How to capture great photos for your organization
Written by KATIE TEST DAVIS
You’re not alone. We hear the same thing from most of our clients: “we don’t have enough photographs”.
I get it – in the child and family-focused work that we do, it can be hard to get real photographs of real people to use in your materials. But it’s definitely worth it.
So with a little intention, a dash of project planning, and a can-do attitude, here are four steps you can take to get great photos for your organization.
STEP 1: IDENTIFY YOUR GAPS
Do an inventory of what exists. Get all your photos from across your organization – from different departments and programs – and then organize them so you can see what is missing.
Think through:
The programs you offer
The demographics of those you serve
What is coming up in the future
Do your current images authentically represent who you are and what you do? Once you’ve thought through what gaps exist, you can identify what types of photos you still need.
For example, you may be an organization that works with children in the foster care system. You may have plenty of photos representing the reunification work you advocate for, but nothing about housing. Knowing what you have and don’t have will allow you to make a big impact with your upcoming photo shoot.
Step 2: find a convenient time
Do you have an event coming up where you could pull some people to the side to take photographs? What about a community listening session? Will you be tabling at a farmer’s market soon? Think through the natural cadence of the year, and consider where and when the people you’d like to photograph are in one place. Here’s a list of community events to get you brainstorming or jog your memory.
Sometimes that’s not the case – there’s no natural way to tack on a photo shoot to an existing event. If that’s the case, then you’ll need to intentionally plan a photo shoot that helps you fill in your gaps. That’s okay too, just make sure you’re doing your best to make it convenient and fun for those you’re engaging.
step 3: find the right photographer
Not to brag, but we work with some outstanding photographers at Forthright who are the best in the biz. And that’s because we’ve intentionally assembled a group of awesome photographers who work well with children and families.
We tend to look for photographers who specifically specialize in family portraits, newborn photography and school portraits. They typically have the skillsets we need: someone who makes kids comfortable and excited about taking photos, who can capture photographs quickly and without much fuss, and who can give great coaching and guidance to the people they’re photographing.
We shy away from photographers who may specialize in product photography, business portraits and landscape photography. They tend to have a different skillset, need more time than our clients often have and may not make families super comfortable.
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Choosing the right photographer can be the difference between okay photos and amazing photos.
step 4: make a shot list
Identifying the photos you need ahead of time is critical. In the industry we call this “a shot list,” which is just a fancy term for a list of photographs that the photographer needs to capture during your photoshoot.
Make sure you’re pairing the subject with the mood you need. For example, make sure you're capturing both happy and serious pictures, so you have photos that will match the tone of your communication in the future.
Here are some examples of what we include on a typical shot list:
Students engaging with each other, happy
Families looking at each other, neutral
Students engaging with business leaders, serious
Students engaging with teachers, actively working
Families looking at the camera, smiling
Grandparent and child, actively playing
The formula here is “subject” + “activity” + “mood”. Writing it all down before you head into your big photoshoot will ensure you aren’t scrambling and that you capture everything you need!
Great photos will be an amazing asset for your work, and help you engage more people in your programs. Think of the amazing brochures, web pages, one pagers, infographics and more that you’ll be able to make with a fresh set of photos!
