Vector’s National Photography Manager
A picture can go a long way in the world outside the home. For clients who often place media in a market miles away from where they live, in some cases photography is the only way for them to experience the hard work that is displayed in the real world.
Pictures of our industry work are shared through social platforms, websites, press releases, marketing pieces and of course slide decks. They serve multiple purposes and are often seen by many. OOH is ultimately a visual medium that exists in the physical realm, so capturing it through artistic photography is endlessly valuable.
Thanks to the increasing technology, we are able to provide dynamic, beautiful images that bring brand stories to American streets not only with professional cameras, but also with our mobile phones that we carry with us every day. That said, it’s all about how you use it.
I have been heading photography Vector Media It’s been a decade now, and I know what it takes to get a good picture of an OOH placement Keep reading below for some of my top tips both technically and theoretically on how to get the best results.
Match your audience
One of the important elements to keep in mind when shooting outdoor media. Photos taken from a consumer perspective are clearly going to paint a more accurate picture, but that’s not the only advantage. It also allows you to read long-distance and close-up effects of large format OOH.
When it comes to consumers, that’s exactly what we want to see in photos with our media. The huge crowds, the people enjoying the food outside, the busy people in and out of the shops, all help to bring our pictures to life. They add character, emotion and most importantly demonstrate the effectiveness of our medium.
The beginning of the picture
A dazzling creative, hilarious copy, or an engaging experimental campaign can all work great to get the attention of the public around you. You know you hit the jackpot when you’re able to capture a photo of one of your media photographers! What better way could there be to show off the power outside the home to create acquired media impressions that could send the impact of your campaign to the moon?
Location, location, location
From Rocky Steps to Rodeo Drive, helps tell an important story for your clients, including iconic landmarks, vibrant downtown cityscape, and recognizable signage in your photos. Draw a vivid picture of the residents, visitors and culture of each neighborhood. These locations are purposefully and strategically selected by advertisers to target specific lifestyles, tourists, populations, so show it!
Slowly
It can be hard to be creative with our images, let’s face it – there are many ways you can make your outdoor look glamorous. One way to step up your game and give your photos a more “high-end” look is to slow down your camera shutter speed. It lets you focus on your fixed subject, be it a billboard, a stationary bus or a piece of street furniture, and let the pedestrian and vehicle traffic through the frame fade, and let some very quiet and artistic look turn into a blur of motion. (Extra points for doing this in low light and for using a car head and tail lights for creativity!)
Speed up!
Not all of our media is static. When you are shooting moving vehicles like buses, trains or trolleys you will want to make sure that your camera is shooting at high shutter speeds. (You can use similar settings when capturing some action shots of your kids playing football). To get technical, I would recommend a tack-sharp image with a minimum of 500th of a second, aka 1/500.
A look through the lens
Wide angle, telephoto zoom or prime, with each type of lens you shoot will radically change your image. Surprisingly, the glass you choose to use with your camera will actually affect the final image result more than the camera body. When shooting outdoors, although a bowel instinct may tell you to choose a wider angle, I have noticed that when shooting with a zoom or prime you can strategically use depth to highlight your media as the center of your shot – the off-field lens does not focus. Contains everything that gives you a polished professional, blurred background look called “bokeh”.
Where the road leads
When shooting and framing our shots, it’s important to be aware of where the viewer’s eyes will naturally go. Transit ads, buses, shelters and billboards are all located on the side or side of the road, which, if framed incorrectly, can be misleading. I like to try the “rules of the third” and use the true photography method. With the help of this composition technique, the photographer is creating a mental grid consisting of two vertical and two horizontal lines. Placing the subject at points that intersect the lines will help ensure that the viewer’s vision is drawn naturally there. Shooting in busy densely populated areas or in seemingly chaotic places like the heart of Times Square can be challenging. With this rule in mind you can be sure that the objective content of the image is the first thing you notice.
It’s light!
The day does not end when the sun sets. Many cities become more vibrant as the sun sets – think of South Beach Miami, and Manhattan’s Theater District after the Broadway show was released. Which means it’s about to be the most delusional time of the year, as well. What better way to ensure that your ads are being viewed than by highlighting them? Buses with illuminated ornaments, billboards lit up against the night sky, and bus shelters point to the streets in their dreamy aura, all look a little different in the evening. Shooting on a tripod can be the most helpful when taking pictures at night and how you can achieve the dramatic motion blur effect that turns a sci-fi looking laser beam into car light. A slow shutter speed, giving you a nice wide open aperture will be your best bet for photos in low light settings. Boosting your ISO to a higher number can also help, but beware of grains and low quality that can push it too far!
Let’s get the digital pie
With the rapid advancement of technology, Vector’s exclusive digital transit products, like the digital double decker, have more opportunities to go digital outside the home. There are many reasons to get the best looking photos on digital media, from shooting at the best time of day, weather, sunlight and camera settings. As an amateur you may notice when trying to capture a digital screen with a phone or camera you get annoying black horizontal lines running through the screen. Although today’s DOOH screens are crisp and clear, display Hertz rate can interfere with digital camera sensors, causing these lines to form. The secret is the speed of the shutter, because it must be a little slower than the refresh of the screen so that the lines are not visible. You are welcome
As a visual and highly creative medium outside the home, it allows advertisers to reach their ideal audience and create a memorable impression. These outdoor advertisements are woven into the fabric of people’s daily lives, as they are eaten while walking, eating, traveling and experiencing the world. Dazzling and stunning ads can be a real work of art in their own way. Captured with equally impressive photography, these campaigns can be “liked”, shared, and live for years to come.
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