Just when you think you understand
social media, the game changes. One
thing remains constant, though: Users
of social media want to be engaged, want to
laugh, want to be moved and most of all, want
to see something they haven’t seen before.
STOP THEM IN THEIR TRACKS
I recently presented a seminar in India along
with my good friend Jesh de Rox, who shared
his perspective on images that create an
impact on social media. He shared a “bread
and butter” family portrait that received only
a few likes and then showed a photo of a
cat wearing a nun’s habit and sunglasses
that went viral and also got a big response
from the audience at the seminar. So let’s
be frank. Maybe it will be impossible to beat
the impact of a cat dressed as a nun (or any
other viral photo or video), but what can we as
photographers do to stand out?
We have to remind ourselves that what
appeals to other photographers may be very
different from what appeals to our potential
clients. The same is true about entering
competitions: What appeals to a judge in a
competition will not necessarily appeal to
clients. The bottom line is that when looking at
an image, we all look for impact, for something
that will make us stop scrolling on Facebook
as we surf our social media feed before even
getting out of bed every day.
FOCUS
WHAT WOULD JERRY DO?
Make ‘Em Laugh, Cry and
Hold Their Breath
My simple formula for making your images stand out.
BY JERRY GHIONIS
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©JE
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TOP RIGH T: Make ‘Em Cry. An image that tugs
on heartstrings is compelling to any audience.
We all identify with images that showcase
the human spirit and share the importance
of relationships. BOTTOM RIGHT: Hold Their
Breath. For one of your images to literally hold
someone’s breath, it has to have immediate
impact. It could be the first time the viewer has
seen anything like it or perhaps the best version
of its kind. If nothing else, an image that takes
someone’s breath away must be different, be
attractive and desirable to your audience.
