There are a number of very obvious reasons for using photographs in your sites or copy. On a basic level, they add color to an otherwise monochrome page and reduce the copy into more conveniant chunks. After all, who wants to read a thousand words of block copy? But, of course, pictures are far more interesting than that. We are a visual species. Nearly every recollection we have is held as an image in our heads and pictures have been our main process 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 persuade 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 really great pictures seem to defy words altogether. Our response to them is immediate - almost visceral - rather than objective. Little wonder then, that photos are used all around the world to instantly tap into those feelings and emotions that a thousand words could not adequately describe. How many words would you need to recreate the image of the soldiers raising the flag at Iwo Jima, Spencer Rowell's classic image of a bare torsoed man cradling a vulnerable baby in his arms, or that unknown man, with his shopping bags in hand, blocking the Chinese tanks close to Tiananmen Square? And how lacking would that description be, compared to just showing the image?
Pictures that are created for publication tend to fall into three categories. The first, and most obvious is that of identyifier. They are there essentially to show that something, or someone really exists. In the media they appear as small headshots, or product shots. They usually get hardy any attention from either the editor or the recipient and have often been shot to a set blueprint - blue or green background - and showing a stare something between a conspiritorial smile and look of terror. This is because PR managers usually just want to send out a single photo designed - they think - to cover 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 a complete waste. If you have hired a photographer, he will have a good selection of photos for you to choose from. Why not select a few 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 selection so that they can change the images around occasionally or crop them to different shapes.
Shooting these portraits against a dull backdrop also misses a chance. Whilst picture editors will shy away from portraits 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 context. 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 your business does or who you are. Standing in an office infront of a logo or banner is the worst thing to do. Good pictures can actually effect where the piece will appear. Remember an ordinary article with good photos will normally 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 pictures allow you, the viewer, to witness a precise event. It is a split second in time which, ironically, if you had been there you might well have overlooked. As if to emphasize this, the subjects are usually in mid 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 draw 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 content.
In terms of corporate 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 haystack, you can't help but notice it. The abnormal in every day life contains an air of uncertainty that we can't resist. However, remember that the image should reflect your business values and that what might seem funny to someone who works in your profession, might mean nothing to your potential clients. Always think about how the picture is constructed: follow natural perspective by putting the subject in the middle 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 viewer, or shoot over a shoulder, to pull the viewer into the image.
The third kind of photography 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 images don't pretend to be a split second 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 weeks to complete and hang in pride of place in his house. It wasn't just an image, it was an affirmation. Each element had been thought out and gave a clear message to the initiated. The content will depend upon who has the final say. If the subject is important 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 story which is written around it.
However the feature image doesn't have to have an ego at the centre. The essential 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 image in a specific way so that the story is revealed 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 thought has been put into them, good feature images 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 persuade 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 really great pictures seem to defy words altogether. Our response to them is immediate - almost visceral - rather than objective. Little wonder then, that photos are used all around the world to instantly tap into those feelings and emotions that a thousand words could not adequately describe. How many words would you need to recreate the image of the soldiers raising the flag at Iwo Jima, Spencer Rowell's classic image of a bare torsoed man cradling a vulnerable baby in his arms, or that unknown man, with his shopping bags in hand, blocking the Chinese tanks close to Tiananmen Square? And how lacking would that description be, compared to just showing the image?
Pictures that are created for publication tend to fall into three categories. The first, and most obvious is that of identyifier. They are there essentially to show that something, or someone really exists. In the media they appear as small headshots, or product shots. They usually get hardy any attention from either the editor or the recipient and have often been shot to a set blueprint - blue or green background - and showing a stare something between a conspiritorial smile and look of terror. This is because PR managers usually just want to send out a single photo designed - they think - to cover 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 a complete waste. If you have hired a photographer, he will have a good selection of photos for you to choose from. Why not select a few 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 selection so that they can change the images around occasionally or crop them to different shapes.
Shooting these portraits against a dull backdrop also misses a chance. Whilst picture editors will shy away from portraits 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 context. 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 your business does or who you are. Standing in an office infront of a logo or banner is the worst thing to do. Good pictures can actually effect where the piece will appear. Remember an ordinary article with good photos will normally 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 pictures allow you, the viewer, to witness a precise event. It is a split second in time which, ironically, if you had been there you might well have overlooked. As if to emphasize this, the subjects are usually in mid 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 draw 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 content.
In terms of corporate 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 haystack, you can't help but notice it. The abnormal in every day life contains an air of uncertainty that we can't resist. However, remember that the image should reflect your business values and that what might seem funny to someone who works in your profession, might mean nothing to your potential clients. Always think about how the picture is constructed: follow natural perspective by putting the subject in the middle 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 viewer, or shoot over a shoulder, to pull the viewer into the image.
The third kind of photography 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 images don't pretend to be a split second 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 weeks to complete and hang in pride of place in his house. It wasn't just an image, it was an affirmation. Each element had been thought out and gave a clear message to the initiated. The content will depend upon who has the final say. If the subject is important 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 story which is written around it.
However the feature image doesn't have to have an ego at the centre. The essential 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 image in a specific way so that the story is revealed 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 thought has been put into them, good feature images can be studied just like great paintings.
About the Author:
Jim McGrath has worked in the photographic industry forover two decades. He has a specific interest in digital imagery and good cameras. Learn more about the best digital SLRs at his camerawize website.
0 komentar:
Post a Comment