Pictures are such an important part of any project and they can often make or break a design. Whether it's the images we choose to represent a company, a cause or a product, the pictures we choose can convey so much more than what is made explicit.
When workign with images we need to think about who our target audience is, what type of emotions we would like to convey and how this image is intended to be used. If the picture is meant to be on a website in it's context we need to look at it differently than if we intend to share it on social media where the user doesn't necessarily know the story behind it.
This requires us to develop methods for working with images where we consider the style, the format and even what type of camera we use.
This requires us to develop methods for working with images where we consider the style, the format and even what type of camera we use. We need to decide whether we want the pictures to look more professional taken with a DSLR and proper lighting or if we prefer that they look quite casual taken with a smartphone camera. Regardless how much the users know about photography they'll notice these details as it changes the look and feel of the image.
I worked a lot with images during a project I did for Idyllien, a small webshop focusing on everyday luxury items. How these items were photographed and then edited didn't just have a big impact on the look of the products, but it also said a lot about Idyllien.
For the webshop the focus was on professional looking images showing the details of the beautifully designed products. Here it was important to consider every detail like specs of dust and that all products within each category were positioned correctly as minor differences would be very noticable.
Across the board I wanted the pictures to inspire users by showing products in use.
When developing a way to use pictures for Idyllien's social media and newsletter there were other details to pay attention to. Across the board I wanted the pictures to inspire users by showing products in use. Starting from this foundation I then adjusted the design of the images for each platform. For example the newsletter images needed to be more ambitious with good lighting and picture quality while the Instagram pictures should be quick and spontanious.
In the end working with photography became a very important part of Idyllien's brand and the key aspect here was always to adjust the pictures to the way they were used. Even if we had access to a studio setup with a good camera and flashes it was important when to use them and when it was better to simply use a smartphone and a reflector.