Photography for graphic production

A layout is never better than its images. As a media designer you must both be able to assess delivered image material and photograph usable material yourself for smaller jobs. This requires you to understand how a camera actually forms an image — and that you photograph with an eye to how the image will be used afterwards.

§The exposure triangle.

Three settings determine together how much light hits sensor and how image looks: aperture shutter speed and ISO. They are called together exposure triangle because change in one must be balanced by others if exposure is to remain same. Each of three has simultaneously its own creative side effect

If you want a portrait with soft, blurred background, you choose a large aperture (low f-number) and let the camera compensate with a shorter shutter speed. To freeze a running person razor sharp, you choose a short shutter speed and open the aperture or raise ISO. If you understand the triangle, you can control the expression instead of hoping for automatic mode.

§The light is half the picture

The direction, hardness and colour of light mean more to an image's mood than any camera. Soft, large light (overcast sky, window with curtain, softbox) gives gentle transitions and is forgiving to portraits and products. Hard, direct light gives dramatic shadows. Be mindful of the colour temperature of the light — mixed light from e.g. a window and ceiling lamp at the same time gives a colour cast that is difficult to correct.

§RAW or JPEG?

RAW format stores the sensor's raw data without the camera's pre-processing. This provides significantly more room for manoeuvre in post-processing – white balance, highlights and shadows can be adjusted extensively without the image falling apart. JPEG is pre-compressed and takes up less space, but tolerates only limited editing. For professional work, where the image needs to be retouched and colour-corrected, RAW is the safe choice; JPEG can be fine for quick deliveries straight to screen.

§White balance and post-processing

White balance tells the camera what is neutral white in the current light, so all other colours land correctly. If it is wrong, the image will have a yellow, blue or green colour cast. If you shoot in RAW, the white balance can be corrected precisely afterwards — but getting into the habit of setting it sensibly from the start gives a better starting point and a more reliable screen image during recording. In post-processing, exposure, contrast and colour are then adjusted in a fixed order, and details are retouched last. Always work on a copy or non-destructively so the original is preserved.

§Photograph for layout

• 01Shoot with air around the subject so the image can be cropped to multiple formats (vertical, square, wide).
• 02Think of text space: a quiet area in the image can carry a headline later.
• 03Keep the horizon straight and control the background — mess at the edge of the image is mess in the layout.
• 04Always shoot multiple variations and exposures than you think you will need.
• 05Ensure adequate resolution for end use — especially if the image will be printed in large format.

§Rights and consent

Remember that your own pictures are also part of the rights chain: recognizable people must give consent before the picture is used in marketing, and if you photograph on private property or of protected works, restrictions may apply. Record agreements and consents together with the image files so documentation follows the material.

“The camera measures light — but it is the photographer who chooses what the light should say.”

— Basic principle in photography