5 reasons to invest in great research photography

Need to attract people to the value and purpose of your research? Inspiring photography is a proven way to make a great first impression and evoke the curiosity that makes people want to know more about your work.   

We collaborate with researchers and research organisations to help promote their research, marrying strong visual imagery with the written word. But in the first instance, it is invariably the image that will stimulate and amplify story engagement, including how much time and space your story secures on digital platforms and in print.

Coretext encourages hiring a professional photographer or approaching our experienced multimedia team who, in these times of constrained research budgets, can guide you to create highly effective photography and videography. 

Here are five reasons we recommend investing in high-quality images to tell your story. 

1. Great images capture attention 

By generating curiosity and an emotional response, images can draw a more diverse audience to engage with a story, especially when it involves complex research that might otherwise appear daunting. 

Strong, creative images make science and research accessible and appealing, increasing your work’s reach and impact. 

Most publications and platforms look for visually appealing content to attract readers and viewers. Supplying evocative images significantly increases the chance of the accompanying article being published and given the space the story deserves.

In today’s digital age, social media is a particularly powerful tool for disseminating research, and again it is posts that lead with fantastic imagery that will achieve more engagement than those without.

2. Research content will be more memorable 

Research indicates that people better remember information when it is paired with images that ‘amplify’ the message. In his book ‘Brain Rules’, Dr John Medina says that vision trumps all other senses. “Hear a piece of information and three days later you’ll remember 10% of it. Add a picture and you’ll remember 65%,” he writes.

Visuals can also break up long blocks of text, making content much more accessible to a wider readership or audience. 

This is particularly important if you are seeking to engage with community or industry stakeholders seeking to put into practice the outcomes of your research. 

3. New perspectives make science accessible  

Researchers often work in locations that few people have access to, or with unusual tools, equipment or technologies. 

Images can help share research workplaces that are unusual or exotic for the layperson, or which open a window to the molecular or nano engine rooms of life and science.

Good photography also humanises science. It reminds us that good research is undertaken by people for people.

4. Quality photos enhance credibility

Investing in high-quality photos shows a commitment to professionalism. Clear, well-composed images lend credibility to research and the researchers involved. They signal that the researchers take their work seriously and are dedicated to presenting it in the best possible light.

5. A record of work captures progress

Quality photos can document research when and where it is being undertaken. They also provide a long-term resource with archival value that can be used well beyond the initial research project. They become part of scientific history and progress.

Good science imagery and science writing communicate the role and value of research – it highlights how research improves life and humanity and can solve the existential challenges in our shared world.

But research not communicated well – or at all – becomes, in effect, research that never happened. That is how important science communication, enhanced with inspiring imagery, is to research making a difference.

If you’re thinking about investing in photography to showcase your research, reach out to see how we can help.