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Worth a Thousand Words:
Trends in visual communication
October 2006 | Volume 4 Issue 10
Photography is undergoing unprecendented change. Developments in digital technology, the widespread use of camera phones and open access to images on the Internet have made using images easier than ever before—which is good news for communicators. Images enhance your messages, communicate the value of your products and services, and inspire employees. This issue of CW Bulletin explores what you need to know to embrace the photography revolution.
Natasha Spring
Executive Editor |
Features
THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION
by Suzanne Salvo
Film is dead. The history-changing miracle that made it possible to accurately reproduce anything the eye could perceive is now itself part of history. The cause of death? Digital imagery. But no one is shedding tears.
It all began innocently in the mid-1980s when digital photos were a geeks-only, barely noticed novelty. It has since spread around the world in pandemic fashion. In its wake, entire industries have been killed off as more and more people succumb to the digital bug.
MANAGING DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
by Keith Philpott
In just a few short years, the digital camera has blown past its tipping point so completely that many younger shooters have never touched a piece of film. The instant gratification, the tiny camera size and the ability to share images with the world now defines the experience of photography. But if you want to make great digital photos, there are some things you need to know.
CORPORATE PHOTOGRAPHY
by Gillian Smyth and Susan V. Gonzalez
Photography has become an essential element of the communication mix for the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), and is used to reflect the diversity and international nature of the business. If executed properly, a photograph can help explain a technical point or issue in such a way that it makes sense to an audience outside of the shipping community. We initially decided to use photography to enhance the visual content of our annual report. We now also use it in company newsletters (both internal and external), brochures and exhibit stands.
IMAGE SOURCES
by Jill Waterman
When you need to find an image for commercial use, how much consideration do you give to where it came from? Do you think about its provenance, its pedigree? Are the images you license sourced primarily from major distributors or from alternative suppliers, who may have access to more distinctive or original content?
Columns
by Suzanne Salvo
When It's Created, It's Copyrighted
The title above is, in a nutshell, the meaning of the copyright law as it pertains to creative works. Simple and straightforward: Whoever makes it, owns it and in turn grants legal permission for its use to you, the corporate client. Back in the day when you needed a negative or the original transparency to make a decent usable image, it was easier to safeguard photographs against unauthorized use. Now with digital technology, there is no difference between "original" and "duplicate," and copying images is, in some cases, all too easy.
by Daria Steigman
How to Start a Business: Five key steps to getting on track
I received a slightly panicked call the other day from a colleague who had recently ventured out on her own after many years of working for others. She had been lured into self-employment by an opportunity that matched up her passion and her skills—but it wasn't going to pay all the bills. So she needed to get serious about starting up some kind of freelance business.
But where to start? Although my colleague had taken the necessary legal steps in her state (notably, applying for a business license), she didn't know what to do next. She was, in her own words, paralyzed.
by Ron Iseri
Will RadioShack Reap What It Sows?
Mere days have passed since someone at RadioShack clicked "Send" and dismissed some 400 employees in and around Fort Worth, Texas, by e-mail.
The e-tactic released a flood of criticism: The move was deemed dehumanizing, impersonal, disrespectful, callous, disingenuous, irresponsible. Management consultants and pundits were aghast, of course, and professors of management added a RadioShack case study to their lists of required reading.
Case Studies
Communication in the News
Related Resources
Related Resources provides additional articles and resources for understanding this month's topic of trends in visual communication. You can also find some of these links alongside each corresponding feature article for quick reference. Links include:
- "The Future of Photojournalism," by Danit Lidor
- "The Photographer's Guide to Contract Law," by Martin Cameron
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Features
Columns
This issue sponsored by:
Your Communications Training
Partner Since 1997
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December 5-7, 2006–Orlando, Florida
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