After a positive feedback from my last article about visual advertising, I was asked to publish few tips on how to improve your own photography for social media and web presence.
This month we will focus on composition. There are to major rules, connected with how we perceive and see things.
- Most important is called ‘Golden Ratio’. If you draw three identical lines vertically and three horizontally you will divide your image into four columns and four rows. First points, where each line meets creating smaller square shows strongest points (each corner of small square).
These points draw most of your attention to the image. So the smartest thing to do is to compose the most important subject of your image into one of those corners, to draw your audience attention straight to the point. It can be eyes, it can be a product, service, crucial part of the machine you want to present etc.
This way your image straight away becomes more noticeable and simply interesting.
- ‘The rule of third’
Divide your image with three identical lined horizontally. Those are the points where your horizon should be. Not in the middle. It is very rare that you have super interesting both sky and land that you want to catch horizon in the middle (in term of landscape photography). You wouldn’t like to have your product perfectly in the middle either, unless you want to show perfect symmetry. Rule of third shows your audience much more interesting image, drawing attention and showing what you really wanted to ‘sell’ with your image.
You need to remember – photography is not ‘just an image’. You are showcasing your company, showing the culture of your company, and ‘background’ of your service. You wouldn’t trust a baker with poor cake images, they don’t touch your imagination, so why should you try this cake. It needs to look desirable and unique, personalised. Your product matters, so does your work and so does the way you show it.
Both rules are equally crucial for portraits, landscape, commercial photography and any other visual representation. We think when we see the images, we remember them, images are embedded in our psychology. The more we know what matters for our audience, the more we can ‘manipulate’ the way our audience perceives us through the images we show them.
Anna Klesse, Photographer, www.annaklesse.com, www.numediahouse.com