The value of photography in business

WITH THE availability of high quality smartphones and cameras nowadays, everyone can be a photographer.

Photographs are important not only for news but for business as well, especially for use in social media and advertising.

This thus makes the ability to take good photographs a valuable skill, and one that can fortunately be acquired through training.

Rem Zamora, a CPA turned award-winning photojournalist and currently the Photo Editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, stated that a distinguishing characteristic of a good photographer is the ability to create and capture stories out of a seemingly normal scene.

Zamora has proven to be a consummate storyteller through photographs, having covered major national beats.

He also won a number of awards for his work. Among these is Best News Photo in the 2006 Catholic Mass Media Awards.

Zamora believes that the principles of photojournalism can be applied to visual storytelling to promote brands, people, events and products.

We asked Zamora questions on how to capture photos effectively, especially if you are a marketing or advertising professional, a blogger or businessman.

Here is what he has to say:

Question: Why is there a need to learn the basics of photography if you are a marketer?

Answer: We are a visual society. More so today where social media is part of our daily lives. If we look at our social media streams, the majority are visuals and text is very minimal.

Photography is a visual way of communicating.

And for us to effectively communicate visually, learning the basics of photography is vital before we venture in more advanced techniques.

Q: How can the choice of a photograph make your marketing message more effective?

A: They say a picture is worth a thousand words. And it communicates faster than words.

Magazines, newspapers and advertising materials use the visual language because by using effective techniques, your audience can grasp your message faster.

Photographs are universal as well, thus there is no language barrier between the messenger and the receiver.

Q: What are the important pointers that bloggers and marketers should keep in mind when using photographs?

A: Effective visual communication is better and more effective than a full page of text. But you should always have a story. People always look for the story. Not just the visual elements but the “why” of the story.

Why is this photo interesting? Why should I spend time looking and analyzing this photo? Why should I look at this particular image over the other thousands over the Internet? How important is a photograph in conveying a message?

A photograph does not only delight your visual experience but it can be a powerful medium to make you think, ponder, affect, and even move you to action.

The most effective photographs demand action. In the long run, the most effective photograph, in my photojournalism world, creates social change.

(Rem Zamora will facilitate the “Effective Photography: Enhancing Your Multimedia Presence” workshop on Jan. 26-27, 2016 to be held at the Inquirer Academy Building, Chino Roces Ave. corner Ponte St., Makati City.

The workshop is brought to you by Inquirer Academy. For details, e-mail [email protected] or call 8341557. Look for Astrud de Castro.)