- The Visual Matters
- We Are Visual Beings
- Power of the Photograph
- John McWade
- Common Image Mistakes
- Making Your Own Images
- Scott Kelby
- In Sum
Making Your Own Images
You can purchase images or obtain them legally from various sources, but it’s likely that you have your own camera as well. If you’re working on a professional-level presentation, you may want to purchase good shots or hire a photographer. In many cases, however, you will be able to use your own photographs.
You may not be the world’s greatest photographer, but that’s OK. You can learn to get better. One of the keys to good shots—like design itself—is to keep things simple. Scott Kelby is a leading authority on digital photography and he says that clutter and distraction are the things that most often kill properly exposed shots.
- Look for simplicity in your backgrounds, in your people shots, in your architectural elements, in every aspect—the simpler the surroundings, the more powerful the impact.... Look for the absence of distraction. Look for the absence of clutter and noise, watch for distracting elements that sneak into the top and sides of your frame, and create some photos that have great impact—not because of what they have, but because of what they don’t have—lots of junk.
- — Scott Kelby
On the next four pages, photographer Scott Kelby offers valuable tips for taking better photos.