About

I’m a photographer based in San Diego, California. I create clean and modern commercial photography for businesses looking for a new and improved image for their brand.

I started my photography business in 2009, shortly after leaving the U.S. Coast Guard where I served for four years. Since then, I have created thousands of photos for online stores, advertisements, company websites, product packaging, social media, print catalogs, and publications. I work with many San Diego and Southern California businesses both large and small as well as some national brands. You may have seen some of my work on product packaging in stores like Costco, product listings on Amazon or Wayfarer, or billboards around Southern California. I love what I do and I enjoy producing quality content and building long-term relationships with small businesses. Several of my clients have been with me for almost ten years.

When quality and service matters most, you can put your trust in me. With over a decade of commercial photography experience, a degree in marketing, and an understanding of branding and consumer psychology, I bring a creative and strategic mindset to producing images that enhance your brand and help sell your product. I believe the quality of a brand’s images have a direct impact on sales and the perceived value of your product and brand, so I take time for details like symmetry, light direction, reflections, sharpness, color accuracy, and continuity to accurately display your product’s features and keep your brand looking professional and established. Other photographers and studios may offer similar services, maybe even lower prices, but when you work with me, you get my personal dedication, flexibility, and high standards for photographic quality and customer service.

In 2012, I co-founded a local photography workshop and I’ve been teaching and mentoring beginner and enthusiast photographers ever since. When I’m not creating photos for clients and teaching workshops, I enjoy playing guitar, traveling, and getting outdoors camping and taking landscape photos. You can view my landscape photography at donaldcarlton.com.

Clients Include:

Unite Haircare
Laura Davidson
Urban Armor Gear
FOX Sports San Diego
Solar Turbines
Aroma Housewares
Spinergy
Elūm Designs
Qualcomm
MTV
Taylor & Pond
Global Amici