Hi, I'm Kenny Nakai.
As a Chicago wedding photographer, I’m lucky enough to document some of the city's most beautiful love stories.
I hope you find inspiration here and connect with the feelings I had when I created each photo.
Hi, I'm Kenny Nakai.
As a Chicago wedding photographer, I’m lucky enough to document some of the city's most beautiful love stories.
I hope you find inspiration here and connect with the feelings I had when I created each photo.
Photos that do real work
for real businesses.
Restaurants. Products. Boutique brands. Photography that highlights what makes your work unique and makes you proud of how it's presented to the world.
STUDIO & ON-LOCATION · CHICAGO, IL
RESTAURANTS · PRODUCTS · LIFESTYLE · ARCHITECTURE
You worked too hard on this to use
iPhone photos.
"I know what I want it to look like in my head. I just don't know how to actually get there. And I don't want to spend money on photos I can't use."
I personally retouch a curated selection of your favorite images by hand: flyaway hairs, exit signs, cluttered backgrounds, all removed with care. The goal is polished, natural, timeless. Nothing that looks worked on. Everything that looks real.
WHAT I PHOTOGRAPH
The kinds of commercial work
I do well.
I'm not a high-volume commercial studio. I'm a Chicago photographer with 19 years of experience who occasionally takes on commercial projects where my approach is the right fit. If your project is in one of these categories, let's talk.
CATEGORY 1
Chicago Restaurants
Promotional photography for restaurants: interiors, atmosphere, details, and the feeling of the space. I've photographed trendy Chicago restaurants before they opened, helping them launch with promotional materials that match the level of the experience they're creating.
CATEGORY 2
Product Photography
Lay-flats on white backgrounds for clean catalog work. Environmental product shots that place your product in context. Lifestyle imagery that tells a story about how your product fits into someone's life. Not just what it looks like.
CATEGORY 3
Boutique Brands + Lifestyle
I've photographed a boutique kids clothing line: modern, trendy clothing with little ones modeling each piece. Real expressions, real connection, balanced minimal style. The kind of imagery that makes a small brand look much bigger than it is.
CATEGORY 4
Products + People Together
One of my favorite types of commercial work: products photographed naturally, with the people they're made for. A toy company hired me specifically because they saw how I tell a story and bring connection between people and the toys they love.
From first call
to final delivery
Here's how it works.
Every commercial project is unique, but the structure is consistent. Clear conversation up front. Thoughtful planning. A shoot that's actually built around how you'll use the photos. And alignment-checking throughout so we don't end up with images you can't use.
01
Vision & Purpose
We start with the messaging. How will the photos be used: social media, website, packaging, sales portals, all of the above? What feeling should they convey? What's the story behind your product or business that you want the images to tell? Everything else is built on those answers.
02
Logistics & Planning
Once we're aligned on vision, we plan the shoot itself. Where, when, who's involved, what props or models or environments we need. I'll bring my experience to the planning so we don't miss anything that should be considered up front.
02
The Shoot
We photograph the products, people, or spaces in a way that tells the story we agreed on. Throughout the shoot, we check in regularly so we know we're capturing what you envision. I'm not here to take photos of your products that I like. I'm here to make sure we get what you need.
03
Review & Delivery
We review the photos together, you pick the favorites, I retouch them according to your needs, and deliver the final files in formats sized for the platforms you'll be using. Clean, intentional, and ready to put to work immediately.
It might sound strange to compare the two. But the eye is the same. My job as a Chicago wedding photographer is to highlight and accentuate the best attributes of the people in front of me. To set them up in a way that tells their story. To use the environment around them to support the message rather than distract from it.
I bring that same eye to commercial work. Your product has it's best attributes. It has a story. It deserves an environment that highlights what makes it unique. Whether it's a lay-flat on white or an environmental scene with people, the goal is the same. Make it look as compelling as you know it really is.
That's the difference between commercial photography that documents and commercial photography that actually sells. The first describes what something looks like. The second makes someone want it.
Real wonder.
