Images – How The Bad Bring Out The Good

We’ve already taken the opportunity in other articles to address various aspects of what constitutes a good image. Today we’re going to take a look at things from a different angle and tackle the question of what constitutes a bad image. You don’t have to search for long to find examples of poor images – there is a great deal of flotsam and jetsam bobbing around in the omnipresent flood of images. Digitalization has not only made a wide variety of photographic subjects readily available – it’s also churning out heaps of visual garbage.

In the best case scenario, the over-stimulated eye of an observer will gloss over a bad image within fractions of a second, without the image leaving a trace in the viewer’s memory. In the worst case scenario, the image is retained, but only to serve as a poster child for poor quality, and like a crude advertisement, it will remain a failure. If the image is only executed poorly to a certain degree, it may by all means serve to amuse the viewer. Even so, it will bring nothing more than embarrassment and bad publicity to those relying on the image to promote their presence.

© Milton Brown/Westend61

That being said, here are a few pointers to consider when selecting images:

  • Don’t cut corners: Quantity is not the same as quality – one great image is better than several mediocre ones.
  • An image should never serve as filler; it should be purposefully displayed to draw attention.
  • Avoid using outdated subjects: That cute, happy boy taking a bite from his hotdog (who in real life now actually has a graying beard) is probably not the best spokesperson for fresh foods.
  • Avoid standard subjects which have lost their impact. Neither a trusting handshake nor the likeable uncle with a jovial smile is capable of transporting a snappy advertising message today. In a time of increasing interchangeability among products, it is critical to gain the interest of a potential customer with an original, unique visual language tailored to a specific product.
  • No image should ever be boring: It may stir emotions by surprising, shocking, scaring, delighting, provoking, amusing or flattering – however, the viewer should never remain indifferent.
  • Vague messages aren’t messages: The decision of whether a wandering gaze will be drawn into an image or not is decided within a few fractions of a second. This short amount of time available has to be sufficient for transferring the image’s message unambiguously into the viewer’s conscious. A good image is capable of doing this, but only if it possesses significant expressiveness.
  • Avoid discrepancies between text and image: If the image is to serve as an illustration and anchor for generating interest in the text, the image and the message it contains has to be in alignment with the textual information. Failing to ensure this can irritate and confuse viewers or illicit unwanted reactions from readers. Take, for instance, news accounts of police actions which typically feature the image of a police car, patrol lights ablaze rushing to a crime scene. There’s certainly room for misinterpretation when this image is accompanied by a headline which reads: “Town Speeder Doing 100km/h Caught On Camera”.

Keeping these guidelines in mind, those heaps of visual garbage we mentioned earlier can even be beneficial for illustrating your own presence, by helping you to acquire an awareness for subjects which will not only unmistakably transport the desired message, but also distinguish themselves from commonplace and monotonous visuals. In this regard, bad images do have a right to exist, even if their role is simply to serve as a contrasting element which allows good images to stand out even more.

Quality photography always paves the way to great images, the likes of which can be found in the diverse and creative world of imagery at Westend61.

© zerocreatives/Westend61

Hubertus Stumpf

As an experienced newspaper editor, Hubert Stumpf knows that a good text is only half the job when it comes to attracting the attention of readers - just as important a great imagery. The studied Germanist is a professional writer with a passion for the possibilities of digital photography.