Photo selection - Behind the scenes

"We love your photo aesthetic."

This is one of my favorite compliments to receive. I've have the good fortune to spend time with cinematographers, photographers, and art directors at the top of their field. Combined with my own artistry and photography background, it is pure joy to be entrusted to produce photo shoots as well as to select images from photo databases such as Getty.

Photo selection is an art. It also can be tied to business goals and revenue generation. A great photo can bring beauty to the world and inspire people to action. With a background in storytelling, I also consider the photo's narrative. What is the message, what do we want the audience to feel, and what is the call to action? Blending emotion with campaign vision ties it together.

I won't give away my secret sauce, although I'm happy to share some things I look for when selecting images in addition to my creative instincts.

Clarity

I look for sharp, clear images that draw you in. If there are artistic elements in the foreground or background, such as deliberate blurriness or filters, I look for balance in the overall photo.

Diversity

When the image includes people, I actively and consistently choose photos featuring diversity and inclusion. This is purposefully at the top of my list. Equally, DEIA is a driver when I produce and cast photo shoots, and hire production crews.

Brand

Each company, organization, and campaign has a brand strategy. The photos selected are a vehicle for sharing this brand vision. Whether the image select is on-brand is a key component.

Tone

This is where we start to evoke feelings and create an immersive experience for the audience viewing the photo. Depending on the campaign or project need, the tone might be happy, joyful, serious, subdued, artistic, modern, friendly, playful, or sophisticated.

Narrative

What story is the photo telling us? We want the photo selected to support and elevate the campaign goals, communicating with the audience in an impactful way.

Composition

Bringing together all visual elements, I look at the overall composition and the use of space, color, and positioning of objects of people within the image.

An outstanding image can revolutionize your brand and take a campaign to new heights. What is your photography vision?

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