The shine on this brass bell is eye catching. The shadowy presence of the truck behind it makes its purpose clear. It’s is a warning bell, an alarm for the danger of fire, of the danger of the speeding fire truck. Look out! Look out! First the bell, then the truck. This connection and relationship is told in the design and structure of this photo.
Use a photo to support your argument.
Susan says, “One of the more difficult things a presenter must do is make clear connections. It must be clear that there is a relationship between before and after, this and that, why and why not, right and wrong. If these connections are made clearly a portion of the argument and the persuasion of the presentation is done. If these connections are made visually, the presenter doesn’t have to belabor them. The audience will make them themselves and they will make them in language and ideas that resonate with them personally. Since the primary purpose of most presentations is persuasion or education, having an image that supports your argument, brings abstraction to life in a concrete way is a very valuable tool in your arsenal.
Look at the Design of a Photo
Lucia says, “I had design in mind when I created this photo. Of course the brass bell caught my eye and I knew it would be my primary focus. Now, I had many choices. How would I frame the photo? What if I had simply filled the frame with the bell? Would you know that it was a fire bell? Would the photo be interesting? These things went through my mind when capturing this scene. I wanted to make sure the purpose of this old bell was clear. So I included the fire truck, but made it blurry so it would stay in the background. This photo now told a story. It put the bell in context. As a photographer, these are the things that go through my mind as I create a photo. They are the same questions you should ask yourself when choosing a photo for your presentation. Look at the design. Does it tell your story?”
