There are many online photography tutorials offering technical tips and advice. Much of this information is simplistic and superficial.
For example, when doing a portrait, they’ll tell you not to have harsh shadows on the subject’s face. The problem with information like this is that it isn’t scalable. It’s more beneficial to have information that you can use in any type of photography no matter what your subject matter.
Why do people look at pictures and how do they look at pictures? If you can answer these two questions then you can scale this information across any type of photography.
This post is long but the concepts are simple. Spoiler alert: this isn’t really about photography but rather it’s about human nature and how we perceive things around us.
Why do people look at photos?
Our brains are hardwired to prefer visual information because it’s faster to process and our survival literally depends on it. Walking along a street, sitting on a bus or eating at restaurant, we’re always looking around. Just like every other animal, we’re scanning for information. What’s going on around me? Am I safe here?
Note the word “scan”. People do not read the world about them, they scan. Our eyes are constantly moving even when reading text. People don’t read a newspaper or web site, they look at them. We scan headlines and photos first.
Visual information is so important to us that half of our brain is active for processing vision.
It’s often said that 90% of our information comes from visual sources (but the author of that 1971 book later said it was only an approximation). We absorb and process visual information much faster than text. It could be even faster but it seems that our brain actually throttles the speed to conserve energy.
People seek out visual information first because that’s what we’re good at. We know a photo will give us some information with only minimal effort on our part. If an instruction manual has text and pictures, do you read everything or do you just scan the images hoping you can figure it out quickly?
How do people look at photos?
Oh, the humanity
We always look for human faces, or at least something that resembles a face, and we instantly judge that face. Another human always draws our attention. We’re hardwired to do this because it’s for our safety.
You can take advantage of our innate need to look at other people by including a person in your pictures where possible and appropriate. This will increase viewer attention.
Every experienced news photographer, when tasked with shooting an inanimate object like a sign or store front, will always include someone walking by that object.
The simple inclusion of people gives a sense of action or life to a photo and it holds our attention longer.
A 2017 study (link to pdf) reported that the simple act of including people in a photo will not only capture reader interest but will also increase memory of that picture and the related news story.
Lines, spirals and patterns
We are attracted to patterns. This is because we’re hardwired to recognize and process certain patterns faster. This partially explains the various photo composition “rules” like the rule of thirds, the golden ratio, golden triangles, etc. None of these are actual rules but rather they can assist with making a pleasing composition.
Patterns can be created by various objects, lines, colours, lighting, shapes, clothing or almost anything else. Patterns can be real or they can be implied. They can be created in-camera by posing your subjects in a certain way, by recognizing a naturally occurring pattern, by choosing your camera angle carefully or by cropping an image in software.
In a broader sense, patterns also include “similarities”. This is called “gestalt psychology” or “gestalt theory” which explains visual perception. Here’s an explanation with lots of text and another explanation with lots of images. We all know which one you’ll click.
Some of the white road markings are cut off at the top-left and the edge of the road is cut off near the bottom-right. But gestalt theory says that viewers will subconsciously fill in the missing pieces to complete the implied shape.
In your photography, you can use our perception of shapes and patterns by seeking out patterns, shapes and similarities, both actual and implied. This can make your images more compelling and dynamic and your subject more noticeable. For example, you might use lines to draw reader attention into your photo and toward your main subject.
When composing pictures, remember that most people read top to bottom and left to right. *All things equal*, the object at the top or at the left will get noticed first. It’s easier to work with this pattern than against it.
Using shapes, patterns and gestalt theory can also make your message more effective. For example, people posed in a circle or in a close group can suggest unity, calmness and harmony. But having one person standing away from the group can suggest independence, strength, or leadership.
Remember that symmetry is also a pattern.
Breaking the Habit
If you can find or create a pattern or shape then you can break that pattern or shape. Since we can quickly recognize a pattern, any break in that pattern will really jump out at us. For example, a row of white cars with one blue car or a group of standing people with one person sitting. The object that breaks the pattern will become the emphatic focal point of the image.
Use this in your photography to emphasize a certain object or to make a point. For example, when photographing a group of employees, the leader can break the group pattern by standing while others sit. At a business conference, you can use rows of seats or maybe even overhead lights to create a pattern and compose so that your subject breaks that pattern.
