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Intelligence
Create a Shot List for Your Campus Photo Shoot

Intelligence

Create a Shot List for Your Campus Photo Shoot

Mar 23, 2015By Kylie Stanley

In our user testing and in focus groups with students we’re finding an increasing desire for additional imagery on the web and in print materials. Students, particularly younger audiences, are proponents of the “show don’t tell” philosophy. It’s no wonder, then, that we’re having many conversations with clients about how to sate this demand. I’ll be doing a series of posts this year on how to plan and execute campus photo shoots. I’ll also highlight institutions or communication pieces with an extraordinary visual presence.

[Tweet “Students are proponents of the “show don’t tell” philosophy. Engage them with video. #mStoner”]

First Up: How To Create a Shot List

Draft your shot list:

  • Think small. You don’t need every aspect of the area around the shot to be perfect, but details that represent the institution’s brand/experience can be powerful. If these details are surrounded by or near less desirable visuals, we can frame the shot or crop the photo to get just what we need.
  • Get low and high. While many of your photographs will likely be taken at eye level to simulate the experience of being on campus, some of the more interesting shots may come from unusual perspectives. Consider the view coming up the stairs, what a student may see out the window on a high floor, a rooftop that overlooks a student gathering place, or a basement window where you can see feet rushing by en route to class.
  • Focus on people. While shots of campus beauty and facility interiors are important, your audiences are most interested in the stories of the people on campus. You need to make sure that your classroom and campus photos have a person in them, and that those individuals represent the diversity of the campus experience. Additionally, prioritize photos of groups and students interacting with each other — in recent conversations students derided the lone-individual-gazing-into-the-distance type of shots.
  • Scour existing brand materials and online forums (Flickr, Instagram, etc.). It’s interesting to note the difference between “official” photos from your institution and community-generated photos of the campus. Which locations and what type of photos does your community keep taking/posting that aren’t part of the official brand materials? Get those.
  • Utilize Google Street View and similar technology to start scouting locations. In many cases, you can simulate walking around campus and the surrounding area online. Start here for your draft shot list.

Finalize your shot list:

  • Based on the tips above, write out your draft shot list.
  • Take your draft out on a walkabout around campus. As you find locations that match the need for one or more of your shots, make a note. 
    • Start with locations that are common to your students: buildings where classes are held, areas where students study, dining halls, etc.
    • Consider thoroughfares students travel going to and from classes and other activities. Sidewalks, streets, bridges, and tunnels students walk every day become an integral part of their campus memories and your institution’s identity — don’t forget these places!
    • Branch out from the immediate campus area; most campuses have nearby off-campus areas that are significant to the community.
  • Take sample shots with a smartphone or point-and-shoot for future reference.
  • At the end of your walkabout note the following: 1) Shots that did not have a location identified, and 2) locations that stood out, but did not match any of the shots from your draft list.
  • Come up with solutions for the issues above.
  • Create final shot list for your photographer.*

* For a one-day campus photo shoot your shot list should be approximately 20–25 items long, with the expectation that the photographer will shoot multiple perspectives and vantage points for most of the shots. You should plan for approximately 75–100 final images to result from the photo shoot.