I hope Paul M Bowers doesn’t mind. I’ve decided to use a photo of mine for the second in his three-part series on visual storytelling. I figure if my visual mentor can provide me with words, the least I can do is reciprocate with an image.
Paul is a San Diego-based commercial photographer with 30 years of experience. He now presents his really, really big shoe-er show, “Creative Braise”, to groups and businesses so they can learn about and enhance their internal creative processes.
Last week, he offered some sage advice to writers on why it’s so important to learn how to tell stories in pictures and words.
Here’s part 2 of his insights.
Why do photos, videos or other images capture people’s attention online more than just plain words?
“Images cause a viewer’s brain to react differently than words. Words are useful for a more literal part of the brain… (What part? Heck, I don’t know, ask a neurosurgeon.) But it’s a part that is far more rational, more discriminating, and more, um, thoughtful. But an image? Images excite, stimulate; they turn on brains with color, composition, and content. And they do so in a split second.
Think about Twitter. Big Idea, right? Super-fast, high-velocity content coming towards one at great speed. So fast it’s limited to 140 characters. Thoughts, observations, and feelings one can grok in less than a second. Writers love this medium, and the better the writer, the more information and meaning can be encapsulated in that sub-second attention.
Pfft. Just try it.
Let me show you an image for less than one second. Be honest with yourself, just click on the link at the end of the next paragraph then click off almost immediately. One second total. You can go back later for a closer look.
Ready? GO! (That is click on go – and then come back!)
So. In less than one second, you’ve learned more about that kid than I could have told you in ten minutes of reading. Ten minutes! Think how powerful that image is when compared to any story any most-talented writer could weave. And you have it in less than one second, faster than reading 140 silly characters. Want to play further? Take that image and place it in a venue that stops viewers, and intrigues them. THEN get them to read your words. Then associate a brand with the emotion evoked by that image.
Emotion+Brand+Information.
Congratulations, you are now in advertising.
Want to go a step further and see how it works? Same deal—look for only one second-—ready, GO.”
This reminds me of the time long ago when I was an ad copywriter. One of the things I enjoyed most was working with the art director on that perfect image and headline – and when we got it right, those two elements really told the story. You can see from Paul’s examples how that can work today. PR can no longer simply rely on words, we’ve got to add pictorials, too.
Are you a writer who’s had a picture go off in your mind? What have you done to make your storytelling more visual? Stay tuned for part 3.
