Once you’ve set your mind on turning your business into a lifestyle brand, you have to deal with two types of photography — product and person. Depending on the products or services you offer, one will serve a higher purpose than the other.
But what is it about these two that makes them so different? What are the distinctions between them? Get some insight into each type by reading on.
Product Photography
A product photograph is a photograph of a product taken for commercial purposes, such as on a commercial website or an advertisement. Product photography is also known as commercial photography.
It is a specialized type of commercial photography that can illustrate articles about products, or an advertisement for the product itself. In this context, the product is considered the subject.
Product images have many uses:
- In advertising, catalogs, and brochures
- On packaging (such as boxes and bottles)
- As part of a web page, such as on an eCommerce site
Person Photography
Person photography is all about capturing the personality of a person or group of people in a still image. A good portrait tells a story about its subjects and conveys their mood and character. It might be a formal, posed portrait or candid and natural, but either way, it should reveal something about the subject.
As with any type of photography, person photography has many sub-genres. The most common types are:
- Portrait photography – photographing a single person or small group of people, usually to capture their personality.
- Wedding photography – photographing a wedding ceremony and reception to record the day’s events and capture informal portraits of guests.
- Family photography – taking family portraits to capture memorable moments and create beautiful keepsakes for generations to come.
Leave It To A Professional!
With years of experience helping startups get the perfect look and feel through our product photography services, Pencil One can assure you that we have what it takes to bring your ideas to life. If you’re looking for product photography for your online store, eCommerce website, or feature them on social media, let us know!

Tong is an expert in creating images that sell and grow businesses. He is an ecommerce product photography expert in Massachusetts. He absolutely loves doing what he does best- providing businesses with great product photography that converts. We hope this is reflected in what you see throughout our website.