There are some very obvious reasons for using pictures in your sites or copy. On a basic level, they add variation to an otherwise monochrome page and reduce the copy into more accessible chunks. After all, who wants to read a thousand words of block copy? But, of course, pictures are far more compelling than that. We are a visual species. Nearly every recollection we have is kept as an image in our brains and pictures have been our foremost method 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 thoughts, the content can make us laugh or gasp, the context can encourage us to trust or disbelieve. Words and pictures use different parts of the brain - letters must be mentally reconstructed into words which then are required to be interpreted before they can be understood, whereas pictures are hot-wired straight into our minds.
In fact really great pictures seem to defy words altogether. Our response to them is immediate - almost visceral - rather than intellectual. Little wonder then, that pictures 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 reproduce the image of the marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima, Spencer Rowell's classic image of a bare chested man cradling a vulnerable child in his arms, or that anonymous man, with his shopping bags in hand, blocking the Chinese tanks near Tiananmen Square? And how poor would that description be, compared to just showing the image?
Photos that are made for publication usually fall into three categories. The first, and most obvious is that of identyifier. They are there mainly to show that something, or someone actually exists. In the media 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 grin something between a knowing smile and look of terror. This is because PR directors often just want to send out a single photo designed - they imagine - to be used in all eventualities. If you just send 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 complete waste. If you have employed a photographer, he will have a good choice of images for you to choose from. Why not select 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 pack shots. There may well be a best shot, 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 shy away from headshots with obvious 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 factory?, However, general office shots aren't effective because one office looks very like another - it does nothing to explain what you do or who you are. Standing in an office infront of a logo or banner is unconvincing. Good pictures will actually effect where the piece will appear. Remember an ordinary article with good images will often get a better show than an ordinary piece with ordinary photos.
The second kind of picture is the eyecatcher or dramatic moment. Present in every newspaper and magazine, these photos allow 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 draw you in and engage with 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 corporate images, 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 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 in the foreground 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 specific 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 manufacture the context. These photos don't pretend to be a moment in time, they want to tell their story all by themselves.
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 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 conditions, 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 image doesn't have to have an ego at the centre. The main element of a feature picture is that it has been manufactured. The photographer has changed the circumstances 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 photograph in a specific order so that the story is uncovered in a specific way. In making these decisions, he has also considered format, style, lighting and colour saturation as well as content. Consequently, feature images tend to be more artistic in nature and stand up to scrutiny better. Because so much consideration 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 thoughts, the content can make us laugh or gasp, the context can encourage us to trust or disbelieve. Words and pictures use different parts of the brain - letters must be mentally reconstructed into words which then are required to be interpreted before they can be understood, whereas pictures are hot-wired straight into our minds.
In fact really great pictures seem to defy words altogether. Our response to them is immediate - almost visceral - rather than intellectual. Little wonder then, that pictures 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 reproduce the image of the marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima, Spencer Rowell's classic image of a bare chested man cradling a vulnerable child in his arms, or that anonymous man, with his shopping bags in hand, blocking the Chinese tanks near Tiananmen Square? And how poor would that description be, compared to just showing the image?
Photos that are made for publication usually fall into three categories. The first, and most obvious is that of identyifier. They are there mainly to show that something, or someone actually exists. In the media 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 grin something between a knowing smile and look of terror. This is because PR directors often just want to send out a single photo designed - they imagine - to be used in all eventualities. If you just send 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 complete waste. If you have employed a photographer, he will have a good choice of images for you to choose from. Why not select 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 pack shots. There may well be a best shot, 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 shy away from headshots with obvious 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 factory?, However, general office shots aren't effective because one office looks very like another - it does nothing to explain what you do or who you are. Standing in an office infront of a logo or banner is unconvincing. Good pictures will actually effect where the piece will appear. Remember an ordinary article with good images will often get a better show than an ordinary piece with ordinary photos.
The second kind of picture is the eyecatcher or dramatic moment. Present in every newspaper and magazine, these photos allow 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 draw you in and engage with 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 corporate images, 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 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 in the foreground 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 specific 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 manufacture the context. These photos don't pretend to be a moment in time, they want to tell their story all by themselves.
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 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 conditions, 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 image doesn't have to have an ego at the centre. The main element of a feature picture is that it has been manufactured. The photographer has changed the circumstances 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 photograph in a specific order so that the story is uncovered in a specific way. In making these decisions, he has also considered format, style, lighting and colour saturation as well as content. Consequently, feature images tend to be more artistic in nature and stand up to scrutiny better. Because so much consideration has been put into them, good feature photographs can be studied just like great paintings.
About the Author:
Jim McGrath has worked in the photographic industry forover two decades. He has a particular interest in digital imagery and good cameras. Learn more about the best digital SLRs at his camerawize website.
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