There are many very obvious reasons for using photos in your web sites or copy. On a basic level, they add color to an otherwise monochrome page and break up the copy into more accessible chunks. After all, who wants to read a thousand words of block copy? But, of course, images are far more interesting than that. We are a visual species. Nearly every thought we have is held as an image in our brains and images have been our primary process of communication for thousands of years. By comparison, writing has been a mere blip.
A picture can be so much more than words. The colors can effect our thoughts, the content can make us chuckle or gasp, the context can encourage us to trust or disbelieve. Words and pictures use different mental processes - letters must be mentally constructed into words which then must be interpreted before they can be understood, whereas pictures are hot-wired straight into our consciousness.
In fact the best pictures seem to defy words altogether. Our response to them is direct - almost visceral - rather than intellectual. Little wonder then, that images are used all around the world to instantly portray those emotions and feelings that a thousand words could not adequately describe. How many words would you need to recreate the image of the soldiers raising the stars and stripes at Iwo Jima, Spencer Rowell's classic image of a bare chested man cradling a vulnerable baby in his arms, or that unknown man, with his shopping bags in hand, standing in the way of the Chinese tanks close to Tiananmen Square? And how lacking would that description be, compared to just showing the photo?
Images that are created for publication often fall into three categories. The first, and most obvious is that of identyifier. They are there basically to prove that something, or someone really exists. In newspapers they appear as small portraits, or product pictures. They usually get hardy any attention from either the supplier or the reader and have often been shot to a set blueprint - blue or green backdrop - and showing a stare something between a knowing smile and look of abject fear. This is because PR professionals often just want to mail out a single photo designed - they imagine - to be used in all eventualities. If you just issue out one image, then it can't be too happy, or sad, or indeed anything, just in case. This seems to me to be missing opportunities. If you have hired a photographer, he will have a wide selection of images for you to choose from. Why not pick half a dozen and send them all out? Picture editors appreciate a choice and aren't likely to use them inappropriately. The same argument applies to product shots. There may well be a best angle, but give a selection so that they can change the images around occasionally or crop them to different shapes.
Shooting these portraits against a plain background also misses an opportunity. Whilst picture editors will shy away from headshots with blatant logos in the background, or a letter sticking out of your head, there is no reason why you can't be photographed in an appropriate place. If you make widgets, why not be photographed in the manufacturing area?, However, general office shots often don't work because one office looks just like another - it does nothing to explain what your business does or who you are. Standing in an office infront of a logo or banner is unconvincing. Good pictures do actually effect where the piece will appear. Remember an ordinary article with good photos will often get a better show than a dull article with ordinary images.
The second kind of picture is the eyecatcher or dramatic moment. Present in every newspaper and magazine, these pictures enable you, the reader, to witness a precise event. It is a split second in time which, ironically, if you had been present you might well have missed. As if to emphasize this, the subjects are usually in the air or in mid motion and there is often eye contact with the the viewer which only enhances the feeling of connectedness and immediacy. These pictures are designed to suck you in and engage with you. In other words, these eye catching pictures are used by publications to pull you in, past the headlines and the stand-first, to the copy.
In terms of company pictures, the eyecatchers will always have currency. Movement is always going to attract attention, but unusual context will also catch the eye. Whether it is a bike in mid air or a suited gent in high heels on a railway track, you can't help but notice it. The abnormal in every day life contains an air of mystery that we find irresisitible. However, remember that the image should reflect your corporate values and that what might seem funny to your work colleagues, might mean nothing to your potential clients. Always think about how the picture is constructed: follow natural perspective by putting the subject at the centre of the image, surrounded by the supporting elements. Remember that eye contact is important and make the picture engaging by either having the subject coming towards the camera, or shoot over a shoulder, to pull the viewer into the image.
The third kind of picture which we are all so used to seeing is the feature picture. The feature picture is different from the portrait because it aims to place the article or subject in a particular surrounding or context and it is not like the eyecatcher because there is no doubt that the photographer (and possibly the subject) have worked to manufacture the context. These pictures don't pretend to be a split second in time, they want to tell their story in a single shot.
In that sense they are reminiscent of some of the portraits by the great masters. When a man was painted for posterity, he wanted to leave the viewer with a a certain image imprinted in your mind. It wasn't a quick snap - it would take sometimes years to complete and hang in pride of place in his castle. It wasn't just an image, it was an affirmation. Each element had been thought out and gave a clear message to those in the know. The content will depend upon who has the final word. If the subject is powerful enough to set the terms, it will usually reveal what they think of themselves and their achievements. If the commissioning editor holds sway, then it will tend to fit the copy which is written around it.
However the feature photo doesn't have to have an ego at the centre. The essential element of a feature picture is that is has been thoughtfully created. The photographer has changed the context or parameters so that he can better tell the story. He has taken the pieces he thinks are important and arranged them so that the viewer will be led through the photo in a specific way so that the story is revealed in a specific order. In making these decisions, he has also considered format, style, lighting and colour saturation as well as content. As a result, feature pictures tend to be more artistic in nature and stand up to scrutiny over a longer period. Because so much consideration has been put into them, good feature photographs can be studied just like old masterpieces.
