Showcasing. That’s probably the one word that best describes what strong commercial and promotional imagery can do for your business or tourism destination. Explain to people your business, even in the most intricate of detail and they’ll get a fairly solid understanding about what you do. Show them however, with the benefit of powerful photos and you have solidified to your customers not just what your company does, but how it operates, and that it does so on a high level.
How then do we know what strong imagery is and if it’s having the effect that we want it to? Well that can be answered easily; there’s an immediate emotional connection to what the viewer sees and how they then relate to your business or company. In other words, the pictures tell a story and leaves that viewer with an impression that lasts far longer than just words ever could. There are several elements that come together in any good commercial and promotional image (I use ‘image’ more than picture, because in my mind images are created, pictures are taken). They include:
Simplicity – A clean, simple image is almost always more effective than one that tries to do too much.
Story-telling – Commercial images need to show and tell. Show that image and it tells its own story, words are often not required.
Great composition – Great composition is never questioned; only confusing composition is. Look for your product or service to be well balanced, containing only strong elements.
Subject matter – The images need to pertain directly to what you’re trying to sell, be it a service or product.
Realism – You may never have thought of this but you’ve probably noticed pictures that were either disingenuous or uncomfortable. Realism and comfort in subjects works wonders!
Lighting – A great image has great lighting…always!! It should show drama, accentuate, and highlight.
Combine these elements and what you end up with is a recipe that will drastically help you sell and brand your business or destination. Once again, look for emotion to grab you. It doesn’t matter that sometimes you don’t understand why you feel a certain way, just that you feel compelled to look and explore more than if you were looking at a simple picture. Pictures are great; however, they may not be garnering you the attention that your business deserves! Look for production of the ‘image’ instead.
Cheers, Kelly
To see more of my commercial work, go to my portfolio here
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