ABSTRACT
Images—photos, illustrations, infographics—set tone, add interest, provide additional information and visually break up intimidating blocks of type. The right image can add color, texture, line and movement to professional photographers' layouts. To summarize what they have learned about adding visual appeal with photos and illustrations, be selective in terms of quality. The use of images adds eye entry points and communicates visual hierarchy. Photos of people doing things are more interesting than photos of people standing around. The "grip-and-grin" shot—a picture of one person giving an award of some sort to another—is about as dull as it gets. Professional photographers know that the most interesting photos share some characteristics: asymmetrical balance and the rule of thirds, tight cropping, natural lines to create movement, and interesting light. Images can be saved in a number of different formats so there are few standards professional photographers need to know. Each file type has different properties making it suitable for different purposes.
