Advertising Photographer Melbourne

Hannah Caldwell is a Melbourne-based advertising photographer with over twenty years in the photography industry and fifteen years of commercial practice, creating campaign imagery for clients including Fonterra (Anchor Cream), Brown Brothers Wines, Lilydale Chicken, Ensure Protein and Glad. Three editions of Lurzer’s Archive Top 200 Advertising Photographers Worldwide. Working with creative agencies, brands and hospitality clients across food, beverage, FMCG, interiors and design-led territories, with a focus on refined, high-end imagery for campaigns, packaging and brand identity.

Selected clients & campaigns Fonterra (Anchor Cream) • Brown Brothers Wines • Dan Murphy’s • Lilydale Chicken • Gourmet Garden • Ensure Protein • Glad • Rosemount Estate • The Chia Co • Yarra Yering

What I’m known for

Advertising photography for food, beverage and FMCG, studio and on location
Considered, restrained visual language designed to translate across formats and channels
Fine-art background applied to commercial briefs: clarity without visual noise
Macro and ingredient-led imagery for premium products and packaging
Published in Lurzers Archive Top 200 Advertising Photographers Worldwide (2021/22, 2023/24 and 2025/26)
International Photography Awards: 3rd Place, Advertising Food & Beverage (2024); Winner, Advertising Food & Beverage (2021)
A calm, collaborative approach with agencies, art directors, producers and creative teams

Advertising photography of Yarra Yering wine bottle created for branding and print campaign use

Pistachio Croissant Wheel Hannah Caldwell

Premium meat and charcuterie photography for Savour & Grace — dark studio advertising photography by Hannah Caldwell, Melbourne

Moody campaign photography of a pastrami sandwich with Président Cream Cheese on rustic timber board – commercial food photography by Hannah Caldwell, Melbourne

Bar and hospitality advertising photography Melbourne — Hannah Caldwell

Delicious hazelnut choux pastry captured by Hannah Caldwell, top food photographer in Melbourne Campaign Imagery for Fonterra's Anchor Cream

Advertising photography for Valhalla Bar Melbourne — Hannah Caldwell

Yarra Valley Dairy Black Savarin — cheese still life on dark background

Cheese and charcuterie still life for Savour & Grace — food photography by Hannah Caldwell, Melbourne

Fine dining seafood photography at Bacash Restaurant and Wine Store, South Yarra Melbourne — Hannah Caldwell

Sustainable seafood advertising photography for Clean Seas — commercial food photography by Hannah Caldwell, Melbourne

Restaurant food photography featuring native Australian ingredients at Ritz-Carlton Melbourne

Cheese and dairy still life photography for Yarra Valley Dairy — food advertising by Hannah Caldwell, Melbourne

Studio advertising photography for Ballantyne Butter — Hannah Caldwell, Melbourne

dvertising photography of a chicken stir-fry created for the Gourmet Garden Lightly Dried campaign, highlighting ingredient detail and movement

Lifestyle campaign photography created for Lilydale Chicken, photographed on location at Zonzo Estate

Advertising photography of dukkah eggs created for The Chia Co campaign and branding

Print campaign imagery created for Ensure Protein

Branding and product photography for Ginger & Co — commercial food and beverage photography by Hannah Caldwell, Melbourne

Campaign and lifestyle photography for Rachel's Yoghurt — food advertising photographer Hannah Caldwell, Melbourne

Advertising photography for Brown Brothers Wines — Hannah Caldwell, Melbourne

Moody cinematic studio photograph of banana bread for Décor Design Series packaging – commercial food photography by Hannah Caldwell, Melbourne

Studio food photograph of blueberry pancakes for Décor Australia – commercial food photography by Hannah Caldwell, Melbourne

Hotel bar beverage photography — cocktail at Cameo Bar, Ritz-Carlton Melbourne by Hannah Caldwell

Cocktail and beverage campaign photography for Common State Melbourne — advertising photographer Hannah Caldwell

Campaign photography for Lavazza Tierra Amazonia coffee — commercial advertising photography by Hannah Caldwell, Melbourne

Advertising photography created for the Rosemount Meal Matcher campaign, highlighting food and wine pairing concept

Advertising with Clarity and Intent

I approach advertising photography in the same way I approach still life and food: by paying close attention to the subject, the brief, the brand, and how each image needs to function in the real world. Whether the project is a national campaign for an FMCG brand like Glad or Ensure Protein, a hospitality launch, or a smaller brand reset, the focus stays on creating imagery that feels resolved and purposeful.

