What does it take to make a picture appealing?

What does it take to make a picture appealing?

What does it take to make a picture appealing?

The creative team at Andarakis Advisory Services DMCC is committed to effectively represent our clients’ brand personality and identity through inspiring and influential designs. A key aspect of bringing together a design is the use of meaningful imagery. Being the best at what we do is our motto, achieved through perseverance, hard work, years of experience and an unparalleled motivation to win.

Here are a few tips on making an image more appealing.

Images reflect emotions. They give the viewers the ability to immerse in the photograph and be part of it. Images are illustrations of our dreams, desires, fears and frustrations.

 

IT IS ABOUT WHAT COULD BE AND NOT WHAT IS

The best type of visuals exemplifies relationships and connections; whether it be family or friends, prized objects, a car or something with less definition such as nature. The effectiveness of a picture is highly dependent on the target audience.  Less affluent people are likely to pick images that depict expensive cars and vacations because they do not have it, so they would want it. Seniors would not want to see images that reminds them of how old they are or what they cannot do anymore.

Part of our assignment for Al Akaria; a real estate developer in Saudi Arabia, was Creative Communication Strategy and Implementation. The aim of the campaign was to portray Al Dhahia Residences as an ideal environment that meet the aspirations of people in all aspects of their lifestyles through the inclusion of schools, mosques, offices and parks. Apart from convenience, it is important to acknowledge that a major part of having a pleasant lifestyle is reflected through interactive, supportive and strong relationships. We used the picture below to exemplify THE JOY OF LIFE, our motto for the brand representation. In context with the traditional values of the region, the men are dressed in Thawb (white robe) and Taqiyah (white cap), as they are drinking coffee and eating dates – an integral part of the Middle Eastern culture.

 

COLORS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

Colors are a very essential factor in creating emotions through a picture. Black represents class and elegance. Whereas yellow portrays positive emotions such as joy and happiness. Orange amalgamates the energy of red and the happiness of yellow to create an enthusiastic, stimulating and fascinating vibe.

Part of our assignment for an ongoing project for a planned community development is their Creative Communication Strategy and Implementation. The core value that the brand portrays is PEOPLE; promoting happiness to individuals and families living in the community. We used the picture in the cover of this article to characterize all these values with a charismatic and joyful child who transmits his positivity to the audience through the colors Orange and Yellow, on top of an effective contrast between the background and foreground – giving the image a three-dimensional feel.

 

 

DEPTH BRINGS AN IMAGE TO LIFE

The concept of depth in an image is the ability of giving a two-dimensional picture a three-dimensional feeling. It is an indispensable aspect of engaging with the viewers, as depth invites them to more profoundly interact with the image rather than just observing it.

Creating a sense of depth in a photo generally requires 7 main steps:

  • Including a foreground interest (object) enhances depth in a picture, as it leads the viewer’s eye around the scene, from the foreground to the subject in the distance.
  • Shooting in a portrait is key because there is more depth found vertically than horizontally. By looking straight ahead it is easier to focus on objects at varying distance, while by looking side to side eyes naturally fall on objects about the same distance away.
  • Changing your viewpoint provides more foreground interest and makes the picture less familiar as well as more intriguing. Crouching close to the ground instead of shooting at eye level exaggerates the perspective as objects seem smaller moving into distance, enhancing the aspect of depth.
  • Frame your scene by using foreground objects to create a natural frame around the subject in the picture. This gives the viewer the opportunity to be guided through the scene and mentally explore it.
  • Using a wider angle (zooming out) exaggerates the perspective and achieves a greater sense of depth.
  • Leading lines (lines moving from foreground into the scene) are significant in creating a feeling of motion, drawing the viewer’s eye along them.
  • Layering, more specifically overlapping objects helps the viewer reconstruct the three-dimensional scene in their mind. In other words, mentally transporting the viewer in the scene, rather than just merely seeing the picture.

 

TEXTURE IS THE MOST ENDURING AND UBIQUITOUS UNDERPINNING OF FORM

The use of texture is reliant on on the intended message being conveyed or more particularly the elements of the picture to be focused on by the viewer.

  • The simplest way to convey texture is with a detail shot (using a macro lens).
  • Side lighting creates longer shadows, which enhances the tactile elements of the subject.
  • The subject should have a broad range of tones (e.g. when shooting for black and white; have true black and true white colors with and a strong range of grays in between).
  • A good contrast between subject and background redirects the viewer’s eye to the intended subject.
  • Leading lines can augment texture as they act like arrows; drawing the viewer’s eye into an image and guiding them to focus on the subject.

Part of our assignment for an ongoing project for a planned community development is their Creative Communication Strategy and Implementation. The main value that the brand portrays is LIVING; an experience of a life full of life, moments, memories and prosperity. We used the picture below to symbolize a strong ecstatic and familial vibe, creating an enjoyable atmosphere for the audience. The foreground interest of the picture is the father holding his child, capturing the viewer’s attention towards the jubilant moment while not ignoring the refreshing and relaxing background. The leading lines perceived on the dripping water from the child’s feet to the pool create the feeling of motion- giving the audience a lively feel.

 

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, it is of utmost importance to effectively communicate your message, which can be done by being in alignment with your audience through the right choice of content, color and atmosphere. Ensuring a captivating picture requires depth, perspective, and texture, key elements in achieving quality.

 

“THE STORY OF ANY PICTURE IS LIMITED ONLY BY THE IMAGINATION OF THE VIEWER” Alex Andarakis

References:

Photography Mad

Discover Digital Photography

Digital Photo Secrets

Written by Ifran Madataly, a Marketing Intern at Andarakis