Creative, commercial photographers.

A Brief History of Commercial Photography

June 17, 2009

Modern photography is generally considered to have begun in the 1820s. It was during this time that the first permanent photographs were taken and interest in the subject began to spark. The first permanent image is thought to have been created by Joseph Nicephore Niepce in 1825. His images were produced on a polished pewter plate covered with bitumen of Judea, which is a petroleum derivative. However, despite the development of photography in this time, photographs were not often used for commercial purposes and the commercial photographer had not yet been born. Occasionally, advertising images would be used on trade cards or in a catalogue but this didnâ€™t happen very often as the potential for this kind of marketing had not been recognised.

It was in the Twentieth century that people became more aware of commercial photography and what it had to offer. Improvements in technology began to mean that photographs could be reproduced quickly and also be of a higher quality. During the years before the First World War, any photographs used to advertise a product were generally designed to inform people of the benefits of the product only. Basically, they would provide a short lecture on why this item should be purchased and that was all the information that was given.

However, shortly after this people began to notice how important and effective the element of suggestion could be in this type of advertising. They found that photographs could help make products or services appear more desirable. A more subtle and suggestive approach was then taken towards commercial photography and by 1930, around 80% of illustrated advertisements were using photographs instead of illustrated drawings. This was compared to only 15% of illustrated advertisements using photographs in 1920. Things really began to take off for commercial photography during this time and the roles of art directors, copywriters and psychologists were all created so they could contribute and play their part in the quickly developing area of commercial photography.

Using photography in marketing campaigns has continued and progressed throughout the years branching in to new directions and embracing new technological developments such as interactive video for web and 360 photography. Commercial photography is regarded by any business as a vital part of advertising. Companies in major cities in the UK such as Leeds, are regularly employing commercial photographers to help them market their products and services efficiently and successfully.