Good photographs create, capture stories out of seemingly normal scenes.
It has been said many times in advertising that content is king, but with so many messages being thrown at us every day, many important messages will inevitably get drowned out.
Photographs are important not only for news, but also for business, especially when used in social media and advertising.
The relatively inexpensive availability of high-quality smartphones and cameras nowadays means that almost anyone can be a photographer, but not everyone is a visual storyteller.
This thus makes the ability to take impactful photographs a valuable skill, and one that can fortunately be acquired through training.
Rem Zamora, a CPA turned award-winning photojournalist and head photo editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, says that a distinguishing characteristic of a good photographer is the ability to create and capture stories out of seemingly normal scenes.
He believes that the principles of photojournalism can be applied to impactful visual storytelling to promote brands, people, events and products, through various media, such as billboards, print advertisements, social media and the like.
He took some time to elaborate on some of our burning questions:
Why is there a need for businesses to learn the basics of photography?
We are a very visual society, and marketers today realize that photography is the perfect way to communicate, but a quick look through your social media newsfeed would either reveal photographs that try to sell too much, or just a bunch of boring selfies.
For anyone to effectively communicate visually, learning the basics of photography is vital before trying to venture into more advanced techniques presenting more complex messages.
What are some advantages of learning proper photography techniques?
Zamora says visuals, like photographs, can be more effective than a page of text.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but did you know that photos can also communicate faster than words?
Businesses and publications, whether through print or online media, that are able to wield the visual language by using effective techniques, are able to reach audiences that grasp—and retain—important messages faster.
Photographs are universal as well, and thus there is no language barrier between the messenger and the receiver.
What else should people or businesses remember when presenting an image?
Effective visual communication may be better and more effective than a full page of text, but people always look for the story—not just the visible or technical elements, but the actual “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 others on the internet? How important is a photograph in conveying a message?
Photographs are not only meant to delight your senses, but can also be a powerful medium to make your target audiences think, ponder, affect, and even move them to action.
The most effective photographs demand action or invoke emotion.
As it is in the world of advertising, the most effective photograph in the world of photojournalism creates social change in the long run.
Zamora is a consummate storyteller through photographs, covering major national beats and emerging issues.
He is also a faculty member of De La Salle University-Manila.
He believes that everyone—and by extension, every brand or advocacy—has a story that can be captured and told through images.
Zamora will be running a workshop entitled “Effective Photography: Enhancing Your Multimedia Presence” on June 21-22, 2016 at the Inquirer Academy.
He will focus on getting to know the technical aspects of a camera and production, photography as a tool for visual storytelling, as well as the basics of shooting, selecting and editing photographs.
This program is ideal for marketing or communications practitioners, social media or event managers using the latest professional D-SLR cameras, or bloggers and photography hobbyists armed with just their smartphone cameras.
The Inquirer Academy is at 4168 Don Chino Roces Ave. corner Ponte St., Makati City.
For more information about this or any future programs, you may email ask@inquireracademy.com, call 8341557 and look for Jaime Leogardo, or visit www.inquireracademy.com.