The power of horizontal
Our field of vision is horizontal and this starts within weeks of birth. We’re more affected by horizontal lines than vertical because we see horizontal more than vertical. We look left-right more easily than up-down. We gather more information from horizontal sources than vertical. We read horizontally. All TV, theatre and computer screens are horizontal. Pretty much every moving object in our lives moves horizontally, not vertically, so we’re better at tracking horizontally.
People posed in a close group show unity but people in a horizontal line can show power. Think of soldiers advancing in a wide row rather than as a close group. The horizontal line is more intimidating because we see more people. This is why most police forces use this formation for crowd control.
Group photos do not have to be in a literal, single, horizontal row. You need only imply a horizontal orientation. The best examples of this are Annie Leibovitz’s group shots on Vanity Fair magazine covers.
You can use this in your group photos and even in individual portraits. Spread your subject(s) out horizontally to show power, strength and confidence. In an individual portrait, have your subject take up horizontal space (when appropriate) by turning the body toward the camera and spreading the arms out (this is normal body language to show dominance and strength). Use a horizontal crop rather than vertical.
Many larger group photos are shot vertically with the people posed on a stairway or some type of riser. Sometimes there is no other option. But this can make the image less effective than a more horizontal composition, assuming horizontal is possible. Depending on the location, the number of people and the intended message of the photo, don’t automatically assume a vertical composition.
Go into the Light
Our eyes always go to light before dark. Light gives us information, dark does not. We use light to navigate and to know where we are.
I’m not saying that humans are drawn to light like some plants, insects and sea creatures but rather we notice light before dark and we pay more attention to light.
Light and dark are relative to each other. Think in terms of tonal values not colour. It could be white and black, grey and black, or light blue and dark green.
In a two-person photo, the person dressed in lighter tones will get our attention before the other person dressed in darker tones. The brighter side of a face gets more notice than the darker side. A bright sky gets more attention than the darker ground.
This is why proper catchlights in the eyes are important in a business headshot. These bright spots draw attention to the eyes. Catchlights can suggest intelligence, friendliness or kindness.
Darker clothes are better in a business portrait because the (lighter) face will draw more attention than the clothing.
Use this in your photography by lighting what you want to show or maximize and by shading what you want to hide or minimize. For example, when photographing someone next to a car: to emphasize the person, use a darker coloured car; to emphasize the car, use a lighter coloured car. I use this when shooting for car manufacturers.
For comparison, in the lower picture, the colour of the cars was altered in Photoshop. Red, or any other bright colour, certainly livens up the picture but it distracts from the main subject.
To make a room or office look bigger, shoot towards a window or make sure table lamps are turned on. Light makes things look bigger and dark makes thing appear smaller. This is why black clothes are said to be slimming and why short lighting makes things appear more narrow. This applies to photography of any subject matter.
(Interestingly, darkness can increase your creativity while light can increase your reasoning.)
In the red
The colour red has the longest wavelength of visible light. This means it will scatter less when travelling through the atmosphere. The sky is blue because blue, which has the shortest wavelength, scatters much more as sunlight passes into our atmosphere.
Sunsets and sunrises are orange-red because the lower angle of the sun means sunlight has to pass through more atmosphere. Most of the blue light has been scattered by the time the light reaches our eyes. Sunsets tend to be redder than sunrises simply because evening air has more particles (i.e. pollution) than morning air.
Being a photographer, you already knew this, right?
Our eyes go to red before any other colour. Why? Because red is the colour of blood and blood usually means danger. When someone near us is angry, they have an increased blood flow which makes their face more red. We know to be careful around them.
A woman wears bright red lipstick to draw attention to her mouth and she wears brownish-coloured lipstick to minimize that attention. Red cars, red shirts, red dresses, red ties, red flashing lights and red cherries on top of ice cream will draw our immediate attention.
Red tells us, “Look here!”
Use this in your photography to draw reader attention to where you want it. Red shoes will draw attention to the feet and any area near the shoes. A red hat draws attention to the top of the head which is especially good if the hat has a message on it. A red book can draw attention to a desktop. A red carpet draws attention to the entrance of a venue.
