Let’s begin with this helpful video that explains how images help communicate our messages

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Photo Direction and Cropping

I challenge you to refrain from using stock photography in its original form. Unless you have hired a photographer and personally directed the photoshoot, I would suggest carefully analyzing your photographs to see how they can be cropped to best fit your needs.

Below are examples of a stock photograph and how it can be re-sized and cropped to change how it affects your layout and design. Changes include:

• Moving an element to the front by slightly cropping its edges
• De-cluttering a busy background by enlarging the photo and cropping out extra elements
• Creating a more emphasized and abstract shape to grab the reader’s eye and attention
• Moving or changing the emphasis of the primary element (or other elements)
• Adjusting the visual hierarchy of your elements
• Changing the “white space” available to place your other design elements (headline, copy, art, logos, etc.)
• Adjusting your photo to utilize the “Rule of Thirds.”

Selecting and cropping photos based on your message and audience

What are you trying to communicate? Who is your audience?

More examples

How do these logos use images to communicate their message?

DALL-E

2021 brought us the DALL-E AI art and image creation website. This is an interesting development in art and image creation as it pertains to the graphic designer. I see it as an on-demand and customizable stock art and photo gallery that designers can use to create images for their designs.

You can sign up for a free account and try it for yourself. Its web location changes as it goes through development, so just search DALL-E and start there.