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Applications of Digital Photography in Advertising: Analytical Essay
For decades, digital photography has been a key feature in the campaigns of brands, big or small. Photographs are used to highlight the product or service that a brand is offering, and by applying various techniques, which I shall later highlight, to idealise the product in question. Brands use photography to give consumers an idea of how products appear when in use, for example, how a dress falls on a model, how foundation changes the skin’s appearance or how delicious a food products looks.
In many advertisements, there is just one image as the main focus of the ad, often a full page photograph, or a photograph of a product which has been edited in to a digitally produced piece of artwork. This is called a pack shot. In the advertisements above, the photographers have carefully framed their shots to ensure that the product being advertised is the obvious focus of the image. Interestingly, in advertisements, the golden ratio and rule of thirds appears to be completely disregarded, and the products are often around the centre of the image. Photographs of products are taken in good lighting, as it must look perfect. Lighting and framing have the ability to alter reality, and make the subject look far more appealing or attractive than is actually the case. The surroundings of the subject are also often very important in advertising, as brands are usually appealing to a specific group of people, and make use of their ad space by subtly including lots of visual information in their shots. For example, on the Lancôme ad above, we see makeup sponges, with a variety of different shades, scattered around the main product. This was a conscious choice, as the thirst for wider shade ranges has become more prominent than ever, with the rise of inclusive shade ranges from the likes of Fenty Beauty and Mac. In the Jo Malone advertisement above, a variety of citrus fruits are surrounding the perfume. As an advertisement cannot directly showcase a scented perfume, it is important that a vivid image is constructed in the mind of the consumer about how this product smells, and so by including attractive fresh fruits in their campaign, it allows the viewer to imagine the familiar and much loved scent of a fresh orange.
Image manipulation is a vital part of the creation of advertisements. It is important that a product looks better than it ever could on its best day in reality, so by erasing imperfections, adjusting colours and contrast, a once dull picture can become a beautiful, eye catching masterpiece. Arguably, editing is the most important part of photography, as that is when life is added into a photograph. Often, photographers will shoot their images as flat and neutral as possible, as not only does this mean that your images have maximum information, it also gives you more room to manipulate a photograph, and turn it into exactly what you want it to be. If you shoot in default settings, you may immediately have a beautiful, vibrant image, but it leaves you with less room to customise the look of your images. While it is important to have the subject as perfect as possible in reality, before shooting, you can essentially create whatever illusion you with through editing. It is possible to make a really sick, tired looking person look like a well-rested top model, and this just shows how much more control and power you have over your images, over your ads, through editing.
Photography is used to promote businesses, ‘selling’ their service or product through skillful idealistic photography. For example, Facebook targeted ads often feature photographs of products looking very tempting. To the left you can see a few examples of targeted ads found in my timeline. Targeted ads are shown to you based on a number of factors, your facebook likes, interests and your google search history. Brands use digital photography to made their products look the best that they possibly can. As you can see, Gucci has taken scenic images, displaying their brand logo over the top, to showcase their product in an artistic way. ‘Sweetspot Homes’ have used photography to showcase the homes that they are offering to let. They make the homes look as pleasing as possible by making sure that the homes and as tidy as possible, and that the lighting is natural and bright. This makes the houses look spacious, bright and desirable, therefore selling their product. ‘Just Eat’ have used photography to make a poster, showing food that they offer to deliver, in the most aesthetically pleasing way. They have made up a perfect sandwich and photographed it under studio lights, so that it looks as perfect as possible. They put this onto a brightly coloured poster, to attract attention. I found it really easy to find advertisements in my timeline, as the perfect, professional photography stood out among other posts.
Digital photography is used in photojournalism, newspapers, magazines and blogs. It is the process of story telling using the medium of photography as the main story telling device. Photojournalism is a prime example of ‘a picture tells a thousand words’. Rocco Rorandelli took this photograph showing the behind the scenes of tobacco farming. The purpose of this photograph is to make the viewer consider where things that they take for granted come from. Photojournalism provokes thought on subjects often dismissed. People showcase the lives of migrants, mothers, death, and heartache through photography. Photojournalism often features very real, very candid photographs. This is a very difficult method of applying digital photography, as it requires an eye for good shots and perfect timing. Knowing where to look for a biographical series of photographs intended to tell a story is difficult, and often the photographer will have to travel far from home, and far from their comfort zone, in order to infiltrate communities worth documenting. This type of photography often starts discussions around ethics, as actually seeing images of how people live, the emotion of their face, and their surroundings, makes it easier for people to sympathise with them. Often, the colours in the image dictate its theme. For example, to the right is an image named ‘Migrant Mother’, this image is in cold black and white, showing that it is sad, showing hardships. The image below shows a theme park coming back to life after the defeat of ISIS in Mosul. This image is happy, as people are celebrating, laughing with family, and there are lots of bright colours and light. This image still pushes a political agenda, however, as it is showing how positive the effect of defeating an extremist group has been. Photojournalism often focuses on political subjects, as the images are very powerful, with dull colours, capturing emotions on people’s faces.
