Five Tips to Give your News Release its Best Shot

We have created five tips to help you master the art of photography from your smartphone and increase the chance of pick-up for your next release.


 1: Use itThe more you use it, the better you become. This may sound simple but practice is your best friend when it comes to mastering a new tool. So become snap happy by training yourself to seize every opportunity to take a picture with your smartphone. Get involved in the photo-a-day challenge on Social Media if you need inspiration (#photoaday).


2: Rule of ThirdsTo improve the composition of your photographs, try the rule of thirds. Our eyes are naturally drawn to any pictures that are geometrically composed. When you take a picture, break down your image into vertical and horizontal thirds. The four intersecting points (in red) highlight the four strongest focal points: this is your hero shot so capture it.


3: Frame itIn Public Relations, you may be aware of how framing is used to influence and shape how the audience perceives a situation. When it comes to photography, framing has the same power: adding a frame can enhance your picture. Explore framing as a technique to highlight some points inside your image. Use windows, add blur or play with architecture. Framing adds emotions and depth to your shots.


4: Still life pictures are easier than you thinkLet’s say you have to take a few pictures of a new product. Start by selecting a table placed by a window. Avoid reflective surfaces like glass or metal. Take a step closer than using your zoom. Test different angles. And once you’re ready, take a dozen of shots: you can be sure that a couple of them would be good for use. Once you feel confident, combine objects of contrasting shape, colour, and texture and surprise yourself. To highlight a new product, it’s better to use a neutral background: either black or white.


5: Enhance itWhen it comes to portrait, natural light is your best ally. It gives you great result in terms of colour, contrast and saturation. Place your subject in a background with low details so it’s not taking too much attention from the main topic. If you’re unsure of the colours, don’t forget that black and white always adds a nice and clean touch!


When it comes to clarity, natural light is your best ally. It gives you great result in terms of colour, contrast and saturation. Place your subject in a background with low details so it’s not taking too much attention from the main topic. If you’re unsure of the colours, don’t forget that black and white always adds a nice and clean touch!


With these five tips, you are armed to capture the best pictures for your release with your smartphone. And don’t forget: practice makes perfect.