We know that photographs are
a really good way of creating an effective presentation. The likes of iStock and Shutterstock photo libraries are nowadays the basis of most corporate image libraries. But if you’re sick of using the same stock photography as others, or simply don’t have access, you can create just as impressive, if not more relevant images simply using your phone. This presentation has been created using an iPhone 5 and PowerPoint 2010 only.

A walk around a city
can be really rewarding when it comes to getting some corporate background images. Image: Manchester Central Library

Try getting out on a
sunny day, Shadows from the sun create much more drama in your shots.

If your image is too
detailed and ends up distracting from the content placed in front, use PowerPoint Artistic Effects to blur it. Switching from one slide with the crisp image to the next blurred can be really effective.

Insert into the backdrop of
your presentation, then block off parts of the slide that you’d like to build content on with a rectangle. (like this text)

When creating content over your
presentation backgrounds, a good technique is to use the ‘rule of thirds’

Create more tension, energy and
interest in the composition rather than simply centring the subject. An image or content should be divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines

Simply take a pen, draw/write
what you want to show and photograph it.

The option to make your
images black and white is another really quick way to make your images look stylised and consistent.

An image doesn’t need to
be just slapped onto the slide with its background

You can use PowerPoint to
remove the background in an image really easily. When image is clicked simply click on the ‘remove background’ button on your ribbon, you can then select the parts of the image you’d like to remove

Can be great for interaction
between product images and shapes drawn in presentations to show processes or actions.

The remove background tool can
lead to some pretty cool results… Or just for having some fun…

The remove background tool can
lead to some pretty cool results… Or just for having some fun…

Design and content by Vincent
Thompson @brightcarbon www.brightcarbon.com