Visual Direction Skill
Photography Styles for Ad Imagery
1. Premium Studio
Clean white/grey studio, precise product lighting, geometric shadows,
ultra-minimal Apple-style. The product floats in perfect light.
2. Lifestyle in Action
Product being used in its natural environment by a real person. Warm, candid,
aspirational. "A day in the life" with product as hero.
3. Urban Night
Dramatic cityscape at night, neon reflections, rain-slicked streets, moody
teal-and-orange color grade.
4. Golden Hour Epic
Sweeping outdoor landscape at golden hour, warm amber backlighting, lens flares,
dramatic long shadows.
5. Tech Noir
Dark, sophisticated, high-contrast. Brushed metal surfaces, precision
engineering close-ups, holographic UI elements.
6. Nature Macro
Extreme close-up details surrounded by organic textures (water droplets, leaves,
sand). Hyper-detailed.
Composition Rules
Rule of Thirds
Product at power points (1/3 intersections). Never dead center unless
intentionally symmetrical.
Product Dominance
Product must occupy 40-60% of the frame. Fully visible — nothing cropped or
hidden.
Breathing Room
Leave negative space for text overlay areas. Top 20% or bottom 20% typically
reserved for headlines.
Depth of Field
Shallow DOF (f/1.4-2.8 look) for lifestyle shots. Deep DOF for studio/product
detail shots.
Color Theory for Ads
Color Psychology
- Blue: Trust, reliability, technology (finance, tech, healthcare)
- Red: Energy, urgency, passion (food, sports, sales)
- Green: Nature, health, growth (organic, wellness, sustainability)
- Gold/Amber: Premium, luxury, warmth (spirits, jewelry, automotive)
- Black + White: Sophistication, elegance, timelessness (luxury, fashion)
Color Harmony
- Complementary: High contrast, attention-grabbing (blue/orange, red/green)
- Analogous: Harmonious, cohesive (blue/teal/green)
- Triadic: Vibrant, balanced (red/yellow/blue)
Product Scale (CRITICAL)
Always render products at REAL-WORLD physical size relative to people and
environments:
- Earbuds: fit in a palm (~2-3cm)
- Phone/tablet: hand-held (~15-30cm)
- Drone: ~30-50cm wingspan
- Bottle: ~20-30cm tall
- Office chair: sitting-height (~100cm)
- Mountain bike: ~170cm long
Lighting Techniques
- Key Light: Main light source, defines the mood (hard = dramatic, soft =
flattering)
- Fill Light: Reduces shadows, controls contrast ratio
- Rim/Back Light: Separates subject from background, creates depth
- Practical Lights: In-scene light sources (neon signs, candles, screen
glow)
Read references/color-palettes.md for industry-specific color palette
recommendations.
1---2name: visual-direction3description: Visual art direction expertise for marketing imagery. Covers photography styles, composition rules, color theory, lighting techniques, and product staging. Load this skill when generating image ads, asset sheets, moodboards, or keyframe images.4---56# Visual Direction Skill78## Photography Styles for Ad Imagery910### 1. Premium Studio1112Clean white/grey studio, precise product lighting, geometric shadows,13ultra-minimal Apple-style. The product floats in perfect light.1415### 2. Lifestyle in Action1617Product being used in its natural environment by a real person. Warm, candid,18aspirational. "A day in the life" with product as hero.1920### 3. Urban Night2122Dramatic cityscape at night, neon reflections, rain-slicked streets, moody23teal-and-orange color grade.2425### 4. Golden Hour Epic2627Sweeping outdoor landscape at golden hour, warm amber backlighting, lens flares,28dramatic long shadows.2930### 5. Tech Noir3132Dark, sophisticated, high-contrast. Brushed metal surfaces, precision33engineering close-ups, holographic UI elements.3435### 6. Nature Macro3637Extreme close-up details surrounded by organic textures (water droplets, leaves,38sand). Hyper-detailed.3940## Composition Rules4142### Rule of Thirds4344Product at power points (1/3 intersections). Never dead center unless45intentionally symmetrical.4647### Product Dominance4849Product must occupy 40-60% of the frame. Fully visible — nothing cropped or50hidden.5152### Breathing Room5354Leave negative space for text overlay areas. Top 20% or bottom 20% typically55reserved for headlines.5657### Depth of Field5859Shallow DOF (f/1.4-2.8 look) for lifestyle shots. Deep DOF for studio/product60detail shots.6162## Color Theory for Ads6364### Color Psychology6566- **Blue**: Trust, reliability, technology (finance, tech, healthcare)67- **Red**: Energy, urgency, passion (food, sports, sales)68- **Green**: Nature, health, growth (organic, wellness, sustainability)69- **Gold/Amber**: Premium, luxury, warmth (spirits, jewelry, automotive)70- **Black + White**: Sophistication, elegance, timelessness (luxury, fashion)7172### Color Harmony7374- **Complementary**: High contrast, attention-grabbing (blue/orange, red/green)75- **Analogous**: Harmonious, cohesive (blue/teal/green)76- **Triadic**: Vibrant, balanced (red/yellow/blue)7778## Product Scale (CRITICAL)7980Always render products at REAL-WORLD physical size relative to people and81environments:8283- Earbuds: fit in a palm (~2-3cm)84- Phone/tablet: hand-held (~15-30cm)85- Drone: ~30-50cm wingspan86- Bottle: ~20-30cm tall87- Office chair: sitting-height (~100cm)88- Mountain bike: ~170cm long8990## Lighting Techniques9192- **Key Light**: Main light source, defines the mood (hard = dramatic, soft =93 flattering)94- **Fill Light**: Reduces shadows, controls contrast ratio95- **Rim/Back Light**: Separates subject from background, creates depth96- **Practical Lights**: In-scene light sources (neon signs, candles, screen97 glow)9899Read `references/color-palettes.md` for industry-specific color palette100recommendations.
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