Picture perfect
So you have a project in mind. It could be an ad, a package or a giant billboard, maybe it’s a web page. Today, in communications, as in the past, the power of an image is still one of the sharpest tools available in getting your message across to an audience that, it is hoped, will contain your current or future customers.
Who am I?
If you share the view that a picture is worth a thousand words, then the first consideration in choosing an image is what it contains. Ask yourself if it suggests the kind of tone, atmosphere or feeling that you ascribe to your business. Do you want people to see you coming at the world from a fun perspective or are you an aggressive ‘guns blazing’ type of organisation. Perhaps you are targeting a specific group of consumers and would benefit from an image that echoes their own personal aspirations. Unless an image satisfies some or all of these points, keep searching. Of course, there are exceptions – this principle doesn’t apply to every single product in every catalogue – in the every day world nobody can be reasonably expected to go to those kind of lengths, although some people who simply refuse to compromise have done so. Think about the image you have in mind. Does it have the potential to form part of a campaign? In other words, could it work with a series of other pictures? It might be so off-the-wall that it will have a good chance of attracting the attention of all who see it, but does it say anything about you? Could it be a dead end with no possible follow up? Building awareness of a brand is seldom achieved on the strength of a single ad alone. A bit of consideration at this stage can save a lot of head scratching later on.
Forward thinking
After the image has been selected, you are then faced with the dilemma of how big a file to buy. This is the part where the wallet often overrides the true requirement of the project. Though you may think saving a few hundred pounds is prudent accounting, this is no time for penny-pinching. Think ahead a little. Can you conceive a time when this image might have to be used for posters, signs or exhibition stands? What if it takes off and becomes the cornerstone of your business’ personality? A small image might be fine for a web page, newsletter or postcard, but it will not contain sufficient information to be spread across a large area, the image will pixelate – meaning you get a pattern of unattractive-looking squares rather than the smooth photograph you saw at the start. If you are certain that this is a one-off, buy the size you need right now, but if there is potential for its use in bigger, better things, don’t paint yourself into a corner and go for the flexibility offered by a larger file.
But it looks OK on screen
The arrival of the digital camera has made photographers of us all. Sometimes you will find that you have digital images that you have taken yourself and they may indeed be usable for many things, but it is unlikely, unless you have professional equipment and a modicum of ability, that they will be appropriate for a major project. Snaps will always look like snaps. Do not expect to get an ad campaign on the cheap out of your camera phone or compact, and remember there is more to taking a photograph than a simple point and click. Don’t be fooled by the fact that an image looks great on your computer screen – there is a world of difference between the way an image is displayed on a monitor and the way a press turns artwork into print. Suffice it to say that if you are working on a print project, any image you use must be a minimum of 300dpi at the size you intend to print it at. Anything less will degrade and the overall look of the piece will suffer. The high standard of images you see used in big brand advertising is not achieved by accident. None of these campaigns were put together from what the client just happened to have lying around and they certainly won’t have come from a royalty-free collection. A client like this will want exclusivity so that their campaign has zero chance of appearing next to someone else’s containing the same image. Imagine the embarrassment you would suffer if your competitor has bought the same shot, but theirs is larger than yours… who’s going to notice you then?
Go pro
If it’s something grand you have in mind, think about commissioning a professional photographer. Cutting corners at this stage will result in your own cheapness being advertised to all and sundry later. Is that what you really want your customers to feel about you? What impression will this give them of the product or service you are offering? Quality in the original elements will always carry through to the end result. If you decide to use the services of a professional, by all means shop around. Ask to see work similar to your own requirements and always follow up recommendations. As with so many things, the cheapest is seldom the best, but some studios offer a saving by being highly-specialised in specific areas, such as Packshot Factory, who’s work we rate very highly. It can also be prudent to make the best use of your studio time by employing an experienced art director. This can help you avoid the unneccessary 'trial and error' period associated with shooting your products. Someone who has been down this road before can literally bring focus to the session, after all, movies have directors - without them the film would never finish.
Images can be a small or a major part of a creative work, but the fundamental truth is that poor imagery will make you look like a small-time operation, which even if you are, you don’t need to advertise. Why not punch above your weight, take the time to paint the right picture and you'll be in a stronger position to help your brand take over the world.
What next?
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Contact us or dial 01322 277255 and ask to speak to Myles Davidson or Simon Surtees