The photos either like or dislike, there is no third option. Okay, they can leave you indifferent but that, in this case, is like not liking it… A photo has to convey something, provoke a reaction in the viewer, a feeling. A photo that does not arouse any feeling in the viewer is practically an empty photo. A useless photograph. In today’s article I am going to reveal a series of psychological tricks with which you can easily conquer the viewer by producing in him precisely the feeling or emotion that you want to convey through your photo.
This is possible thanks to certain behaviors of the human brain which, if exploited correctly by the photographer, help to transmit and consolidate the feeling or emotion in the viewer’s retina. Go for it.
8 psychological tricks to dominate the viewer’s mind
- highlights come first
- colors and sensations
- embossed feeling
- dominate the space
- light and emotion
- looks
- intertwined fingers
- Objectives
1. Highlights come first
Our brain directs our gaze first towards what it considers most important or outstanding. He does it instinctively. And what is the highlight for our brain? Well, everything that:
- Have a warm color. Any degree of red or orange catches our attention before any other color;
- Be illuminated with respect to the rest of the scene. We like light and we avoid the dark (at least visually);
- Be sharp, it is more comfortable for the eye to see something sharp than blurred or blurred. Any sharp elements take on greater importance, as opposed to the soft elements that we usually look at later;
- Appear isolated from the rest of the elements of the composition. Empty space around a subject helps create prominence and attract attention.
2. The psychology of colors
Some colors directly influence our emotions, conditioning our perceptions to unsuspected limits:
- The black For example, it is the color of authority and strength, although it is also ideal for highlighting elegance: a model dressed in black seems slimmer than she normally is.
- The white transmits sensations of peace, harmony, innocence and cleanliness. It is a light, neutral “color” and goes with almost everything.
- The red, In addition to being extremely striking, it is a very intense color from an emotional point of view. It is a stimulating color that activates the senses.
- The blue, instead, it is a more relaxing color. It induces tranquility and inactivity, and can even cause feelings of coldness or depression.
- The green It is obviously related to nature. It is an easy color for the eye, that does not tire and that produces feelings of relaxation in the viewer.
- The yellow falls into the category of warm colors, speeds up metabolism, helps focus attention and is often associated with feelings of optimism.
- The purple. Luxury. Wealth. Sophistication. Femininity and romanticism. It is a difficult color to find in nature and therefore can convey a feeling of artificiality.
In this video you will find a good summary of the psychology of color:
3. Giving relief sensation
Curiously, the combination of red and green in the same frame makes the subject seem to leave the frame, as if it were three-dimensional or had a little relief. It is a pure optical effect of this color combination.
4. Master the space
The physical space and the voids it can contain have a great impact on the viewer’s psychology. Spaces that are too loaded with elements cause stress, tension, and make the viewer want to look away from the photo as soon as possible. On the other hand, a space that is too empty and diaphanous can arouse feelings of loneliness, psychological emptiness and can even be depressing. A balanced space with the right amount of gaps and filling elements would hold the viewer’s gaze for longer.
5. Light, sun, joy
The presence of light (sunlight or artificial) in a photo helps to recreate feelings of joy and happiness. On the other hand, if we seek to convey emotions of sadness or mystery, it is convenient to work with a little more darkness.
6. Looks
Generally, a subject looking directly at the camera will have a much more expressive gaze than one looking away. Direct contact through the eyes makes it easier for the viewer to become much more receptive and empathize with the main subject.
7. Intertwined fingers
A portrait in which the protagonist appears with their fingers intertwined is a stressful portrait.
8. Wide angle vs. telephoto
Wide-angle type lenses give the subject exaggeratedly gigantic dimensions, instilling grandeur and majesty. Any building of normal height, if photographed with a wide-angle lens, will appear much taller than it really is. Telephoto lenses, on the other hand, given their “zoom” function, create more closeness with respect to the subject, causing a feeling of intimacy in the viewer.
As you can see, these are simple aspects that normally go unnoticed, but that hide enormous potential and that can enormously influence the psychology of the person looking at the photo. Try to pay attention to these aspects and your photos will like more.
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