Shining light on disabilities in your commercial shoots

More than one in four (26%) adults in the United States have some type of disability. That’s an estimated 61 million people. But research from Nielsen, released in 2021, reveals that only 1% of primetime ads include representations of disability-related visuals, themes, or topics. What’s more, just 3% of advertising spend in primetime went to… Continue reading Shining light on disabilities in your commercial shoots

How to engage Gen Z in your commercial portfolio

They’re on track to be the best-educated generation yet. 49% get most of their news from social media. 49% work remotely at least some of the time. They’re 20% more likely than other generations to try a new product to see how it compares to their current brand. 75% agree that the world is at… Continue reading How to engage Gen Z in your commercial portfolio

Capturing emotion in your commercial portraits

Emotion has a powerful influence over our everyday purchasing decisions, and this year, new research from the research consultancy Brand Keys revealed just how far that influence goes. In 1997, researchers found that rational considerations weighed more heavily than emotional ones when driving brand loyalty. However, that’s changed today, with emotional considerations outpacing rational ones.… Continue reading Capturing emotion in your commercial portraits

Using rental equipment to elevate your commercial photoshoots

Between $3,000 cameras, $1,000 lenses, $500 speedlights, and $300 LED panels, photo studio costs can add up quickly. It can also be a pain to store and transport all your gear, especially when you add 16-pound c-stands and giant octaboxes into the mix. “Not only do photographers have to haul everything from shoot to shoot,… Continue reading Using rental equipment to elevate your commercial photoshoots

Spotlight on flat lay photography and how to incorporate it in your commercial portfolio

It’s a trend you’ve seen all over your social media feeds, initially popularized by brands like Sephora, Apple, and Gap and proliferating under hashtags like #flatlay, #flatlays, #flaylaystyle, #flatlaytoday. “Flat lay photography” is exactly what it sounds like: a straight overhead-style shot of objects arranged neatly on a flat surface. The curated Instagram page @flatlays… Continue reading Spotlight on flat lay photography and how to incorporate it in your commercial portfolio

NFT trends: Poetry’s resurgence through NFTs

Late last year, the poet Arch Hades joined forces with the digital artist Andrés Reisinger and the musician RAC to create Arcadia. The nine-minute video sold as an NFT for $525,000 at Christie’s, and it also revealed the ways in which NFTs (non-fungible tokens) could foster a new way of consuming poetry beyond the page.… Continue reading NFT trends: Poetry’s resurgence through NFTs