Portraiture is another application of digital photography. This type of photograph is often taken in a studio, and makes use of lighting to convey an emotion, or the personality of the model. Portrait photography is popular in fashion and makeup advertisements, and they take portrait photographs of models, editing them to look perfect, conveying the idea that the product which they are trying to sell will make you look like the model in this perfect picture. Portrait photographs can be taken for advertisements, art, personal resumes or part of a medical study. Below are examples of each medical photography showing the effects of UV Rays Artistic portraiture Headshots for a resume
The purpose of medical portrait photography is to showcase dangers of some practices, the example above shows the negative effects of UV rays on the skin. These type of photographs are created to prevent people practicing harmful behaviors, and to protect them from potential health risks. These types of photographs are sometimes displayed on the sides of cigarette and tobacco packets, to make people think twice about smoking.
Artistic photography is created to encourage viewers to think, and interpret the image in their own way. Artistic photography often has an abstract element to it, making it completely up to interpretation. The example above shows a woman who has been painted with blue metallic paint, to me, this is showing a woman as art, her body is a canvas, and photography is the medium through which this painting can be displayed. Artistic photography allows artists to display pieces which cannot be made a permanent exhibit of, such as people or fleeting moments. Editing also allows artists to create unrealistic scenarios, often photographers will create this type of unrealistic artistic image for album covers. To the right is an album cover from David Bowie, showing the artist painted with makeup, the way in which Bowie shied away from gender norms during this time was a massive step in the tearing down of toxic masculinity, thus creating a controversial topic of discussion.
Portrait photography for headshots is designed to help actors get auditions, showing what they look like, and consequently if they would be appropriate for a role. These are often in black and white, as a few decades ago, black and white film was cheaper and more easily accessible. But in a digital age, people often include headshots in colour and black and white. Some agencies stick to old fashioned tradition and prefer black and white. Headshots are so important, as they give casting directors an idea of your personality, and they are often the first impression of what you look like. It is important for actors to have good headshots that deliver a strong impact, whether this be through emotion, detail or a powerful edit.
Architectural photography has steadily been on the rise since the 1800s, with is really coming through in the 1860s. Architectural photography can be classified in the following ways; exterior – the type of photogrpahy to make use of natural lighting, such as sun or moonlight. An architectural photographer will often try to blend a structures aesthetics with its environment, creating a coherent and interesting image. The second classification is interior architectural photography. This type of photography can often be found to make use of natural lightings, from windows or skylights, but more often than not there will still need to be additional lighting adding to the scene. This can be achieved by using supplemental lighting, the most popular of which being the common flash. The most important element in this type of photography is space, so often photographers will use a wide angle lens for this type of photography. A deep depth of field is required to ensure that both the foreground and the background have the same level of sharpness.
Medical photography is a specialised area of photography, that documents the clinical presentation of patients, medical and surgical procedures, medical devices and specimens from an autopsy. The purpose of this is to assist with the diagnosis and treatments of patients. This allows a doctor to monitor a patients condition, taking note of changes in the appearance of a mole for example, to prevent skin cancer. They can also be used to teach medical students about various signs and what certain ailments look like. The focus in this type of photography is less about effects and editing, and more about capturing a photograph as true to reality as possible.
Fine art photography is a channel for artists to express their ideas through means other than pen and paper. The purpose of this type of photography is often to make an artistic statement, it is a photograph created by an artist, not just a camera. The photographer’s vision is central to the resulting shot. The idea is less about documenting a specific thing, person or item, and about creating a composition which is pleasing to the eye, or in line with an artists vision. This may be presented in an abstract or literal manner, this differs from artist to artist. Like most art, fine art photography cannot be defined in a simple statement, as it is personal to each creator. In this type of photography, the photograph is the main attraction, often free from supporting text or distraction, presented alone or as a series. To the right is two examples of fine art photography, the first by Derek Story, the second by Vincent Peters. The first picture shows a close up of a leaf, showing nature in an artful way. This image shows how naturally artistic the world around us it, the individual veins and details on this leaf are visible in this image, which showcases the intricacies of nature. The second image shows a dancer names Sonia getting dressed. The way that the light gently diffuses into the slightly smokey room makes the model look angelic almost, as the dips and crevices in her skin are accentuated by the natural backlighting. This image can be interpreted in a few ways, this model is clearly very thin, and she has quite a neutral expression on her face, so this could represent the pressure for dancers to be stick thin. The pronounced nature of the shadows on the model’s ribs suggest that her fragility is intended to be accentuated.
Photography for documentaries is widely used, most notably for nature documentaries. The purpose of photography for documentaries is to give a visual for the topic being discussed. The image on the right is a photograph from a neo-nazi rally, for a documentary about modern-day Nazis. This image is particularly powerful, as the main subject is pointing at themselves and shouting, showing the neo-nazi to be a self-centred character. Documentary photography will often have a powerful message behind it, and this is reflected in the use of contrast and colour. This use of powerful photography leaves a lasting impression on the viewer, helping information from the documentary to stick in the audience’s mind. This type of photogrpahy can be used to document historical events, at excavation sites, or every day life in the modern day.
