Your Picture is Spelled Wrong

By Daniel Montgomery
Published on Sunday, June 01, 2008
ARTICLES

My 12-year old son is taking his second year of Latin courses. On the rare occasion that he talks about his vocabulary lesson or his declension exercises, I pull out my one known Latin phrase and repeat it a couple of times just to let him know I can hold my own.

"De gustibus non es disputandum."

He rolls his eyes and tells me he doesn't know what that means.

"Oh," I say with a wry smile, "I thought you knew Latin."

Those in the know tell me it means something like, "in matters of opinion, there is no argument." How that relates to this article about getting good photos is simple, and is explained below. Ultimately, professional-looking pictures - in your newsletter and annual report, on your website - assist with your organization's image and, hence, its financial support. Your institute spends much time researching, analyzing and writing the right thing; your photos deserve the same attention.

There are a lot of different types and styles of photos that look great to different people. It's hard to get consensus about why one photo is "better" than another. Everybody has their opinion. As a graphic designer, I know first hand "right" or "wrong" can't be easily quantified in regards to a picture. In spite of that, there truly are better ways to take a photo. By reviewing a few key unifying elements, your staff can take photos more confidently.

SPELL YOUR PICTURES CORRECTLY

1. Imitation is the sincerest form of photography

Just as great writers are often voracious readers, if you find that you're the one in your organization who is most often holding the camera at events, it's helpful to keep your eye on other photographers. Regularly review The New York Times front page and see what kinds of photos are regularly featured. Look at what the big boys are doing in magazine ads (and spending millions to do it); use similar techniques for your graphics.

2. Snap your subjects doing something

The majority of Mackinac Center events involve a speaker and a podium. I've been to a hundred such events. After several years I noticed most all of the photos I took were of the speakers behind the podium lifting up their hands. I've since started to capture the speakers doing something different. I still take plenty of podium shots, but the pictures I'll try to use in our newsletter or the website are those ones have a little "something" going on. A fine example of this is the shot from Independence Institute featured on page three - the subject of the photo certainly is doing something.

3. The Thirds Rule

While framing a shot, imagine dividing it into thirds - horizontally and vertically (see illustration). Imagine placing the subject on one of those lines, or where they intersect with each other. By keeping the subject out of the center, the photo can be more visually appealing.

4. Avoid background distractions

The background of a photo can be nearly as important as the foreground. If taking a shot in a crowded room, what people are doing in the background can be distracting. PhotoShop is a fantastic tool that can take care of many kinds of background mishaps (e.g. shooting in front of glass doors and getting a reflection from the flash) but, if using computer software tools like a "clone stamp" sounds inhumane or alien to you, just try to keep the background clean during your shots.

5. Take a lot of shots

Several years ago the Mackinac Center held an event that was co-sponsored by another organization, which hired an Associated Press photographer. A day after the 30-minute event, the photographer gave me a CD of his shots. He had taken 50! He only needed one good picture to send to the AP. I began to go click crazy at Center events, because imitation is the sincerest form of photography.

A knowledge of ISO settings, contrast, brightness, filtering, lighting and other technicalities do make a difference in the quality of a photograph, but with the technology of modern cameras and a few hardcore tips, all sizes of organizations within the think tank movement have the opportunity to snap pictures that will help them put their best foot forward.

Putting our best visual foot forward can help us compete for the attention of a world that needs to hear the message in the words about which we write so passionately.

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