pictures HOW TO USE IMAGES
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mario garcia
Photo composites It is fashionable these days for newspaper designers to display “photo composites” on their pages. This is not a bad idea, and it’s actually not a new one. Publications during the 1950s displayed many groupings of photographs in order to maximize photo usage within a limited space. During the 1970s, the big picture era hit upon us, and photo composites became a rarity. But they are back. Photo composites work best for groupings of images that tell a story, but they should never be a substitute for selecting one image that really tells the story. For example, in staple news coverage, such as fires, accidents, plane crashes, and so on, using one dominant image is still better than to put five smaller images together within a rectangle. Photo editing is exactly what the name implies: someone editing from a field of many images, and coming up with the definitive one to tell the story. On the other hand, if one is illustrating the offerings in a museum that just opened, or describing pieces that are part of an ensemble in a fashion article, composites may be the best solution. Remember: when designing photo composites, avoid splitting the rectangular area into equal units; a Mondrian architecture, with pieces in various sizes (some horizontal, some vertical) works best. And divide the photos with a four-point rule. Also, composites work better in color, where contrast stands out, than in black and white, where, if printing is not good, the images blend into a muddy surface. 162
pure design
When composites work: Rumba, Rabo y Oreja, El Pais ’s magazine, use photo composites liberally, incorporating shape and color to a dramatic editorial effect.
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