When less is more: cropping for impact
In a business that’s largely about making an impression, it goes without saying that a little drama and a unique approach might be welcome additions to your marketing plan.
You can achieve both simply by altering how you use photos in your promotional material. Don’t be afraid of strategically cropping an image. Your customers have an amazing ability to see beyond your photo’s frame. In fact, often it’s what you leave to the imagination and the unusual perspective created by cropping an image that can intrigue and impress your audience.
Are you convinced? Ready to join the crop circle? Before you start cutting up your digital images, take a gander at the following tips and examples. Use the camera.
Many digital cameras have a cropping tool and most come with editing software for your computer. Not only that, but the zoom on your camera can function as your initial crop at the time the picture is taken. Change your picture taking mentality - start thinking in terms of taking pictures that catch the gist of a scene, not necessarily the whole scene. Oh, and learn to use that software! No software? Not an excuse.
Check out Google’s Picasa photo organizer. It’s free photo editing software that’s easy to download and easy to use. You can crop creatively, confidently, and cheaply! Try different shapes.
Think outside the box. When laying out your newsletters, postcards, and websites, don’t allow yourself to get trapped by traditional picture frame dimensions. Example A
uses traditional frame proportions, but Example B
challenges the norm. Yes, shoulders, neckties, and even ears are eliminated from the pictures in Example B – but a more compelling design element results. Analyze background.
Sometimes where your subject is photographed doesn’t matter. Sometimes it does. When setting counts, bring it into greater prominence by moving your subject away from the center of the photo. Occupying one-third of the frame and placed to the side, your subject remains integral, but your setting also gets its fair share of attention.