Pursue Your Passion for Visual Storytelling
Elevate your creativity by practicing photography and graphic design skills. Apply at GCU today.
Elevate your creativity by practicing photography and graphic design skills. Apply at GCU today.
Speak with a University Counselor today.
Approved and verified accurate by the Associate Vice President of GCU Marketing on Jan. 12, 2026.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
Graphic design and photography work well together to tell a visual story, evoke emotions and encourage the audience to take action. Increasingly merging together, these elements are effective in marketing and advertising.
Photography and graphic design have long been important elements in marketing and advertising. Increasingly, however, graphic design and photography are becoming intertwined elements that complement each other and enhance the visual storytelling. This trend in the marketing industry may have photographers and graphic designers collaborating closely with each other to create immersive and memorable visual experiences.(See disclaimer 1)
Photography and graphic design are everywhere in modern culture, whether framed on walls, posted on social media feeds or flashing across a television screen. However, producing and choosing good photography to complement graphic design in marketing and advertising mediums takes time and expertise.
If you’re eager to pursue a career related to the visual arts, first take some time to consider the importance of graphic photography and how photography and graphic design can work together. Then, explore the specific techniques that can elevate your own visual designs.
Photography in graphic design and advertising is important, but how do designers use photography? Is there a certain method that is more effective than others when creating, modifying and using photography? Explore these suggestions for creating effective and appropriate advertisements and designs:
Developing eye-catching and memorable advertisements requires a solid foundation. In other words, it requires a strong, intentional photo that may then be merged with graphic design elements.
There are several tricks to taking great photos.
Photographers understand that not every photo will make the cut. That’s why photographers typically take many more photographs than they plan on using. Later, they review the photos, often in collaboration with a graphic designer, to select the most appropriate ones for the design.
When choosing photos, consider the following:
The importance of photography in graphic design and for marketing and advertising cannot be overstated. Photography is a powerful tool. It can show, convince, inspire and illuminate.
Through photography, marketers and advertisers can convey their intended message with greater clarity and impact. The right photograph can spark a specific emotion, bring greater authenticity to the ad and reinforce the company’s brand identity. Photographs can also be used to tell a story in just one image.(See disclaimer 2)
Advertisers and graphic designers must know how to use the power of photography when creating specific designs and overall marketing campaigns. It’s important to select images that portray the emotions you want to convey to your audience to strengthen your advertisements and designs.
To understand how graphic design and photography work together in marketing and advertising, it’s important to keep in mind the goals of the industry. Marketing and advertising agencies and departments are tasked with achieving organizational growth objectives, such as boosting sales of products or encouraging customers to book more services. They also strive to increase brand awareness and recognition and elevate the public perception of the brand.
In order to accomplish these goals, marketers and advertisers can use graphic photography to tell a story, evoke an emotion and encourage the audience to connect with the visual design. Increasingly these days, photographs and graphic design elements are being used together in the same space.(See disclaimer 1)
For example, graphic designers and photographers can collaborate to add graphic design elements to a photograph, creating an innovative way for the company to express its brand image. Layering, photo editing and image manipulation techniques and technologies can merge photography with graphic design to create a composite image. A photograph, for instance, might be combined with typography, graphic design textures and illustrations.(See disclaimer 1)
How does this look in practice? One example is how a social media manager might post a composite image to advertise a sale, such as a photograph that has an eye-catching headline about the sale. Another example could be a print advertisement with a photograph that includes graphic design elements intended to convey movement or excitement. This can draw more attention to the ad.
Developing photography skills and learning to use them aptly takes time and practice. Earning a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising and Graphic Design is one way to practice applying the concepts of design and photography to your field. Not only does this program offer courses on digital photography, but it also examines how to apply concepts to advertising and how to design with photos.
The College of Arts and Media at GCU offers many different degree programs to help you develop your art. Along with the BA in Advertising and Graphic Design, you could choose from the Bachelor of Arts in Social Media degree and the Bachelor of Science in Applied Marketing and Advertising degree.
Begin your path toward pursuing a career that allows you to combine your photography and graphic design skills to convey messages and tell impactful stories.
