Columbus / Ohio is home to many national brands recognizable to nearly everyone. So as a commercial lifestyle photographer, I wanted to develop a photography style that felt authentic, warm, inviting and unique. My approach has been to really understand the mood and feeling my client is looking to convey to their viewers. Commercial lifestyle photography is supposed to “sell” a believable feeling or emotion that resonates with a potential customer. You have a split second to grab that person’s attention, so how do I do that in a single frame?
You have lighting, composition, a setting and talent. So I look at it as a challenge or a puzzle. Living in the midwest, Columbus, OH to be exact - we are not blessed with unlimited blue skies and warm sunny days. So I have had to learn to supplement/create my own sun with strobes to help bring my images to “life” even in the winter months.
Compositionally, I try to shoot from a perspective that really shows the people, places and things and emotion. I try to make the viewer really feel immersed in the moment, offering a taste of what it might feel like to be a fly on the wall in that particular moment. As if you're witnessing a truly happy or special moment unfolding in real time.
Your setting is equally as important to telling a story in a single frame. Does the setting match the story I want to tell for my client’s? I work with my wife / producer to scout locations, we take our client’s request and present a few options that we feel paint the right picture for the content we are looking to create.
Another important skill I have learned being a commercial lifestyle photographer in the midwest is connecting 1 on 1 with your talent that’s in front of my lens. Whether that’s agency talent, friends of friends, dogs or even the little ones. I photograph for a lot of brands that are focused on children/families. So before our talent is ever in front of my lens, I spend time getting to know them personally without a camera in hand. That may be while they are in hair and make-up, coming into the studio or location, having a cup off coffee etc. But I make sure to learn their name and a few things about them to try and build trust before they ever step in front of the camera! This builds a connection that allows them to be more authentic when the time comes to start shooting.
If your brand has a story to tell and you can feel the emotions in my work, let’s connect and see what we can create together!
My commercial photography studio is located just south of downtown Columbus, OH and I would love to connect whether that’s virtually or having some coffee in the studio space.
Thanks for reading!
Jon Ciotti - Commercial lifestyle photographer
521 Harmon Ave Columbus, O.H. 43123