A picture can be so much more than words. The colors can effect our thoughts, the content can make us chuckle or gasp, the context can encourage us to trust or disbelieve. Words and pictures use different mental processes - letters must be mentally constructed into words which then must be interpreted before they can be understood, whereas pictures are hot-wired straight into our consciousness.
In fact the best pictures seem to defy words altogether. Our response to them is direct - almost visceral - rather than intellectual. Little wonder then, that images are used all around the world to instantly portray those emotions and feelings that a thousand words could not adequately describe. How many words would you need to recreate the image of the soldiers raising the stars and stripes at Iwo Jima, Spencer Rowell's classic image of a bare chested man cradling a vulnerable baby in his arms, or that unknown man, with his shopping bags in hand, standing in the way of the Chinese tanks close to Tiananmen Square? And how lacking would that description be, compared to just showing the photo?
Images that are created for publication often fall into three categories. The first, and most obvious is that of identyifier. They are there basically to prove that something, or someone really exists. In newspapers they appear as small portraits, or product pictures. They usually get hardy any attention from either the supplier or the reader and have often been shot to a set blueprint - blue or green backdrop - and showing a stare something between a knowing smile and look of abject fear. This is because PR professionals often just want to mail out a single photo designed - they imagine - to be used in all eventualities. If you just issue out one image, then it can't be too happy, or sad, or indeed anything, just in case. This seems to me to be missing opportunities. If you have hired a photographer, he will have a wide selection of images for you to choose from. Why not pick half a dozen and send them all out? Picture editors appreciate a choice and aren't likely to use them inappropriately. The same argument applies to product shots. There may well be a best angle, but give a selection so that they can change the images around occasionally or crop them to different shapes.
Shooting these portraits against a plain background also misses an opportunity. Whilst picture editors will shy away from headshots with blatant logos in the background, or a letter sticking out of your head, there is no reason why you can't be photographed in an appropriate place. If you make widgets, why not be photographed in the manufacturing area?, However, general office shots often don't work because one office looks just like another - it does nothing to explain what your business does or who you are. Standing in an office infront of a logo or banner is unconvincing. Good pictures do actually effect where the piece will appear. Remember an ordinary article with good photos will often get a better show than a dull article with ordinary images.
The second kind of picture is the eyecatcher or dramatic moment. Present in every newspaper and magazine, these pictures enable you, the reader, to witness a precise event. It is a split second in time which, ironically, if you had been present you might well have missed. As if to emphasize this, the subjects are usually in the air or in mid motion and there is often eye contact with the the viewer which only enhances the feeling of connectedness and immediacy. These pictures are designed to suck you in and engage with you. In other words, these eye catching pictures are used by publications to pull you in, past the headlines and the stand-first, to the copy.
In terms of company pictures, the eyecatchers will always have currency. Movement is always going to attract attention, but unusual context will also catch the eye. Whether it is a bike in mid air or a suited gent in high heels on a railway track, you can't help but notice it. The abnormal in every day life contains an air of mystery that we find irresisitible. However, remember that the image should reflect your corporate values and that what might seem funny to your work colleagues, might mean nothing to your potential clients. Always think about how the picture is constructed: follow natural perspective by putting the subject at the centre of the image, surrounded by the supporting elements. Remember that eye contact is important and make the picture engaging by either having the subject coming towards the camera, or shoot over a shoulder, to pull the viewer into the image.
The third kind of picture which we are all so used to seeing is the feature picture. The feature picture is different from the portrait because it aims to place the article or subject in a particular surrounding or context and it is not like the eyecatcher because there is no doubt that the photographer (and possibly the subject) have worked to manufacture the context. These pictures don't pretend to be a split second in time, they want to tell their story in a single shot.
In that sense they are reminiscent of some of the portraits by the great masters. When a man was painted for posterity, he wanted to leave the viewer with a a certain image imprinted in your mind. It wasn't a quick snap - it would take sometimes years to complete and hang in pride of place in his castle. It wasn't just an image, it was an affirmation. Each element had been thought out and gave a clear message to those in the know. The content will depend upon who has the final word. If the subject is powerful enough to set the terms, it will usually reveal what they think of themselves and their achievements. If the commissioning editor holds sway, then it will tend to fit the copy which is written around it.
However the feature photo doesn't have to have an ego at the centre. The essential element of a feature picture is that is has been thoughtfully created. The photographer has changed the context or parameters so that he can better tell the story. He has taken the pieces he thinks are important and arranged them so that the viewer will be led through the photo in a specific way so that the story is revealed in a specific order. In making these decisions, he has also considered format, style, lighting and colour saturation as well as content. As a result, feature pictures tend to be more artistic in nature and stand up to scrutiny over a longer period. Because so much consideration has been put into them, good feature photographs can be studied just like old masterpieces.
About the Author:
Jim McGrath has worked in the photography industry formore than twenty years. He has a specific interest in digital photography and good cameras. Learn more about the best digital SLRs at his camerawize website.
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