Industrial photographers are people who photograph people and products in association with multimillion-dollar companies that create machines and tools for industries such as energy and electricity, trucking, and construction. As an industrial photographer, you’ll capture everything from a two-ton drill used underground to a two-inch screw securing seat belts used by workers from a company. state electricity.
If you’ve ever been hired to create images for one of these companies, you should have some understanding of the different types of photography you can offer. I talked to Kristie LaRochelle from KP Studios who detailed five specific types of images you can offer as an industrial photographer.
Headshot
This image shows a head and shoulder portrait of a key corporate figure. During the main photo session, you can take photos of 10 or more people who are in charge of different departments of the company. Since you’re photographing the people in the top positions of the company, everyone is likely to be over 40 years old. It is wise to use an umbrella or large sunshade to create a soft light to minimize age lines. The goal here is to create a clean, uncluttered image that allows the viewer to focus on the person’s face.
This image can be used in a company directory or on a website along with a person’s bio. If the person is hosting a conference or is being awarded an award, this is the image that will be used on the flyer. You may want to offer this image in a variety of crops, including square, vertical and horizontal for easy placement on a variety of flyer designs.
Unlike the standard corporate front-facing shot that can be taken against a white or even gray background, this photo should include some elements of the environment. Try to give hints or hints about the products the factory produces against the background of the photo. Incorporating an unrecognizable machine into the background of an image is often enough to give the viewer some idea of the field in which he or she works.
Create products
These images are taken inside a factory or manufacturing facility and show the process of making the products that the factory sells. These photos are used to tell the story of the process and showcase the quality and craftsmanship the company puts into its products. These products can sell for $500,000 or more, and the photo needs to convey that value. When you include actual workers from the factory in these images, you give the photo an element of authenticity and you show the faces of the people who make the products. These photos can help present the face of the company in the same way that KFC uses the colonel’s signature image to help convey the homegrown personality of the KFC brand. Potential buyers can make connections with people who take pride in making the product. Some workers are eager to be photographed this way, but many are not, so don’t wait until shooting day to find the people in these photos. You may have to schedule a day for the actual casting at the company to make sure you get the right workers for these shots.
Although this photo features a worker, the hero of the photo is the product itself. A shallow depth of field can help draw attention to a product. Industrial companies are meticulous in the creation process, so every detail of the product should be clear in the final photo. You may want to use different lighting on the product then you are using on the background. This can help draw attention to the product. Colored gels can help make the scene easier to see because the lighting in the factory can be flat and not boring. The plant can also be dirty. If you keep the background out of focus, you can reduce the appearance of a dirty background.
Product being used in the field
This photo shows the product in use in the field and helps customers visualize the product at work in the real world. Although products made by industrial companies will get dirty and scratched during actual use, these photos usually show the product in brand new condition.
Because every detail must be exact in this image, you can take a photo of the person using the product rather than the person who produced it. The goal is to create a realistic image, so it would be unwise to use a pretty model for the shot. However, consideration remains to be given to the person’s physical appearance, and the viewer must believe that the person in the photo may be on a daily basis. If your photo shows this person wearing that seat belt for the first time, it will be obvious to a trained eye. The company must have someone on duty to ensure that every detail is correct about how the product is used in the photo. All seat belts may look the same to you, but potential buyers know that construction seat belts are very different from bucket harnesses. You don’t want to show an employee using the wrong wire for the setting you’re photographing.
Product photography
This image shows the finished product without any workers, used to showcase what the company is making. The goal of the footage is for the end user to see exactly what they’re buying. You want to show quality and craftsmanship. You want to convey that buyers can put their trust in this product as it can be a matter of life and death for those using a certain product. Buyers may be spending a huge amount of money on a product, and the image needs to convince them to make a purchase.
There are many challenges to creating a great product photo in an industrial shoot. Unlike a photographer who takes pictures of watches, an industrial photographer is not in a position to place the lights anywhere she wants. The photographer can’t even move the product she’s shooting. Finding a clean space inside a working industrial warehouse can be difficult. It can also be difficult to create a photo where the product is displayed separately. And, you need to create a photo where the product looks good, even if it doesn’t look good directly.
Kristin’s lighting choices for all of her flashing photos are Profoto B10. These battery-powered strobe lights are lightweight and self-contained. AC floodlights are not an option, as you may need more than one extension cord to access the outlet. Extension cords are also a safety hazard. Your photo will help the customer visualize the product being used in real life, so the product doesn’t look too flashy.
Proper use of gels can help minimize distractions. Bold primary colors like blue, yellow, and green are used frequently. Red can work well in some images, but details are difficult to preserve for elements illuminated in red, so it’s often used in the background rather than in the foreground.
Trade Shot
This group belongs to the owners of the company or the heads of important departments. This is the face of the company. Usually, other industry leaders will recognize these people. Even the competition will recognize these faces. In any industry, there are trade publications that are well known among the people in that industry but are completely unknown to the general public. Whenever a new person is hired into a key position or a manager retires, for example, there will be a news item in a trade publication. Likewise, when a company embarks on a new venture or creates a groundbreaking new product, it is featured in a trade publication. Some companies even create their own in-house magazines where they write about the company’s new offers and achievements. The commercial shot is very valuable for these uses.
Once the main transaction image has been taken, you will typically take a snapshot of that image. These variations can include owner with manager or maybe owner with international team. Usually one person stays for five or six photos while different people walk in and out of the photo. These footage needs to be replaced quite often as people change positions and new people are hired.
Whenever possible, the company likes to showcase its featured product. If the company manufactures a giant tool or a special machine, it is certain that you will be asked to take pre-commercial photos of the product. As the signed product is redesigned over time, the photo may need to be reworked.
Since commercial footage is the one that needs to be changed most often, it can be your gateway to pre-ordering an industrial shot. Your initial contact with a company may take the form of an inquiry for you to capture commercial photographs. If you have a good understanding of the different shots a company may need, you can always make a recommendation to make a more comprehensive shot, incorporating the footage detailed in this article. . If you are successful on this offer, you can negotiate for a higher rate.