Campaign work has to hold up across formats, platforms and time. My images are built to do exactly that. The approach favours composition, controlled light and material over excess styling, allowing each frame to feel intentional rather than crowded. The result is imagery that translates cleanly from out-of-home into digital, from print into social, without ever losing its register.

Campaigns for Food, Beverage and Brands

I work with creative agencies, art directors, producers and brand teams who value a considered visual language. Recent campaign commissions include the Fonterra Anchor Cream pastry campaign, Brown Brothers Wines hero imagery, the Lilydale Chicken on-location lifestyle campaign at Zonzo Estate, Ensure Protein print campaigns, and Glad FMCG product photography. Each project is shaped collaboratively, with a clear understanding of how the imagery will be licensed and where it will live.

My advertising photography is created for:

Food and beverage campaigns
FMCG and product packaging
Lifestyle, skincare and premium consumer brands
Hospitality groups and restaurant launches
Print, digital and out-of-home advertising
Editorial-led brand storytelling
Macro and ingredient detail for packaging and digital
Long-term content libraries that match a brand’s visual identity

Cinematic Light, Material and Storytelling

Advertising imagery has to be visually engaging and commercially clear at the same time. I focus on strong composition, controlled lighting and tonal balance, building images that feel cohesive within a broader campaign or brand system rather than as one-off shots. The fine-art background informs how I see light and form, but the work is always grounded in practical outcomes: imagery that communicates quickly, feels intentional, and supports the wider creative direction.

The visual language is restrained, atmospheric and material-led. Texture and surface matter. Light is shaped rather than fired. This is the same sensibility that runs through my fine-art series Inside Out, Fungi and Transience, and the same instincts inform commercial work for brands and agencies.

Working with Agencies and Creative Teams

Most of my campaign work comes through creative agencies and art directors. The workflow is structured for the collaborative reality of advertising production. Brief-led, clear approval stages, structured deliverables, predictable turnaround. I am comfortable working from existing creative platforms or contributing visual direction where the brief is more open. Pre-production checklists, shot lists, lighting tests and reference frames are part of the standard process.

For direct-client work, the same structure applies, with the difference that creative direction is shaped collaboratively from the outset rather than handed over from an agency. Either way, the goal is the same: imagery that lands in the brief and outlives the campaign cycle.

Advertising Photography FAQ

What types of advertising photography do you specialise in?

Food and beverage campaigns, FMCG and product packaging, lifestyle brand content, print and digital advertising, and editorial-led brand storytelling. Most commissions are for food, beverage or consumer product brands, with an increasing share of work for design-led hospitality and premium lifestyle clients.

Do you work with agencies as well as direct clients?

Yes. The workflow is structured for both: clear approvals, brief-led approach, predictable turnaround. I have worked with creative agencies, producers and art directors across multiple campaigns for Fonterra, Lilydale, Ensure, Glad and Brown Brothers.

How is advertising photography licensed?

Commercial advertising imagery is typically licensed by medium (digital, print, OOH), duration and territory. I can recommend a straightforward usage package aligned with your campaign scope and budget, including extensions and renewals where needed.

What should I prepare before the shoot?

A brief, shot list, campaign reference images, and any brand guidelines or layout considerations. I’ll send a pre-shoot checklist to keep things structured, including location logistics, styling brief, talent (if relevant) and asset delivery expectations.

Do you travel for campaigns?

Yes. Based in Melbourne, I shoot across Victoria and travel nationally for campaigns when required. Past on-location campaign work includes Zonzo Estate (Lilydale Chicken) and various regional Victorian wineries and hospitality venues.

What does the deliverables process look like?

Selects are reviewed collaboratively. Final retouching, colour grading and file delivery are handled in-house. Standard delivery is high-resolution masters plus web-optimised exports across whatever aspect ratios the campaign requires.

A Final Note

Advertising sits at the intersection of creativity and function. It is where visual storytelling has to work hard, holding attention, communicating clearly, and representing a brand with integrity.

I am drawn to this balance. Creating images that feel thoughtful rather than loud, and purposeful rather than fleeting. Brought together with restraint, technical control and the kind of cinematic sensibility that holds up in premium contexts: hotel campaigns, beverage launches, FMCG hero imagery, packaging programs.

If you’re looking for an advertising photographer in Melbourne who brings creative restraint and commercial understanding to every brief, get in touch to discuss your project.

Learn more about my process and approach in my Advertising Photography FAQ

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