Photography presentation.

Photography in advertisement.

 I produced a photography presentation on how and why photography is used in advertisement, and what affect this has on the consumer. I will be looking at different places that we see photography in advertisement and, why it is important, and what skills and qualification you would need in order to become a photography advertiser.

Firstly I looked at why photography is used in advertisement and how it is affective. I produced bullet points of what I believed were some of the key attributes to using photography in advertisement, these include; Image is everything which basically means that the image is where the eye is centred, it's the first element of the ad that people will see. This then leads to memorable, an image is more likely to stick with you that a whole bunch of text, if you see the same image again somewhere else you will be able to recognise what it is advertising, because you've remembered it. This is due to multiple elements like vivid colour, it separates the image from the rest of the text and allows it to stand out. Lastly the image can convey a message, something subtle but powerful, perhaps about manipulating the landscape to make it appear more idyllic to viewers.

A photographer in advertisement must have a wide skill set that includes time management, clear communication and creative thinking. A photographer in this department will need to produce very specific briefs with clients in order not to create something totally unexpected, these must include points like colour, layout, features, a message, location, props etc. Once a brief has been decided on and cleared the photographer is then in charge of managing these logistics and setting a target shooting date which is essentially their deadline.

Photography is one of the most, if not the most broadly used media in the advertisement industry, you can see examples of this everywhere you go from: Billboards, newspapers, magazines, internet, TV and many more. These advertisements can be used to sell a product, for example Heinz ketchup. Influence our lifestyles, for example a "Change for life" poster encouraging us to live healthier. Or convey a message, for example an ad for water aid sending us the message about giving and why our help is needed.

There are multiple career options for an advertisement photographer, however these generally are split into two main sub categories which include Commercial photography and Advertising photography. Commercial photography is solely taking photographs of objects, models or landscape for retail and sales purposes; these could include: Cereals, make-up and holidays. Secondly there is Advertising photography which focuses mainly on conveying messages about products, lifestyles and services in an innovative way, this means the message is displayed in a more creative way and it holds a meaning, and a purpose.

Here are some examples of advertisement photography, and commercial photography. All of the displayed advertisements are creatively developed with a message behind them, the book advertisement is insinuating that you can get 'lost' inside their books, and become someone else. The image here is very clever because its positioned the  skull on the front cover in line with the models heard, showing a contrast between the two different people inside and outside the book. The batman movie trailer is clearly featuring a day and month outlining the infamous Batman signal, which has been obliterated into the sign, showing the viewer subtly what genre of movie this is, and what type of action to expect from watching it. Lastly is the Artist's colouring pencil brand, which creatively tells the viewer that their pencil colours are truly accurate to their name, for example: here is an aubergine coloured pencils which smoothly follows the shape of an aubergine and reverts into one. This is a clever way to display a message, but is also a good example of commercial photography due to the fact that there is a clear background, a main centre point on the product and a clear indication in the bottom right corner about who the company is that sells these products.

Overall, a photographer in the advertisement industry must have an eye for detail, they must be able to pinpoint certain important aspects of a design that other people might not necessarily pick up on, for example colour highlight and tonal work. Good communication skills are also essential, as to create the most specific brief possible, there must be no hidden surprises and the client should have a clear idea of what to expect. Displaying ideas creatively is also a key skill in order to make your clients adverts stand out from the rest, they must be unique and affective to purpose. Solid computer skills are necessary, as photo editing software will need to be used to finalise images, this includes use of programmes like Photoshop or CAD. A photography doesn't necessarily need qualifications if they have a solid portfolio that displays their skill set and what they can offer, but it will help.