Look for an angle
PR Briefs tend to be just that – brief. They usually consist of a place to be, the time to be there, a contact name, and a few sentences about what the images are set to achieve. Each client has individual needs, but the aim of all PR shoots is the same – to deliver eye-catching, relevant images that promote the brand, event, occasion, or organisation in print or online. Sometimes the subject matter is brilliantly unusual, involving celebrities & the like, but more often it’s pretty run-of-the-mill stuff in factories, shops, award ceremonies etc. The people involved in the shots often aren’t used to being photographed so they sometimes clam up. It’s the press & PR shooter’s task to find some way of making a relatively boring view look exciting. Here’s the secret:
“Look for an angle”.
The general public take awful photos because they won’t move off their arses. They shoot everything straight on, at eye level, without any obstructions. They shoot their kids from eye-level pointing the camera down, they shoot their pets from eye-level pointing the camera down, they shoot boring holiday landscapes of mountains next to the sea with no stuff in the foreground, and they shoot photos at their friends wedding without looking at what is around the bride and groom. If they just took a step back to consider changing position, they would transform their snapshots.
Here’s a shot of a group of execs from a tile retailer. they’d won a trade certification, and were being visited by the trade association chief. The diamond award was the physical symbol of the award, so rather than a straight group shot, I decided to look for an angle, focus on the award, and have the group line up in rough order of seniority. It makes for a more visually appealing shot altogether.
The same job included the task of documenting a tour of their warehouse facilities. Again, it would be simple to snap shots of what was happening, and that’s what exactly happened for most of the time. The best shots however, are those with a different angle – one of the techniques used, is to make the shots look candid. This is done by framing the subjects with something in the foreground – the warehouse shelving in this case.
This next job was for Parkinsons UK, and was based in a special neuro-research department at the Westgate Road Hospital in Newcastle. One part of the day was in a specially designed room containing mats and movement tracking cameras which examined a patient’s walking gait. Amazing cutting edge technology being illustrated by top clinicians , but as far as photos were concerned, it was a bloke walking on a floor with some suits sat round the room. The answer – look for an angle. In this case, I lay on my belly at the end of the mat, and shot upwards, at a bit of an angle. Tilting the camera automatically adds dynamism to a photo, as it challenges the viewers perception of a straight horizon. A bit of clear space was left at the bottom to account for any text overlay also.
The same principle was used in this shot of the new Director of a group of country house wedding venues in Northumberland. Getting on my knees, & pointing the camera upwards gives the subject an air of authority – ideal for press and trade publications. I shot other views at eye level as well, but this one was the image used in the press initially.
These next shots show the techniques of using foreground interest, and selective focus. This local artist creates hand-made textile wall hangings for children, and works from a single garage attached to her house. There wasn’t much space at all, so I had to….you guessed it – look for an angle. We did all sorts of shots, but these two show how a bit of imagination can make things pop out. In the first shot, using the paintbrushes as a foreground context, reinforces the idea that this is a creative environment, and the out-of-focus elements frame the subject perfectly.
The two frames here, show the difference that selective focus makes to a picture. In the first shot, focus is centered on the artist, and the shot is a bit boring to be honest. The second image was shot with a shallow focus centered on the artwork itself. This draws the eye to the piece, and makes it way more interesting.
Finally, and the cheesiest shot of them all, is a very quick grab press shot involving the staff involved in the “Made in Northumberland” project which was set up to promote various pieces of local produce I had a flat tabletop full of stuff, and four people in front of their office building. It was boring as hell so had to really look for an angle. There was absolutely nothing visually interesting going on. I rearranged the food slightly, positioned the camera upwards, and for some reason, decided to get the four people to look puzzled, with their hands on their chins. No idea why, but it just worked – the shot was used over and over in the local press.
So remember, whenever you want a photo with a bit of oomph – get off your arse, and look for an angle for god’s sake.
