version: "1.0.1" name: visual-direction description: "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."

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.