One of my favourite campaign photographs, and what you can learn from it

Looking through different leaflets picked up on the campaign trail around the country in the months running up to last Thursday reminds me of the importance of good photographs in campaign literature.

So to help illustrate what makes for a good campaigning photograph here is one of my favourites from a few years back, featuring Lynne Featherstone in 2007:

It’s a slightly different sort of photograph, and so catches the interest. It also conveys a good message.

The sight of Lynne Featherstone mostly hidden behind piles of resident survey forms makes the point about a huge response from voters in a striking way. (With, of course, the parts of the surveys in view carefully selected not to reveal any personal data even in those pre-GDPR days.) There is even just enough sight of Lynne’s face to help with voter recognition. It also is simple – no expensive props, no difficult or rare locations and not even any particularly skilful camera work involved.

The lesson? Think about what story your photographs need to tell and then pick a photo that does that. Sometimes the photographic cliches are just what is needed. But not always. Think before you snap.

For more on how to get the most out of campaign photographs, see 101 Ways To Win An Election.