Digital Vs. Film for Commercial Photography

Series Summary

Photography is the practice of making images by exposing film or another medium to a timed flash of light. Advertising is the practice of convincing people to buy a particular brand of a particular product. Of course advertising seeks to depict these products in the best possible way, so the art of photography is a crucial element of advertising campaigns. The basic equipment used for photography has changed dramatically in the last decades, many people finding digital photography an inexpensive and creative hobby. We use photography as a means of communication worldwide: to sell things, to tell stories, capture memories, evoke passions, fight for causes, make new meanings, and inspire the imagination. Mastering the art of photography is a technical and challenging experience. Even with an automatic, digital camera, one has to learn how to frame a shot, choose a background, interact with the subject, use light, and select the right supplies and tools.

In this free video series, pro photographer Dan'L Terry will demonstrate how to take product photos. He will tell you the equipment you need, not expensive photography equipment, but lamps and backdrops from around the house. Dan'L will also cover framing, camera settings and tell you everything you need to know about lighting your product.

Video Transcript

"Since I started doing commercial photography a long time ago photography has changed. Our trusty 35mm cameras are mostly retired often these days and we've all switched over to digital technologies and the amazing thing is that this little thing has about the same capabilities and quality as was available in this and this cost a small fraction of what this did. I still use this on occasion especially when I'm going to go very large blowups. I'll use a 35mm or even a 4 x 5 type camera, but most of the time I'm shooting on a digital camera of one form or another and today we're going to look at how to do a product photograph of an object that has a lot of reflectivity and a combination of woods and metals. We'll start with a guitar."