- Contributed photographs
At left, this advertisement 'Look beyond the surface' was part of an initiative of the National Environmental Communications campaign, with photographs by Jeremy Francis. At right, this photo by Peter Ferguson for the J. Wray & Nephew 'Unleash Your Spirit' advertising campaign, was shot in studio and shows the unusual treatment of rum being unleashed from a drinking glass.
Howard Moo Young, Contributor
ONE MAJOR purpose of advertising is to arouse the desire to own a product or buy a service. Advertisements are used to stimulate that desire to an act of purchase.
The advertising photographer must illustrate, explain, excite, and help to create a desire for the advertised product in the viewer and reader of varied media: newspapers, magazines, television, billboards, brochures, catalogues, annual reports, labels and calendars.
Today's advertising photographer must go beyond being just a camera technician. There is not a single professional photographer in the field who has not spent tedious hours and hard work in perfecting his or her technique, both in handling the camera and in the quality of the finished product, the photograph.
To command the respect of his clients, and to have his work consistently in demand, the advertising photographer must, in addition to this technical ability, be able to create vision, imagination and to capture unique descriptive images on film.
He rarely works alone, for his talent must synchronise with that of the other part of the team, the art director; together they must communicate ideas through visual means pictures.
The art director, however, works with other aspects of the advertisement the copy, the overall layout, typography, and the space and media in which they will be placed and seen. The photographer, therefore, must work in harmony with the plans of the art director, who is responsible for the complete visual appearance of the advertisement.
Every serious photographer who is thinking of entering advertising should understand what is involved. The advertising agency or design studio, in handling the account, has invested time and money before it is assigned to the photographer. There have been copy meetings, media conferences and idea discussions which result in the accepted layout given to the photographer.
WORKING FROM VISUALS
As a cartoonist makes roughs, the art director makes visuals or layouts. The art director gets his cue from the copywriter and/or account executive who tells him what the headline or slogan will be.
It is the art director's job to present the idea visually, usually through sketches. That rough drawing, the visual, is sent along, sometimes with alternate ideas, to the assigned photographer. Its purpose is to guide him in the photographic interpretation of the basic idea. Crude and rough as these visuals often are, the experienced and discerning photographer respects them, and transforms them into pictures with eye-catching impact.
Not all art directors use visuals. Each has his own favourite method of working, but every art director works toward one common end - the creation of an ad that will have sales appeal.
Every art director assigns a particular photographer because he feels that that person will contribute his own unique talent in creating a photographic image. He assumes also that the photographer will respect the confidential information in the visual. To show, repeat, or quote any part of an advertising campaign is an unforgivable breach of professional ethics.
SPACE LIMITATIONS
Another important consideration is the format, the size and shape of the advertisement. The composition as created by the photographer must fit within that indicated space, be it long and narrow or short and wide, to occupy a two-column newspaper layout or a full magazine page.
The photographer knows that the advertiser has already arranged to buy space in different newspapers and magazines at contracted prices that can run fairly expensive. It is easily understood that to deviate markedly from the layout would be a gross error.
There are, of course, instances when the photographer is not held to tight space requirements. In such cases, he has an even greater responsibility in planning the composition so there will be space for the copy the ultimate goal of an advertisement being the right marriage of words and pictures.
When you are planning ads with a client, there are some pertinent questions to be answered. What type of model is needed? What feeling or mood is to be achieved in the picture? What story is to be told? What surface will it be printed on? It must be remembered, too, that an ad may appear in different publications using different halftone screens (dpi- dots per square inch).
Unless you know exactly what type of reproduction is to be used, you may light the subject in too flat or too soft a manner for the best possible results. For instance, if the ad is to run in a newspaper on soft, uncoated stock with a coarse halftone screen, the photograph must have contrast without masses of black. It must have enough 'newsy' punch to be printed without reliance on fine lighting and subtle tonal values.
Magazines, on the other hand, use a fine screen on coated paper which does not absorb the printing ink, making it possible to reproduce both the tone values and details which are in the original print. In such cases, the can be used to create shadows and interesting highlights, since they will not be lost in the reproduction process.
CASTING THE PICTURE
The selection of models to be used in an ad photograph is usually left to the art director and photographer, after attending casting sessions. Throughout a year, the photographer usually cast many types, from infants to old people.
The busy photographer cannot afford to spend too much time interviewing models. His association with model agencies, and his personal knowledge of certain models, is invaluable in making fast and sure selections. He is always searching for real, natural people who can handle themselves in the picture situation. They are not always professional models, but may be recruited from theatre groups and acting schools, or even be friends and neighbours.
Typecasting that is, finding a model who can play a character part as a doctor, scientist, farmer or whatever is always a problem. Actually, a person with acting ability most often turns out to be the best choice, better still, find someone in the chosen field who is willing to model for you and who fits the part.
USE OF MAKE-UP
One of the important details in choosing a model is the colour and texture of her hair, the final hairdo, the type and colour of outfit to be worn, accessories, if any, and make-up for the shoot. All the details should be worked out and agreed upon well before the actual photographic session.
The presence of a professional make-up/hairstylist can make all the difference in creating the best possible results. The photographer can make suggestions for changes in agreement with the art director.
ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHY
All photography is hard work. Too many people assume they can be successful in the field, because some cameras have automatic controls, because processing and printing can be done by professional labs, and the use of the digital camera together with the computer makes life much easier.
Photography is much more than aiming a fully automatic camera, pressing the button, and having a miracle print made for you.Photographs that meet the standards demanded by advertising clients can only be achieved consistently by cameramen who have years of experience in achieving specific objectives.
These photographers never stint on time or materials when carrying out an assignment. They take dozens of shots, work out many variations of pose and lighting, strive to cover every possible angle, so the art director and client may have the widest choice of pictures. They not only cover all the planned illustrations, but are ever on the alert to take advantage of situations that happen spontaneously.
The advertising photographer knows that the art director depends on him to add his knowledge of composition, lighting, and camera technique to the job in hand. He must be creative and sure and quick in his decisions, and he must deliver the perfect picture.
The photographer who is too involved in operating the camera cannot make such deliveries. Good equipment is important, as is the technical ability to handle it. Most important of all, however, is the talent to see and sense a good picture. The wise photographer never forgets that cameras only take pictures. The individual personality with an eager, responsive mind combined with a trained eye really makes them.
I was fortunate to have worked on ad shoots with Wil Van de Pol of Tel Precision in the early '60s at the beginning of my advertising career. He was the first professional advertising photographer in Jamaica who also produced the first set of colour separations from a colour transparency. Wil also operated the first custom black and white photo lab and produced some excellent pictures for major advertising campaigns.
Another stalwart in the field, from whom I learnt many techniques, was Ronnie Yee Keow, an in-house advertising photographer at McCann Erickson (Ja.) Ltd. As art director, I created the advertising campaign to launch 'Gold Label Rum' in Jamaica in 1970. Ronnie's photographs of bottle and glasses fitted my layouts like a glove. He was a master of lighting and composition.
Since then, Jamaica has produced some excellent advertising photographers, including Astley Chin, Peter Ferguson, Jeremy Francis, Franz Marzouca, Billy Perkins, Kent Reid, Hugh Wright, Karl Whitbourne, and Beat Schwab among others.
The digital camera has revolutionised the entire process in producing great quality images faster, to meet the usual last-minute deadlines associated with the advertising business.
Howard Moo Young is an advertising/graphic design and photography consultant, with over 40 years of experience. E-mail: mooimages@yahoo.com
