By Jim McGrath
There are a number of very obvious reasons for using images 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, photographs are far more interesting than that. We are a visual species. Nearly every memory we have is kept as a picture in our brains and images have been our foremost 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 emotions, the content can make us laugh or gasp, the context can persuade us to trust or disbelieve. Words and pictures use different mental processes - letters must be mentally made into words which then have 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 everywhere to instantly portray those emotions and feelings that a thousand words could not easily describe. How many words would you need to recreate the image of the marines raising the stars and stripes at Iwo Jima, Spencer Rowell's classic image of a bare torsoed man cradling a vulnerable newborn in his arms, or that anonymous 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 image?
A picture can be so much more than words. The colors can effect our emotions, the content can make us laugh or gasp, the context can persuade us to trust or disbelieve. Words and pictures use different mental processes - letters must be mentally made into words which then have 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 everywhere to instantly portray those emotions and feelings that a thousand words could not easily describe. How many words would you need to recreate the image of the marines raising the stars and stripes at Iwo Jima, Spencer Rowell's classic image of a bare torsoed man cradling a vulnerable newborn in his arms, or that anonymous 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 image?
Pictures that are produced for publication usually fall into three categories. The first, and most obvious is that of identyifier. They are there mainly to prove that something, or someone really exists. In newspapers they appear as small headshots, or product shots. They usually get scant attention from either the supplier or the reader and have often been shot to a set formula - blue or green background - and showing a look something between a conspiritorial smile and look of terror. This is because PR companies usually just want to send out a single photo designed - they think - to cover all eventualities. If you just mail out out one picture, 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 selection of photos for you to select from. Why not choose half a dozen and send them all out? Picture editors like a choice and aren't likely to use them incorrectly. The same argument applies to product 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 headshots against a dull background also misses a chance. Whilst picture editors will keep away from portraits 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 manufacturing area?, However, general office shots aren't effective because one office looks just like another - it does not explain what your company does or who you are. Standing in an office infront of a logo or banner is unconvincing. Good pictures can actually effect where the piece will appear. Remember an ordinary piece with good pictures will often get a better show than a mediocre article with ordinary images.
The second kind of picture is the eyecatcher or dramatic moment. Present in every newspaper and magazine, these images enable you, the viewer, 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 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 startling 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 station platform, you can't help but notice it. The abnormal in every day life contains an air of mystery that we can't resist. However, remember that the image should reflect your company values and that what might seem funny to an inside professional, 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 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 certain surrounding or context
Shooting these headshots against a dull background also misses a chance. Whilst picture editors will keep away from portraits 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 manufacturing area?, However, general office shots aren't effective because one office looks just like another - it does not explain what your company does or who you are. Standing in an office infront of a logo or banner is unconvincing. Good pictures can actually effect where the piece will appear. Remember an ordinary piece with good pictures will often get a better show than a mediocre article with ordinary images.
The second kind of picture is the eyecatcher or dramatic moment. Present in every newspaper and magazine, these images enable you, the viewer, 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 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 startling 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 station platform, you can't help but notice it. The abnormal in every day life contains an air of mystery that we can't resist. However, remember that the image should reflect your company values and that what might seem funny to an inside professional, 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 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 certain surrounding or context
The second kind of picture is the eyecatcher or dramatic moment. Present in every newspaper and magazine, these images enable you, the viewer, 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 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 startling 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 station platform, you can't help but notice it. The abnormal in every day life contains an air of mystery that we can't resist. However, remember that the image should reflect your company values and that what might seem funny to an inside professional, 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 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 certain 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 photos 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 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 those in the know. The content will depend upon who has the final decision. If the subject is important enough to set the conditions, it will usually indicate 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 essential element of a feature picture is that it has been imagined beforehand. The photographer has changed the circumstances or parameters so that he can better tell the story. He has taken the elements 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 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 for a longer time. Because so much thought has been put into them, good feature photographs can be studied just like the Old Masters.
About the Author:
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 station platform, you can't help but notice it. The abnormal in every day life contains an air of mystery that we can't resist. However, remember that the image should reflect your company values and that what might seem funny to an inside professional, 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 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 certain 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 photos 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 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 those in the know. The content will depend upon who has the final decision. If the subject is important enough to set the conditions, it will usually indicate 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 essential element of a feature picture is that it has been imagined beforehand. The photographer has changed the circumstances or parameters so that he can better tell the story. He has taken the elements 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 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 for a longer time. Because so much thought has been put into them, good feature photographs can be studied just like the Old Masters.
About the Author:
Jim McGrath has worked in the photography industry formore than two decades. He has a specific interest in digital photography and good cameras. Learn more about the best digital SLRs at his camerawize website.