The importance and role of the product photography in advertising photography

Today, the rapid progress in communication tools has also improved the way brands communicate with their target audiences. Advertising, which is one of the ways to reach the target audience, conveys many messages from both traditional and digital media. Exposure to hundreds of video, photographic or audio stimuli on the part of brands makes it necessary to respond to only a certain part of these stimuli. This situation requires brands to be selective and careful in order to affect the target audience of the advertisement, to be interesting, to increase the credibility and reliability of the product, and to increase the desire of the consumers for the consumption of the products, and to deliver the desired messages correctly. Photography is an important tool that directs the target audience to the product in print media and digital media. In this study, the importance of product photography, which is a type of advertising photography, was investigated. The sample of the study consists of five works that were awarded in The Crystal Apple Turkey Advertising Awards Contest between 2017-2021. Qualitative research method based on semiotic analysis was used in the interpretation of the messages given in the product photographs examined. In addition, explanations were made regarding the technical characteristics of the photograph in terms of light, color and place. According to the findings of the study, it has been seen that brands attach importance to denotation and connotations while conveying their messages and use various technical applications to be creative in product photography.