Photography Breadth #11

Process: There are a couple of ways that you can go about this. You can impose text onto the image and then shoot the photograph, it can be text in the natural environment, or you can take an image and manipulate it by hand after, or digitally.

No matter how you choose to use text in the photograph, you must think about the content, or message of the piece and the composition. You do not want to text to look like it was stuck on, but rather a natural part of the image. Typography should serve as an enhancer to the image and not dominate it.

Here are some tips for designing with text on a photo:

• Add Contrast: Text has to be readable to be successful. Make sure that text varies in color enough to be seen in combination with the photo. If you have a photo with a dark background, opt for white (or light colored) text. If your photo has a light background, go with a dark-colored type treatment. Contrast can also refer to the size of text in relationship to what is happening in the image. Lettering should work with (not against) the image. In the Pack website above, for example, the image is big and bold while the type is thin and light. The elements work together but they contain an element of contrast.
• Make the text a part of the image: Sometimes it just works that text becomes – or is – part of the image you are working with. This can be tough to achieve and only works in limited cases. You either need a simple image and word to work with, such as the McLaren treatment above, or an image that is taken with text in it.
• Follow the visual flow: Working with the visual flow of an image is one of the most important tips when it comes to working with text and photos. You need words to fit into logical parts of an image. And please be careful not to put text over important parts of an image, such as the main action in a photo, faces or the product you are trying to showcase. In terms of visual flow, look for spaces for text where the subjects of the image would look. Both examples about lead you from the body language or eyes of the person in the photo to the text. The flow of each is spot-on.
• Blur the image:One of the simplest tools you can have in your kit is the ability to blur part of an image. Adding a little blur to the background of an image with software such as Adobe Photoshop can help your text stand out. Blur can also add focus to your overall concept, such as the Wallmob website above. Blur brings the actual product and text into sharper focus for users of the site.