mario garcia

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Photography vs. illustrationOne of the most difficult decisions to make is how to illustrate a

story. As always, the basic question should be: what is the best way

to tell the story? Many times, in news events, photographs are usual-

ly the answer. A photograph conveys emotion, information and

advances the story telling process in a direct way that impacts the

readers and draws them into the story.

However, illustrations can be the ideal visual image in stories that

are more abstract, or where a photograph may be risky to use.

Lifestyle articles, for example, can benefit from the impact of an

illustration that captures the spirit of the story. Illustrations are ideal

for subjects such as abortion, divorce, and the death penalty, to men-

tion a few. Visuals need to reflect the point of view and tone of sto-

ries they accompany. Photos for the stories above may be difficult to

find; illustrations can be made to order, conveying the necessary

mood. Illustrations can also be effective when one does a long

interview or reportage with a well known individual, whose photos

are overused; an illustration, caricature or sketch of the person

can help to create greater interest, while providing the visual sur-

prise of an image we have not seen dozens of times before.

Often, good designers mix photos and illustrations, with great

results. Pure design relies on the instinct of the designer, working in

close cooperation with the editor or reporter, to seek the best visual

to illustrate the story.

pure design

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Photo and illustration: The artists anddesigners of La Gaceta, of Tucuman,Argentina, excel in their ability to createa visual concept for a story and developit, in a relatively short period of time.Here we see how an entertainment sec-tion is illustrated with a photograph,making this page visually seductive andappealing. Sometimes, as in this case,using both a photograph and an illustration is most effective.