The University uses these guidelines to capture photographs that captivate the experiences of faculty, staff, and students. If you have any questions about the University's photos, the marketing department can help.
Direct eye contact can be as engaging in a picture as it is in real life. When taking a picture of someone, hold the camera at the person’s eye level to unleash the power of those magnetic gazes and mesmerizing smiles. For children, make sure to get at their level. And your subject need not always stare at the camera. All by itself that eye level angle will create a personal and inviting feeling that pulls you into the picture.
A plain background shows off the subject you are photographing. When you look through the camera viewfinder, force yourself to study the area surrounding your subject. Make sure no poles grow from the head of your favorite niece and that no cars seem to dangle from her ears.
If your subject is not in the center of the picture, you need to lock the focus to create a sharp picture. Most auto-focus cameras focus on whatever is in the center of the picture. But to improve pictures, you will often want to move the subject away from the center of the picture. If you don’t want a blurred picture, you’ll need to first lock the focus with the subject in the middle and then recompose the picture so the subject is away from the middle.
Take a variety of horizontal and vertical photos. Horizontal are primarily used online. Vertical are necessary for social media.
The most optimal times of day to take outside photos is early morning before 10 a.m. and at 4 p.m., depending on daylight saving time.
When taking photos inside, look for natural lighting coming from a window.
