Digital Digital Photographs:Photographs:

Three Creative CategoriesThree Creative Categories

Lyn Belisle, InstructorLyn Belisle, InstructorTrinity University, CS 1300Trinity University, CS 1300

Documentary Documentary

Designed Designed

Detail Detail

Documentary

DocumentaryDocumentary

•These are pictures that chronicle These are pictures that chronicle an event, show a location, or tell an event, show a location, or tell all or part of a story.all or part of a story.

•Documentary photographs are Documentary photographs are the form most often found on web the form most often found on web pages and in digital photo albums.pages and in digital photo albums.

Documentary photos need to conform to the general rules of good design and composition to be their most effective

Hint: look for the imaginary nine-space grid or the focal point of the composition

Documentary photos can stand alone or be a part of a series that . . . well, documents something for a

website or an album

DesignedDesigned• These are photographs that are set up, or

“staged”, for a particular purpose such as illustration or display

• Another word for these kinds of photographs might be “composed”

• Photo stylists sometimes make a great deal of money by using their skills to make these kinds of pictures appealing to a large audience

These are photos that were shot for an author’s website to illustrate a Mexican-themed brunch

Here are other designed or composed photos that illustrate a product or an occasion

DetailsDetails• Detail photos are among my favorite kind

to collect in my clip and photo files

• While detail photos can often stand on their own, the can also be combined to make new compositions

• A good detail photo can become more than the sum of its parts when it is added to a new composition

Here are three “detail” photos

A piece of Oriental paper

Jewelry laid on a carpet

A bowl of objects

Three photographs of unrelated details can now

be used as “building blocks” to create a poster

or an illustration that is more than the sum of the

separate parts.

Layers and effects in Photoshop Elements

integrate the details into a whole that serves a

communication purpose.

A good eye for detail is invaluable to a

photographer who is also a designer.

ConclusionConclusionWhen you’re taking pictures with any camera,

keep in mind that images can be used in different ways – digital images in particular

are versatile as stand-alone photos, as composed enhancements for text and

multimedia presentations, and as a detail in a larger composition.

Documentary, Designed, Detail

End

Photos and images on slides 4, 7, 10 and 11 © Lyn Belisle 2004

Other images from Microsoft Office On-Line Clip Art Libraries