There are some very obvious reasons for using pictures in your web 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 interesting than that. We are a visual species. Nearly every recollection we have is kept as an image in our brains and images have been our foremost way of communication for millennia. By comparison, the written word 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 laugh or gasp, the context can persuade us to trust or disbelieve. Words and pictures use different mental processes – letters must be mentally constructed into words which then have to be interpreted before they can be understood, whereas pictures are hot-wired straight into our understanding.
In fact the best pictures seem to defy words altogether. Our response to them is emotional – almost visceral – rather than objective. Little wonder then, that photos are used everywhere to instantly tap into those emotions and feelings that a thousand words could not easily describe. How many words would you need to describe 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 baby in his arms, or that anonymous man, with his shopping bags in hand, standing in the way of the Chinese tanks near Tiananmen Square? And how lacking would that description be, compared to just showing the picture?
Photos 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 prove that something, or someone actually exists. In newspapers they appear as small portraits, or product pictures. They usually get hardy any attention from either the editor or the reader and have often been shot to a set blueprint – blue or green backdrop – and showing a grin something between a conspiritorial smile and look of terror. This is because PR managers often just want to send out a single image designed – they think – to cover all eventualities. If you just send out one photo, 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 employed a photographer, he will have a good choice of photos for you to choose from. Why not choose a few and send them all out? Picture editors like a choice and aren’t likely to use them incorrectly. 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 plain backdrop also misses a chance. Whilst picture editors will stay 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 workshop?, 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 unconvincing. Good pictures will actually effect where the copy will appear. Remember an ordinary article with good images will often get a better show than a dull piece with ordinary photos.
The second kind of picture is the eyecatcher or dramatic moment. Present in every newspaper and magazine, these pictures enable you, the viewer, to witness a precise event. It is a moment 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 startling pictures are used by publications to pull you in, past the headlines and the stand-first, to the content.
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 haystack, 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 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 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 picture.
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 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 create the context. These pictures don’t pretend to be a moment in time, they want to tell their story all by themselves.
In that sense they can remind you 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 castle. 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 terms, it will usually show how they regard 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 photo 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 photograph in a specific way so that the story is uncovered in a specific order. In making these decisions, he has also considered format, style, lighting and colour saturation as well as content. And so as a consequence, feature photos tend to be more artistic in nature and stand up to scrutiny for a longer time. Because so much forethought has been put into them, good feature images can be studied just like old masterpieces.
Jim McGrath has worked in the media industry forover two decades. He has a particular interest in digital photography and good cameras. Learn more about the best digital SLRs at his camerawize website.