Woman with red hair on beach. Image-ID: plap1348m2021094

Become an effective image finder
A quick search for "woman" can provide anything from 100,000 to 5.8 million hits at different image agencies. Is it weird that image skaters sometimes suffer from resentment?

The role of the image today is monumental. In the unimaginable amount of information that we meet daily, images help us to read and assess whether a particular text is worth spending time on. So with the right image you can quickly attract readers, build your brand and fill it with emotional content. The image is one of your strongest weapons to draw attention to your message. Therefore, it is worth spending time finding the right image and it may actually take some time. It will pay off. Join us and become a more effective image finder with Anna-Lena Ståhl!


Om Anna-Lena Ståhl
Anna-Lena Ståhl is a freelance image editor and copywriter with over 20 years of experience in the image agency industry. She works in her own company Ink Republic AB, where she among other things helps organizations to build a uniform imagery that has a clear connection to the brand identity.
Woman records in block during discussion with colleague. Image-ID: masma58995
1. Structure your thoughts

Before you start looking for an image, you should be clear about what you are looking for. I mean, I really mean clear to you. Think about what motives or feelings you want. The first thing you will think of is probably the most typical and perhaps cliché-filled way to illustrate what you are looking for, so please think about a lap. Weave who is the target group, how to reflect your brand identity in image and which images will increase the attention value and credibility.

Generally, images of people are good at capturing the recipient's interest. If you have the freedom to choose, then the eye-lying images, images that surround the viewer rather than the eye must be zigzag-like from top to bottom – as in a portrait image.

Our eyes are also addressed by geometric shapes. Find yourself in images you like, certainly it is often possible to find a geometric shape or relationship in the image? A diagonal, a circle?

Another classic approach is to create a contrast between headline and image. The image communicates one thing but the headline moves in another direction. The brain stops and wants to work, understand how the context is.


Friends talking. Image ID: ima179696
2. Give the search engine a chance to show you good images

The most common mistake we make is that we forget an oh so important step in the process. The step where you yourself transform concepts into symbols. You need to transform concepts into symbols and words that you can actually search for. It is the words that will make it easier to find the image you are looking for.

Few – if any – search engines in this industry will give you a good result on words such as "availability", "declining exclusion" or "citizen involvement". You have to figure out what you want to illustrate for you. "Citizen influence" may be an image of people's lives in a city, a portrait of a happy person or something else, but make sure that you translate what you want to find in your image into simple symbols and words. It is the words that will make it easier for you to find the image you are looking for.

Another way to help the search engine on the stack is not to over-specify what you are looking for. If you don't get hit on "female dog sledding Alaska" then back and search in more general terms such as "woman dog winter USA". Use the largest common denominator instead of giving too many details if you do not get a good result on the first attempt.

Father and son wearing similar stripped shirts lying on grass. Image-ID: ima183577
3. Let the images speak the same language

You probably don't like dubbed advertising, so apply the same thought when looking for images. Let the images speak the same language as the ones you turn to. Otherwise, you risk building a barrier between the recipients and you who damage the credibility of your message.

This means that if you turn to an audience in USA then make an effort to find images that those who live here can identify with. Do you feel that the image does not feel natural, your recipients will feel the same.

Nature. Image-ID: ima172011
4. Memorize the good keywords that simplify your life

If you are looking for images of Johnér at regular intervals then I would like to share my experiences:

When I want to be inspired, I click on new images on the start page or I go to the page our images with different selection of images, especially selected by Johnér's image experts. Another tip is to use the keyword conceptual o be inspired by images that are not so easily defined by common keywords. Remember that you can filter your search so that you can only search for Scandinavian photographers.

Good keywords at Johnér are:

Text space – images that have room for text.

Eye contact – when I want images of people looking into the camera.

No people – when I do not want people in the search results, for example when I search for nature.

Natural models – models with a more relaxed or realistic look.

Scenic – beautiful nature views and settings.

Still life – beautiful still life in various subjects such as nature, gardening, interior design.

Diversity and norm creative – good keywords for finding images that are inclusive. We image lovers so clearly want to draw our line for the sake of portraying the worlds entire population and taking responsibility for ensuring that everyone is seen and represented in today's communication.

Hope you find the image you are looking for!

Ps. If you want to buy any of the images in this newsletter, click the image to get to the image page.



Read more from Johnér, here.