Jonathan Knowles is a photographer in the advertising industry. His work focuses on simplistic images that draw attention to the product being advertised. Knowles' photos of a natural beauty campaign and alcoholic beverages feature a close-up of the subject against a blurred backdrop. This emphasizes the focal point and entices consumers to buy the product. Knowles uses techniques like shallow depth of field and the rule of thirds to place the item in the optical center of the image. While effective at highlighting the object, some feel his images lack creativity.

1. Unit 57: Photography and
Photographic Practice
Research of other photographers
work (P1, M1, D1)
Photographer: Jonathan Knowles
1. Natural Beauty Campaign

2. 2.
3.

3. 4.

4. 5.

5. 6.

6. Theme or focus of images
Jonathan Knowles is an established photographer in the advertising industry. The purpose of
photography that advertises products is to entice consumers into buying the product you're
selling.
Jonathan Knowles work is very simplistic yet puts the point across effectively.
Image 1 is for a natural beauty campaign launched in 2013. By choosing to only photograph
the subject, it shows us that she is the focal point of the image. Jonathan Knowles has
excluded all eye catching scenery and used a simplistic backdrop so that all our attention is
on her. The subjects pose is very natural rather than forced, this allows them to convey the
message they're putting across perfectly- a smile can make anyone beautiful.
The rest of the images I have chosen to look at are all advertisements for alcoholic
beverages. Again the images are very simplistic In that they simply contain an image of the
drink itself in front of a studio setting backdrop or of a person holding the drink. In those
instances the image of the hand holding the drink is very crisp and clear whilst the backdrop
has been completely blurred out- this is so all our focus is placed onto the object they're trying
to sell.
Both images 5 and 6 consist of natural lighting and convey the idea of the beverages being
refreshing with the use of bright eye catching colours. Images 3 and 4 have both been shot
within a studio setting, therefore artificial lighting has been used- this is more obvious in
image 4 in which we see a glass of carlings within a dark setting with a spotlight placed
directly on it.
In the final edits of the posters, it's clear to us that the Guttenburg design layout has been
used. Within the primary optical are we see some sort of statement and the beverage itself
then in the terminal area we see either the logo or continuity of the photo of the drink.
Photoshop has been used to manipulate the photos and add the effects we can see in the
final edits- particularly in Image 3. By placing the advertised product in the centre of the
image, are attention is being drawn straight to it.

7. Composition
Jonathan Knowles makes the object or person he’s photographing the focal point of
the photo. In all his images the photographer chooses to take close up’s, therefore
excluding all scenery that may take away our attention from the subject or object.
The purpose of this is to emphasise the importance of the focal point.
Techniques used
Think shutter speeds, rule of thirds & depth of field
The shutter speed In the photos varies between 1/800 and 1/1000 depending on whether
natural or artificial lighting was used. A shallow depth of field has been used in image 5 and 6,
whilst the rest have a large depth of field. The rule of thirds has been applied to the Images-the
products being advertised are within the focal point, therefore drawing our attention to
them.
Strengths & Weaknesses
A key strength in Jonathan Knowles images is his ability to make the product being
advertised so crisp and clear whilst the rest of the image is blurred- it allows the object
to be the centre of attention. However, I personally believe that his images are very
simplistic and lack creativity.