In this highly competitive world of publishing, we have to stand out from the rest to survive. It is such an obvious point, but we need our pages to be extraordinary.

All too often we see a feature in a magazine or newspaper where the image is not up to scratch. It misses the mark for various reasons - not being high enough in resolution, not composed with enough thought or imagination or lit well enough.

It just doesn’t inspire you to give it your time. The instinct is to move on to the next feature or click on the next link and forget about it. This is the power of the image. It is a deal-breaker when it comes to attracting attention.

Flicking through a magazine or a website we glance at the headlines but regardless of how interesting the words are it is the image that first grabs the eye and draws in the reader.

Quality counts

The reason that we picture editors ask for photographs to be at 300dpi and sharp is so that the print quality will be perfect. That quality alone guarantees a degree of success in itself, and it provides the solid foundations for a great picture.

When you then factor in the composition of the photo, the lighting and the richness of colour, this is when a photograph comes into its own.

Whether it is a simple image of a product on a white background in a studio or a lifestyle image on location with models involved the same concept applies. It also applies to advertorial showcases where perhaps a magazine is showing a selection of blue coats that are currently available on the high street.

All of these products may start out on an equal footing, but It is just human nature for a graphic designer to ‘hero’ the most impactful shot giving it more space on the page meaning that all eyes will be turned towards that particular blue coat making it the most visible to potential consumers. You could also say it also suggests an endorsement from the magazine just by the space afforded to it on the page.

Every picture desk is striving for beautiful images on the page, and surely every brand wishing for continued success should strive to be seen within these pages. It is a positive outcome for everyone.