business needs? 

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Le Chateau Frontenac Hotel In Quebec City Canada – Taken With Canon 5D Mark III On A Manfrotto Tripod

I shot the image above from my hotel room while on a commercial photography assignment for an association conference. It was my first visit to Quebec City Canada and I fell in love with the area.

Hearing French spoken and seeing all the French signs that I could not read inspired me to learn French. My goal is to go back to Quebec City with Brenda for personal time and be able to at least have a basic conversation in French as well as understand some of the signs.

Details behind the shot: Canon 5D Mark III on a Tripod – Shot through hotel window – Post processing in Photomatix to create the unique look

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