Photos that engage

Whether it’s for fundraising, marketing or advocacy, photos are hugely important for non-profits. They tell stories that can be understood irrespective of culture or language. And they convey emotion. Facts, reason and logic are all well and good, but when it comes to persuading a person to act, nothing beats emotion.

So, here we’re not asking ‘what makes a great image?’ Rather what makes an image that will draw the eye, stick in a person’s head, and drive him/her to engage, act or donate?

Setting out to take ‘the money shot’ can be a bit like sitting down to write a hit song. More often they just happen by accident – that’s especially true if you’re shooting real people in real situations.

But if you have a clear idea of what makes a powerful image you are more likely to grasp the moment when it arises. Here are some pointers…

Children

For most of us, there’s nothing more excruciating than seeing a child in pain. Likewise nothing brings joy more than a child’s laughter.

When the ‘Oxford Committee for Famine Relief’, later to become Oxfam, launched its first campaign – for famine relief in Greece in 1942 – it used an image of a child.

The image perfectly encapsulates why children tug at our heart strings. She is clearly poor and vulnerable – in need of the protection we can provide through help in the form of donations. But those big eyes appear to be smiling, expressing hope for the future.

Animals

In Western societies, we’re crazy about animals. It’s no accident that many of think of our pet dog as if it was our child.

Animals are emotional proxies. We lavish them with love, free from the complications that come with our fellow human beings. But like children, they can also be abused – hence their vulnerability.

Being with a pet brings out our playfulness or tenderness – all of which is gold in front of the camera.

The eyes have it

Eyes are windows to the soul. One reason children are so visually appealing is because they have such large eyes – at least in relation to the rest of their faces. They therefore give us an especially clear sense of how they are feeling.

Sadly, as we get older, our eyes shrink and our ears, noses, chins and foreheads – arguably our less appealing features – grow.

As in face-to-face communications, eye contact is powerful. Images with direct eye contact create a connection between photo subject and viewer. It makes it difficult to look away and compels us to act.

Hands

After eyes, our second most expressive features are our hands. They can tell us if someone is married, if they work in an office or a coal mine, if they are young or old. Even if we can’t read sign language, there’s no doubting the power of a raised middle finger or the peace sign.