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 the copy into more digestible chunks. After all, who wants to read a huge chunk of words of block copy? But, of course, photos are far more important than that. We are visual animals. Nearly every memory we have is held as a photo in our brains and pictures have been our main way of communication for thousands of years. By comparison, writing has been a mere blip.
An image can be so much more than words. The colors can effect our mood, the content can make us chuckle or gasp, the context can encourage us to trust or disbelieve. Words and pictures use different parts of the brain - letters must be mentally made into words which then are required to 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 pictures are used all around the world to instantly tap into those feelings and emotions that a thousand words could not easily describe. How many words would you need to reproduce the image of the soldiers raising the flag at Iwo Jima, Spencer Rowell's classic image of a bare chested man cradling a vulnerable newborn in his arms, or that unknown man, with his shopping bags in hand, standing in the way of the Chinese tanks near Tiananmen Square? And how unsatisfactory would that description be, compared to just showing the picture?
Pictures that are shot for publication tend to fall into three categories. The first, and most obvious is that of identyifier. They are there essentially to prove that something, or someone really exists. In magazines they appear as small headshots, or product shots. They usually get scant attention from either the editor or the recipient and have often been shot to a set formula - blue or green backdrop - and showing a grin something between a friendly smile and look of terror. This is because PR directors often just want to send out a single image designed - they imagine - to cover all eventualities. If you just mail out out one image, then it can't be too happy, or sad, or indeed anything, just in case. This seems to me to be a waste. If you have employed a photographer, he will have a wide selection of photos for you to select from. Why not select half a dozen and send them all out? Picture editors like 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 choice so that they can change the images around occasionally or crop them to different shapes.
Shooting these portraits against a boring backdrop also misses a chance. Whilst picture editors will stay 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 context. If you make widgets, why not be photographed in the factory?, However, general office shots aren't effective because one office looks just like another - it does not explain what you do or who you are. Standing in an office infront of a logo or banner is the worst thing to do. Good pictures do actually effect where the copy will appear. Remember an ordinary article with good photos will often get a better show than a mediocre piece with ordinary images.
The second kind of picture is the eyecatcher or dramatic moment. Present in every newspaper and magazine, these photos enable you, the reader, to witness a precise event. It is a moment in time which, ironically, if you had been there you might well have missed. As if to emphasize this, the subjects are usually in off the ground 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 you. In other words, these astonishing 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 uncertainty that we find irresisitible. However, remember that the image should reflect your company values and that what might seem funny to someone who works in your profession, might mean nothing to your prospects. 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 attractive 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 image 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 different from the eyecatcher because there is no doubt that the photographer (and possibly the subject) have worked to create 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 similar to some 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 months to complete and hang in pride of place in his manor house. It wasn't just an image, it was confirmation of his status. 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 decision. If the subject is powerful enough to set the conditions, it will usually show 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 main element of a feature picture is that it has been imagined beforehand. 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 order so that the story is uncovered in a specific way. In making these decisions, he has also thought about format, style, lighting and colour saturation as well as content. As a result, feature images tend to be more artistic in nature and stand up to scrutiny better. Because so much thought has been put into them, good feature photographs can be studied just like great paintings.
An image can be so much more than words. The colors can effect our mood, the content can make us chuckle or gasp, the context can encourage us to trust or disbelieve. Words and pictures use different parts of the brain - letters must be mentally made into words which then are required to 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 pictures are used all around the world to instantly tap into those feelings and emotions that a thousand words could not easily describe. How many words would you need to reproduce the image of the soldiers raising the flag at Iwo Jima, Spencer Rowell's classic image of a bare chested man cradling a vulnerable newborn in his arms, or that unknown man, with his shopping bags in hand, standing in the way of the Chinese tanks near Tiananmen Square? And how unsatisfactory would that description be, compared to just showing the picture?
Pictures that are shot for publication tend to fall into three categories. The first, and most obvious is that of identyifier. They are there essentially to prove that something, or someone really exists. In magazines they appear as small headshots, or product shots. They usually get scant attention from either the editor or the recipient and have often been shot to a set formula - blue or green backdrop - and showing a grin something between a friendly smile and look of terror. This is because PR directors often just want to send out a single image designed - they imagine - to cover all eventualities. If you just mail out out one image, then it can't be too happy, or sad, or indeed anything, just in case. This seems to me to be a waste. If you have employed a photographer, he will have a wide selection of photos for you to select from. Why not select half a dozen and send them all out? Picture editors like 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 choice so that they can change the images around occasionally or crop them to different shapes.
Shooting these portraits against a boring backdrop also misses a chance. Whilst picture editors will stay 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 context. If you make widgets, why not be photographed in the factory?, However, general office shots aren't effective because one office looks just like another - it does not explain what you do or who you are. Standing in an office infront of a logo or banner is the worst thing to do. Good pictures do actually effect where the copy will appear. Remember an ordinary article with good photos will often get a better show than a mediocre piece with ordinary images.
The second kind of picture is the eyecatcher or dramatic moment. Present in every newspaper and magazine, these photos enable you, the reader, to witness a precise event. It is a moment in time which, ironically, if you had been there you might well have missed. As if to emphasize this, the subjects are usually in off the ground 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 you. In other words, these astonishing 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 uncertainty that we find irresisitible. However, remember that the image should reflect your company values and that what might seem funny to someone who works in your profession, might mean nothing to your prospects. 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 attractive 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 image 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 different from the eyecatcher because there is no doubt that the photographer (and possibly the subject) have worked to create 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 similar to some 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 months to complete and hang in pride of place in his manor house. It wasn't just an image, it was confirmation of his status. 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 decision. If the subject is powerful enough to set the conditions, it will usually show 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 main element of a feature picture is that it has been imagined beforehand. 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 order so that the story is uncovered in a specific way. In making these decisions, he has also thought about format, style, lighting and colour saturation as well as content. As a result, feature images tend to be more artistic in nature and stand up to scrutiny better. Because so much thought has been put into them, good feature photographs can be studied just like great paintings.
About the Author:
Jim McGrath has worked in the media industry formore than two decades. He has a specific interest in digital imagery and good cameras. Learn more about the best digital SLRs at his camerawize website.
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