An audience as engaged as a three year old at Pepper Pig World
I offer specialist photographic services for organisations looking to engage and retain an audience. Should I be one for bragging, I could tell you about my highly and specially commended accolades in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, I could mention the other awards I've won, or the publications that have used my work around the world. Or indeed my decades of experience as a professional underwater photographer, or being a chosen assignment photographer by several eminent organisations. Instead, I'll offer some advice for photography in an image-hungry world.
These days, you often hear talk of the ‘hero’ image. You may think it just means a picture of Tom Cruise, but it’s actually the main picture on a web page or the lead picture in a news story, but it goes deeper than just being a big picture. A hero shot has to embody the story without the need for words. Finding that image and taking it is a skill I’ve learned over numerous assignments for the likes of Greenpeace, International Animal Rescue, Born Free Foundation and the Port of London Authority. The hero image gives a story gravitas and grabs the attention of the reader in a time when attention-spans are as rare as a sad ending to a John Hughes movie or a muggle in a Harry Potter film.
In a world filled with swiping fingers, your imagery needs to be a brake. Give people a reason to linger longer than a cream slice at afternoon tea in an old people’s home. The human mind desires a reason to stop, you have to give it one.
And there is a recipe for the photographic secret sauce to keep your audience as sticky as the fingers of a five year old sat next to a chocolate fountain. I could try and write it here, but it's far easier to show you in my portfolio, so go take a look.
So if you want your audience as engaged as a three year old at Pepper Pig World, get in touch at photo@gavinparsons.co.uk
