Keep these tips in mind when selecting images for your APW advertising and/or apply them to anywhere you share images on the internet: from your website’s portfolio, to advertising like sidebar ads, vendor directory listings, or blog posts.
HOW TO DECIDE WHAT IMAGES TO USE:
- Pick a potential image.
- Make it pretty small—think mobile screen small—now scroll past it quickly and ask yourself:
- Can I tell what’s happening?
- Is it eye catching?
- Did I have an immediate visceral reaction? (Pretty! Sad! Want! Haha!)
Jonas Seaman | Seattle Elopement 
Corey Torpie | Sri Lankan Pool Party
Bryan Sargent | Brooklyn Love Affair
MORE THINGS TO CONSIDER:
- Does the image show a moment? Does it tell a story? Consider the “one photo” rule, which asks if the viewer can tell exactly what the couple and/or wedding was about, and what made them unique, from just one photo. The most successful photos are the ones where style and personality come through instantly.
- Busyness versus white space: Ideal images have a strong contrast of subject versus background, and a little visual breathing room (think white space) can be a plus. This is especially true for extra small images like social media and sidebar ads: If the image is too busy, it can be hard to tell what’s going on at a small scale.
- Color versus black & white: Black & white images can work, but without bright colors, the image has to pack more of a punch to be eye catching. We recommend including no more than 10% black & white images in your vendor listing or sponsored post.
- Emotion versus pretty. APW readers love pretty and #feels, but a medium shot of a couple looking like they’re having a blast is much more impactful than a far off shot of a couple standing really far away from each other. Include couples in epic landscapes if that’s your jam, but make sure to balance them with images that evoke emotion as well.
Read on or skip ahead for specific tips:
vendor directory photos
Specifications: 1 jpgs depending on your listing tier. (Mini = 1, Full = 6, Deluxe = 30.) There are no exact requirements for image dimensions as they’ll be scaled down automatically as needed. But we recommend images be 1200 pixels wide at a minimum.
Recommendations:
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- Pick the very best of the best of your images. Consider what makes your work or product unique and make sure your selection emphasizes that.
- Remember that most people visiting your vendor page have never seen your work before, so it’s usually more effective for the images to represent the best of the best rather than necessarily your most recent work.
- Include a balanced range of types of shots. For photographers: close up, medium, far away, as well as couple portraits, details, candids, and both weddings and engagement shoots. For products: a mix of product shots and styled shots, if possible.
- Include no more than 10% black & white images.
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Examples (click the thumbnail to view):
POP WED CO
Bojack Studios 
Betty Clicker
Sponsored Posts
Specifications: 20-30 jpgs that are a minimum 1200 pixels wide at the bottom edge.
Recommendations:
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- Same as above! Pick the very best of the best of your images. Consider what makes your work or product unique and make sure your selection emphasizes that.
- If you ran a post last year, include your newest work, but feel free to throw in a few favorites that show your best work.
- Include a balanced range of types of shots. For photographers: close up, medium, far away, as well as couple portraits, details, candids, and both weddings and engagement shoots. For products: a mix of product shots and styled shots, if possible.
- Include no more than 1-3 black & white images.
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Examples (click the thumbnail to view):
Sidebar ad
Specifications:
- Basic ad and small premium ad dimensions are 300 pixels wide x 100 pixels high.
- Premium bonus ad dimensions are 300 pixels wide x 400 pixels high.
- Ads must be JPEGS and in RGB (rather than CMYK).
Recommendations:
- Make sure your chosen image represents what you do. (AKA, a picture of flowers if you are not a florist will confuse people.)
- Including your location or geographic region on your ad.
- Confirm the text is legible at scale, and take a look at the current sidebar ads on the righthand side of the APW site to see how yours will compare. Better be legible than recreate your logo in unreadable miniature.
Examples (click the thumbnail to view):
Pop Wed Co
Bario Neal
EVANGELINE LANE
SOCIAL MEDIA BOOSTS
Specifications:
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- Hi-res images at least 1200px at the bottom edge.
- 50% verticals or square (for Instagram – 5:4 aspect ratio)
- 50% horizontals (for Facebook)
- All color images (bright colors are great)
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Recommendations:
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Here’s what gets the most traction on the APW feeds:Fun, diverse, unique, feminist.
Bright colors are king!
Blues, pinks, purples, metallics, and white.
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Examples (click the thumbnail to view):
Studio A Images
Imani Fine Art Photography
Bario Neal
