The Five Elements of Design

Photography

Working with photos

• Knowing how to use photos effectively is crucial to good design — they often are what give a page its focus and balance.

Working with photos

• One of your main roles as a designer is deciding which photos deserve the best play. Once again, content is key.

• This is a primary example of why a good designer reads every story thoroughly and puts some thought into the presentation. How can you know which photo best illustrates the story if you haven’t read it to determine its subject, tone and importance?

Photo tips

• You don’t want redundancy. Each photo needs to be relevant and add something new to the story.

Photo/illustration tips

• However, multiple images with the same subject matter can be used effectively.

Photo/illustration tips

• Multiple images of various aspects or different perspectives of the same subject matter can be combined to effectively communicate tone and information.

Photo tips• Almost every photo needs a cutline. • Don’t assume readers will just figure it out.

• Many people will look at photos first and want to know right away what’s happening in them, without having to read the small type first.

Missourian news editor Michael Fuhlhage attempts to light his eyebrows on fire during a cooking class in December 2005.

Photo tips• Photos are

horizontal or vertical, and that orientation will often dictate the layout of the rest of your page.

Photo tips• Having both

horizontals and verticals will help your page have contrast.

Photo tips• If you have

several photos, you’ll need to consider the balance and focus of the page as a whole. If they’re too close in size or location, you’ll run into trouble.

Photos done wrong

• It’s important to keep in mind that photographers don’t like having the integrity of their photos disturbed. Just as a reporter would probably get angry if you chopped their story in half without consulting them, a photographer is likely to protest if you crop a photo without permission.

Photos done wrong• If you want to

crop a photo, have a good reason for doing it. And ALWAYS talk to your photo department before you do it.

Photos done wrong

• Type on photos can work at times, but only after careful consideration and discussion. Don’t do it willy-nilly.

Photos done wrong

• In these examples, the image’s integrity is compromised by the type.

Last word on photos

• BE CAREFUL with photo proportions.If you change a photo’s horizontal size but not its vertical (or vice versa), you get a skewed image.