Made From Scratch

Pittsburgh photographer Dennis Marsico working with a model on the set of a recent Brady Communications shoot for Philips. Click the photo above to see the final image.

We’ve all seen it: the photo of well-dressed professionals in a generic office environment, pointing enthusiastically at the computer screen in front of them. We’ve all seen it because it’s stock photography. Images like this are a dime a dozen on stock Web sites and photo discs. With expert lighting, talented models and solid composition, stock images may make your company look professional, but they also make your company look just like everybody else’s.

Stock imagery is highly accessible and affordable, which is why so many companies look to online sources for their visual library. But you might be surprised to learn how, with a little investment, original photography can pay significant dividends.

Original art – whether photography or illustration – is completely customizable. This means you can commission images based on the specific message you hope to get across, without the generic look or slightly off-theme focus of stock. When Brady Communications was called upon to create a series of national ads for dcyfr, the newest technology in promotional gaming, we knew we needed more than what stock photography could deliver. Managing our own photo shoots allowed us to show the same character in a series of detective-themed images that perfectly complemented the ads’ messaging. Since the technology being advertised relates to encoding and decoding messages for promotional games, it was important to set a “top-secret” tone for these images. By controlling our own lighting, we were able to show the fictional detective character in a series of dark photos that convey a sense of intrigue and mystery.

Stock photos of “Everywhere Girl,” as she has come to be known, have shown up in marketing materials for Dell, Microsoft, Gateway, Samsung ... even Vivarin. Click the photo above for more.

Another significant advantage is the ability to generate images that mesh well with your company’s brand and visual identity guidelines. Original photography distinguishes you from the competition with imagery that looks like it was made just for you – because it was. If your company has a well-established brand, you may have already found that stock photography just doesn’t cut it. It may look professional, but you’d be hard-pressed to find all the personality and flavor of your brand in a format that’s consistent with your identity guidelines. As a high-end, respected manufacturer of consumer, health care and lighting technology, Philips carefully and strategically maintains its global identity through a very detailed set of visual specifications. When Brady Communications partnered with Philips to design packaging for a new product, the goLITE BLU therapy light, we used original photography to create the clean, high-quality look that Philips is known for. Managing our own photo shoots for the project also allowed us to maintain consistency of tone and lighting between product and lifestyle images. Finally, since we were working to design a package within an established framework, original photography ensured that the composition of each image would lend itself perfectly to the final design.

Over the years, we’ve gathered a long list of local photographers who have worked with our direction to create custom images for our clients. With expertise ranging from photojournalism to formal portraiture, these professionals move quickly to get us just the right image for the design we have in mind. See for yourself what some Pittsburgh photographers have to offer:

John Sanderson Photography, Inc. is a full-service photography studio located in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. John and his staff have worked with us on projects for American Eagle, Mylan and others.

Craig Thompson specializes in still-life and studio photography. Most recently, Craig worked with us to create the custom images for the national Communifx dcyfr ads mentioned in this story.

Annie O'Neill is known for skillful portraits and photojournalism that capture human personality and emotion. Annie was the photographer for the 2008 edition of Community Threads, published by The Forbes Funds and designed by Brady Communications.

Dennis Marsico specializes in photojournalism and photo essays. Most recently, we partnered with Dennis for the packaging and merchandising projects we completed for Philips/Respironics.