Or, avoid the colour red when you don’t want to distract. For example a red shirt, red scarf or red background in a portrait will draw away from the subject’s face. Red can be used in portrait as long as you mitigate the red by using other harmonious colours (more on this in a moment).
A rainbow of feelings
We associate different emotions with each colour. This may be due to learned behaviour but it’s behaviour learned over hundreds of thousands of years. For example:
• Red is the colour of blood. So red makes us think danger, excitement, action.
• Blue is the colour of water, the sky and evening light. Blue makes us feel cool, calm and secure.
• Yellow and orange are the colours of the sun and morning light. Yellow and orange make us feel happy, optimistic and creative.
Use colour to enhance the message of your pictures rather than just choosing the prettiest colour.
Living in Harmony
Harmonious colours mean just that: harmony, unity, calm, stable and a more memorable message (link to pdf) but only if there are three or fewer colours. (More on the number three in a moment.)
Contrasting colours can suggest independence, boldness, chaos and a less memorable message.
Use this in your photography, for example, when choosing clothing and background for a business portrait. If the subject is adamant about wearing a bright yellow jacket then choose a background that will be harmonious with that jacket colour. Perhaps pale yellow-orange or yellow-green. If the customer absolutely wants to wear a white jacket then be harmonious by not using a black or dark background. Instead use either a white, very light grey or pale pastel background.
Contrast is created not only with tone (i.e. light-dark) but also with colour. For example, you can create high colour contrast by using green with red or blue with yellow. Create low colour contrast by using harmonious colours such as yellow with orange or blue with purple.
To show coherence and unity in a photo, you may want lower colour contrast. This is often used in business group pictures and family portraits.
To show creativity or independence, a higher colour contrast can be used. This might happen, for example, when a company wants to show that their employees each have their own unique strengths. But note that wild colour contrasts may be too distracting.
Harmony can also be created by posing people in circles, triangles or in overlapping positions rather than in rows or in random spots. In a series of individual portraits, harmony and unity can be implied by using similar lighting and poses.
Lucky Number Three
How many are in a group?
Odd numbers add interest or excitement to a photo, even numbers add calmness, security and balance. This applies to any type of group or groups of groups. The intended message of your photo may dictate the size of your group(s).
Our brains are, you guessed it, hardwired to the number three.
Our brain is at its best when it has only three choices. One is no choice at all, two isn’t much of a choice and three is just right. Any more than three and it starts to get confusing.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The Three Little Pigs. Three Little Kittens. Three Musketeers. Three Stooges. Three Blind Mice. Three Wise Men. The holy trinity. A lucky three-leaf clover. Small, medium or large french fries. It’s as easy as 1-2-3. Sports events have first, second and third place winners.
In the left photo, one person is standing away from the group and he occupies half the photo. In the right photo, each person stays in a close group and each takes up about the same space.
Use this is your photography when you’re deciding how many objects or people in a group, how many small groups in a photo, or how many colours to use in a picture. This does not mean that every photo must have either three or another odd number of objects. Sometimes you may need an even number to show balance. But when you have the option, consider the number three and other odd numbers.
Apple of our eyes
We notice contrast. Out-of-focus objects have lower contrast than in-focus objects. So it should be obvious that, all things equal, our eye goes to what’s in focus rather than what’s blurry. We also notice what’s nearer rather than what’s farther and what’s bigger rather than what’s smaller.
You can use this your photography by (obviously) putting your subject in focus and everything else out-of-focus. You can make a large object less important by moving it away from the camera or make a small object more important by having it closer to the camera. All of this is obvious but not all photographers use it.
Your main subject doesn’t have to be big, front and centre. You can place your subject using the rule of thirds or any other “rule” for composing; have more light on your main subject; have your subject in brighter colours such as red; have your subject break any patterns or have leading lines point to your main subject.
Conclusion
In every photo, first decide on what you’re trying to say. Then figure out how you’re going to say it. Shooting a picture first and later deciding what it says will fail your customers’ expectations.
Of course, not every picture has to have a significant meaning. Some corporate photos are simply meant to record a business event. But as much as possible, these pictures should still be composed to take advantage of how people view pictures.
As a photographer, you can – and should – influence the viewer with your control of light/dark, colour, focus, patterns, leading lines and composition. This applies to every type of photography.
