A Day in the Life of a Commercial Photographer – From Shoot to Final DeliveryBy Adarsh Nareda | Commercial Photographer | Jaipur

I had the great opportunity  to make my love of photography a full-time career from last 9 years, working with both domestic and foreign companies. My profession life as a commercial photographer, based in Jaipur, has taken me from dusty factory floors to amazing fashion studios, from solo projects to intricate productions involving dozens of crew members.Even though the final result may seem effortless, every commercial shoot has a methodical and creative process that starts long before the shutter clicks and ends long after.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what really goes into a commercial shoot — from the first call to the final data delivery.

1. The Brief: Understanding the Brand's Vision

Every project starts with a conversation. It could be a creative agency, a brand manager, or a founder directly reaching out. We discuss the objective — is it a product launch, a campaign, e-commerce catalog, or brand storytelling?

This phase includes:

Understanding the target audience

Reviewing reference images or mood boards

Clarifying the deliverables: number of images, formats, usage rights

Budget and timeline discussions

I treat this stage like setting the foundation of a building — the clearer it is, the stronger the outcome.

2. Pre-Production: Planning the Shoot

The preparation begins as soon as the project gets clearance. Planning is just as important as shooting in commercial photography.

Important components consist of:

On-site or studio location scouting

Model casting: based on the appearance of the brand

Props and styling that complement the aesthetics of the brand

Lighting configurations: organizing equipment according to the required appearance

Coordination of the team, such as makeup artists,cinematographer, stylists, and assistants.

A systematically planned pre-production ensures  each and every shot has to be taken carefully and professionally

3. The Magic Occurs on Shoot Day

The day of the shoot is full of creative energy, intense, and focused. I maintain a cooperative and upbeat atmosphere whether I'm filming fashion, products, lifestyle, or industrial content.

While filming:

I collaborate closely with the creative director or client.

We use tethered setups to review shots in real time.

Live changes are made to the lighting, styling, or placement.

Efficiency is crucial, especially when lots of images.

I have learned over the years that what separates a professional photographer is their ability to remain consisting under pressure and find quick solutions to problems.

4. Post-Production: Creating the Last Look

Following the completion of the shoot, unpolished images are transformed into polished brand assets.

The post-process consists of:

Data backup (cloud and multiple drives)

choosing images (choosing the best frames for enhancing)

Retouching and color correction (in accordance to the moodboard and tone of the brand)

JPEG, PNG, TIFF, as well as web/resolution-based formats of files

Each image is carefully transformed to maintain the consistency of the brand. This is where we have to pay attention to  details really pays off, whether it's skin retouching, background cleanup, or maintaining color accuracy for a product.

5. Final Delivery: Timely & Professional

I send the finished photos via a secure cloud link (Google Drive, WeTransfer, or as the client requests) as soon as all the assets are prepared. The delivery typically consists of:

Print files with high resolution

Images that are optimized for the web

If necessary, an archival backup

For me, a timely and nicely organized delivery is crucial. I am mindful of the importance of deadlines in advertising campaigns.

Concluding remarks

Commercial photography is more than just taking pictures; it's about making a brand's identity into visually appealing visuals. In order to present my clients with outstanding images and a flawless working experience, I try to bring together creativity as well as professionalism in every shoot.After working with both Indian and foreign clients for 9 years, I still find every project enjoyable and thrilling. The most amazing thing about working as a commercial photographer is the reality that no two days are the same.

I hope this gave you a better idea of what goes into a commercial shoot, Just create what u love...

I appreciate you reading!