One of my most memorable commercial projects came from an unusual path. I was hired to photograph a gentleman's 50th birthday celebration. It was a big party with lots of friends, family, and decor. His wife had hired me, and during the event she watched how I worked.
A while later, she reached back out. Her toy company was launching a new product line, and she wanted me to photograph their toys being played with by real children. She'd seen the connection in my work. The way I capture genuine moments between people and she wanted that same approach for her brand.
I brought everything I'd learned as a family photographer to that session. I connected with the kids first, made them comfortable, gave them space to actually play. The result wasn't kids posing with products. It was real wonder, real joy, real engagement. The photos felt different from your typical product photography.
That's what I bring to commercial work: capturing real human connection and the ability to photograph products, spaces, and the people who use them in a way that feels genuine rather than staged.
What I bring
to every
commercial shoot.
I'm not a specialist commercial studio with a stylist on staff and a full production team. I'm one photographer with two decades of experience and a clear point of view. Here's what that actually looks like in practice.
01
Studio or On-location
I shoot both. Studio offers a controlled environment with full control over the light and background, and flexibility to change the look completely between setups. Location offers vibe, context, and storytelling that you can't manufacture. The right choice depends on the messaging, and we'll decide together based on what your brand actually needs.
02
Architectural eye for environments.
When we shoot in a space: your restaurant, your studio, an on-location set. I bring an architectural and landscape eye to the work. The decor, the light through the windows, the colors of the room, the textures of the surfaces. All of these contribute to the story. I'm intentional about using them rather than letting them happen by accident.
03
Real people, real expressions.
When commercial work involves people, models, employees, real customers, or kids. I bring my experience as a wedding and family photographer. I know how to make people feel comfortable in front of a camera, how to capture genuine reactions, and how to keep a session productive without letting it feel forced.
04
Editing built around your goals.
My commercial editing is different from my wedding editing. For commercial work, the sole purpose is highlighting the messaging or the product. Minimize distractions. Accentuate what makes the product unique. I'm willing to use more aggressive editing if that's what serves the goal. The goal here is selling, not documenting.
05
Constant alignment checks.
It's hard to describe in words exactly what you want from a photographer. So we check in throughout the shoot. Looking at images on a laptop, talking through what's working, and adjusting in real time. By the end, there shouldn't be any surprises. You should already know exactly what you're going to receive.
06
One photographer. Always me.
The same way I run my wedding work: every commercial project is shot by me, edited by me, and delivered by me. You're not handed off to an associate. You're not getting work from a team you've never met. The point of view stays consistent from first call to final delivery.
"You've worked so hard to get here. So much effort and intentionality and thought went into your business. Don't get to the finish line of having the product in hand and then run out of energy to make sure it sells well, or have photos that don't do justice to what you've built."
- KENNY NAKAI
Let's talk about your project.
Every commercial project is scoped uniquely. Pricing depends entirely on what you need, where, when, and how you'll use the images. The best next step is to reach out and tell me what you're working on. I'll send back a thoughtful proposal based on the actual scope.
Whether you have a clear vision or you're still figuring it out, the first conversation is the most important step. Let's start there.
Chicago Commercial + Product Photography
Inquire for pricing · Each project scoped individually
Studio + On-location · Chicago and beyond
WHERE TO NEXT
SERVICES
Headshots + Branding
Professional portraits and personal branding photography for executives, entrepreneurs, and small businesses.
SERVICES
Family Portraits
Natural, timeless portraits for every stage of family life. Maternity through multigenerational.
ABOUT
About Kenny
19 years in Chicago. The story behind the work and the philosophy behind the camera
WHERE TO NEXT
PORTFOLIO
Wedding Portfolio
Real weddings at Chicago's finest venues. See and learn more about my imagery
SOCIAL PROOF
Reviews & Testimonials
61 5 Star reviews from couples who trusted me with their special day
SERVICES
Investment & Experience
Everything you need to know about working with me - from engagements through your wedding day.
I'm Kenny Nakai, a Chicago commercial and brand photographer creating editorial-quality imagery for businesses, products, and teams since 2007. For brands and agencies that want a personalized approach.
