If you think maple syrup and Blue Jays merchandise are all that Toronto has to offer, you’re in for a rude awakening. Its greater metropolitan area is responsible for a fifth of Canada’s economic output. At the same time, growth and innovation are commonplace in all major industries, leaving tourists and locals with no shortage of things to buy or think of buying. Basically, there’s too much going on in Toronto, from fashion and finance to technology and manufacturing. Naturally, such an abundance of goods and services requires top-notch photography to close the sale, and who better to step in than seven of the best product photographers in Toronto.
At Wonderful Machine, product photography covers any inanimate object not covered by our other specialties, often products. Considering our criteria, we’ve curated a list of the best Toronto product photographers available, each adept at a distinct style of shooting applicable to various product categories.
A team full of creative problem solvers, Worker Bee Supply aims to be a one-stop shop for content production and creative consulting. Product photography is just a sliver of their service offerings, but one in which they excel nonetheless.
Led by Becca Gilgan and Eugen Sakhnenko, their product portfolio covers studio-based and functional lifestyle photoshoots. The former relies on bold concepts and dramatic lighting, casting items in theatrical fashion with the spotlight entirely on them. With the latter, Worker Bee highlights products during everyday use, from blankets and dog collars to cleaners and vacuums. The team accommodates various visions for commercial and editorial assignments with these dual approaches, irrespective of the product type or category.
Becca and Eugen bring a wealth of experience with them, having worked with organizations such as Covenant House, Downtown Yonge BIA, the YWCA, The New York Times, Nike, Winkreative, and Canada Goose.
Sure, food and drink need to taste delicious, but they also need to look delectable before the first bite or sip is taken. In that regard, Anukriti Goswami understands appetite better than anyone else. She’s a food and drink photographer encouraging us to feast with the eyes rather than the mouth, tempting us to leave the subjects of her photos untouched and unspoiled.
She fosters this same sense of love and care for product photos in her specialty, treating chocolate bar wrappings and merry beverage bottles with respect and admiration. The combination of props, accompaniments, and placements she uses is immaculate, enhancing a brand’s colors through bold and subtle means.
It’s a gift that would take years to master, but Anukriti has done so in much less time due to her upbringing, surrounded by a family of artists and respected photographers. For product images in the food and drink category, Anukriti should be the only choice.
Justin Poulsen is an internationally recognized Toronto product photographer relying on a unique style that, as he would put it, ‘blurs the lines between photography, sculpture, and CGI.” It’s the kind of work that makes you do a double take, leading to curiosity about the composition and the story being told. Products aren’t just products in his photos. Yellow and red shoelaces may appear as thick streams of mustard and ketchup. A Belgian wheat beer may look like fruit juice when accompanied by slices of mango against an orange backdrop. And a honey bear bottle may be something to wage war over as it stands surrounded by plastic tin soldiers. If your commercial or editorial assignment requires the most unconventionally spectacular product images, Justin should be on speed dial.
His philosophy has received plaudits from the likes of Communication Arts, Applied Arts, Lurzer’s Archive, Cannes Lions, Clio, and Ad Rodeo, among many others. In addition to the countless accolades, Justin has worked with brands such as Facebook, Timberland, Google, Honda, Kraft, and IKEA.
When Wilson Barry’s left-brained technologist connects with Raina Kirn’s right-brained creative, you get a photographer duo that complements each other’s strengths and minimizes each other’s weaknesses. Raina+Wilson is a creative partnership that thrives in more than one specialty, from travel and portraiture to fashion and products.
Pay particular attention to their product photos in the tech space, presenting items in lifestyle settings for a maximum dose of authenticity. Similar to how the two photographers connect, their images exhibit our connection to the products we use, beyond the description on the packaging. A Kindle is not a book reader but a partner to go on picnics with. An iPhone isn’t a smartphone but an album holding years of memories with friends and family. There is a subtext to each product photo, but the meaning is wonderfully apparent for all to see.
Vincent Lions is a Toronto product photographer who understands clients better than most. After earning his Master of Arts from l’Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1997, he worked as an art director in advertising for 10 years. During this tenure, he acquired a firm understanding of brands’ overarching requirements across industries, delivering campaigns that were creatively fulfilling in service of their bottom line.
In 2008, however, he switched to photography, building his portfolio across the fashion, beauty, portraits, interiors, conceptual, and product specialties. Unlike some photographers, Vincent looks to expand his capabilities beyond a given niche, and his product images are proof of this. He has grown a superior collection of images in fashion, fashion accessories, beauty and cosmetics, music, and technology – captured in the studio, lifestyle settings, and conceptual formats. He weaves together color and composition expertly, incorporating lighting and textural elements that add layers of depth to the subject. In addition to creating visually appealing images, his approach strives to represent the identity of the product and the person using it.
Vincent’s client list includes P&G, Chanel, Elle Canada, L’Oreal, Phase One, Pip Media, Bandiera Jewellers, Astor+Banks, and Prestilux.
Kailee Mandel is a commercial photographer and creative director specializing in food, lifestyle, and product photography, thriving on sets where collaboration is uninhibited. As someone who’s naturally drawn to build connections, Kailee is wonderful to work with on photoshoots, for the rest of the creative team and the client. This hassle-free nature of her work ethic is reflected in her product images, flourishing on simplicity through clean, colorful, and at times conceptual presentations. In short, Kailee is a superb candidate for commercial and editorial assignments that seek to minimize clutter on the frame.
Organizations and publications such as McDonald’s, Nestle, Canva, Canadian Geographic, World Wildlife Fund, and The Globe and Mail have all called on her services.
If you’re looking for a Toronto product photographer capable of overseeing everything from prop sourcing to retouching, Alyssa Katherine Faoro beats the competition. She holds a genuine passion for all things photography, including aspects of the art form that some would find tedious.
Within her product photography, Alyssa relies on a vibrant lighting experience, grounding her subjects in earthy tones and a glow reminiscent of decades past. Even the most lavish and luxurious goods appear humbled and sincere in her images, making them desirable to people of all demographics, whether it’s a bar of soap or a pair of beach slippers. This thoughtful manner of photography makes her ideally suited for numerous commercial and editorial assignments.
The product photographers in Toronto that we’ve selected represent distinct styles of composition, from clean and simple to whacky and wonderful. Additionally, they’ve got their areas of strength in terms of the products covered, giving you ample choice for your next photoshoot.
Further Reading
Find more product photographers in Toronto through our directory.
Learn more about product photography as a specialty at Wonderful Machine.