My personal favourite type of documentary photography is that for nature programmes. Photographers often use lenses with a short depth of field, to ensure that the focus is concentrated. In the example to the riht, the fox is the only thing in focus here, making the image particularly powerful, as the focus is so crisp and clear. Photography of animals in nature is useful for research purposes too, as it allows up to take a close look at the aesthetics of animals without having to capture them.
Photography is applied in a variety of different ways, and is all around us every day. For example, most people will pass a billboard at least once a week, these often include a digital photograph that has been blown up to a large size. In order to take these types of photographs, the photographer must take an image at a very high resolution, to allow it to be enlarged. Film photography is good for this, as digital photography uses pixels, and can become picellated when enlarged, whereas film photography has soft grainy edges, and does not become pixellated. To the right is an example of a billboard in the UK. This board is advertising a television series. This is eye-catching, as it is highly edited portrait photography. The models in this shot are making eye contact with the camera, making it seem as though they are looking out at you. This makes the poster interactive, directly involving you, the viewer, through eye contact. This photograph has been edited to look as though it were taken on a very old Victorian camera, as the series being advertise must be a period drama of sorts, set long in the past.
Magazines, both physical and digital, are made up mostly by photographs. The purpose of photographs in magazines are to make them colourful, eye catching, busy, and to show what an article is referring to. Fashion magazines, for example, include a lot of pictures of people sporting clothes that are being recommended in articles. The image to the right shows a model sporting some tailored shorts. The text around these images explains how to style this type of shorts. The purpose of photography in this case is to show how to put together an outfit, and how it looks on a person. These photographs have been taken in a studio, under bright lights, with a plain backdrop. This is to ensure that the colour of the clothes are clear, and there is no background distraction, the main focus of these images is intended to be the clothing.
To the right is another example of photography used in magazines. Almost every magazine cover will feature some kind of photograph, whether it be full page or bordered. This example is from Elle magazine and has used a full body picture of Taylor Swift. She is intended to be the main focus of this photograph. This has been achieved through having a grey background which compliments her outfit and having bright studio lights which perfectly highlight the model, and make the glitter on her clothing sparkle. She has been dressed in an eye-catching outfit, with bright boots to attract attention. The purpose of this photograph is to make it clear that the special feature of this issue is Taylor Swift.
Photography in newspapers is a powerful tool, as it has the power to convey the tone of an article, and set the theme for the whole paper from the front page. Here is an example of a powerful photograph taken for the New York Times. It shows children crying and running, some not fully clothed. This image is so strong, as it clearly shows the upset and scared expressions of children fleeing a scene. It evokes a feeling of sympathy and fear for the children in the image. Some newspapers only print in black and white, and often images in newspapers will not be 100% clear and crisp, as they are printed cheaply on thin paper, as they are printed en masse, with some publications releasing new papers every day. Often photographs in newspapers are used as a device to catch the eye. To the right is an example of a paper using an image to draw the eye to a headline. The use of colour photography makes this newspaper stand out froma selection, and the vague headline encourages the viewer to continue reading. People are often at the centre of newspaper photography, with mugshots of criminals dotting the pages. The purpose of this type of photography is to reveal the identity of a criminal who does not deserve the luxury of hiding.
Books don’t always contain images on the inside, but often feature eye catching photography on the cover, to highlight the theme of the content, and to encourage customers to pick up the book. To the right is the most recent publication of Vladimir Nabokov’s ‘Lolita’. On the cover is an image of a young girl, this catches the eye, as the white text stands out from the darker photographic background. The image has been taken to make the eyes of the girl stand out, they are piercing blue, and she has a fierce expression on her face is one of ferocity, this at a glance gives the potential reader an insight on the character and personality of Lolita. Photography has been used in this example to express a character without having to turn a single page. From a glance, this would suggest that the book is about a feisty girl named Lolita.
Here is an example from the inside of a non-fiction book. Photography has been used here alongside illustrations to show what a humpback whale looks like. This helps the reader to have a clear visualisation of what they are reading. Using photography in informative books is a helpful device to help visual learners better retain information. This type of photography ties back to photography for documentaries, as it is very similar, as its purpose is to inform.
Freelance photographers will often take on personal shoots for clients. For example, wedding photography. Wedding photography is specific to the photographer, and the requests of the client, to the right is an example of some wedding photography. A common theme amongst lots of wedding photography is the setting. It is often set outdoors, as the natural light makes for perfectly lit photographs. Making use of natural daylight means that the photographer can take more candid photographs, as there is no need to set up big studio type lighting, or backdrops, making the shoot feel more organic. Photographers can also take on set up family photoshoots, such as the example shown right. These types of portraits are taken under very bright studio lights. The reason for this is because this type of lighting is flattering to a model, and will make their skin look flawless, and their eyes sparkle. This bright light will also ensure that the image is very clear and bright, which makes is perfect for printing, which an image such as this would likely be. These images are set up, and posed, with the family positioned in the centre of the image, grouped together to draw the eye to the centre of the image. In the example shown, the family are all wearing the same colour, while this isn’t always the case in family portraits, this example looks very uniform as a result of this. These images are often enlarged and put on canvases, to hang in the house, so they are shot in a very high resolution to allow for them to be blown up without appearing pixellated.
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