Photographing Campus Life

As we head into fall and begin a new school year, campuses that have been gearing up all summer are opening doors to new students and staff. This is a great time for photographing campus life and capturing those scenes that could be used in school newspapers, websites and yearbooks. Capturing images of students registering for classes, lunch activities, pep rallies, assemblies and athletic events is a great way to create a sense of community. Images have always been a powerful way to foster a sense of connection and shared experiences.

Although many schools don’t have the resources to purchase and maintain high end photographic equipment, the good news is they don’t have to. With some basic gear and techniques, you’ll be able to capture iconic images of campus life that staff and students will appreciate for years to come. Before you get snapping, here are some things to keep in mind when taking school / campus photos.

Make sure you have permission.
If you’re working for a campus sponsored organization / publication, it never hurts to find out if they’ve gotten signed consent forms or model releases. You don’t want to capture an image and process it all the way to print only to find out you didn’t have permission. If the students are under 18, it would be wise to have signed permission from parents. Different schools might accomplish this in various ways. Some schools use an “opt out” method where all students are informed that any images taken during school activities may be used in publications, website, etc. They, or their parents, sign a contract that acknowledges this and would need to actively opt out of this expectation via documentation that stated so. Other schools have students / parents sign a document that states they are “opting in” to allow their images to be used. Check with your campus, your mileage may vary.

When capturing images on campus, here are a few tips to get you started.

Create a sense of place.
The opening scene of almost all movies is called the establishing shot. It brings the audience into the movie and tells them where it takes place and gives clues to what the movie will most likely be about. If you’re going to get shots of the campus with people, make sure that these shot do not have distracting elements (specific people drawing your eye) for the establishing shots. Make the “place” the subject. One way to avoid distracting people is to shoot from a distance, from a height or get there early before the crowds arrive. (Golden morning light can be SO choice!)

Schedule and plan.
Schedule ahead of time with groups, clubs, teams or organizations so that they know you’re coming to shoot and what to expect. Find out from them what they might want highlighted or other key bits of info. That way you’ll be prepared to get the great shots at the right time.
Look for “after school hour” activities that could add to the sense of campus life. Again, work with someone to schedule your shoot, and look for those unique events and imagery that you can share, those things that not everyone has a chance to see.

Zoom in.
Try to avoid the clutter and distractions. Perhaps the biggest newbie mistake is to only take shots of crowds or groups of people. Schools are busy places and it’s easy to fill the image with a “Where’s Waldo” of buzz and activity. Distractions and activity that detracts from your intended subject matter is all too common. Zoom in and isolate. Select your subject matter with intention, then make it stand out to obviously be your subject. Another tip: zooming in and intentionally keeping your f-stop low (1.8, 2.0, 2.8) will result in a shallow depth of field and nicely separate your subject from the background. A really pro look!

Get candids.
This is related to zooming in. Getting “cheese-grins” is good on occasion, but not every single shot. I’ve found some of the best images are those of students and staff being themselves. With some practice you’ll learn how to be stealthful (a long telephoto lens helps), find the right angle and snap off several shots of people laughing, smiling and engaged with each other. Avoid people eating. No one looks good chewing. 🙂

Work in the brand.
When you can, intentionally brand your images with iconic structures, locations, school logos, colors and emblems. Try to include them in the background, foreground, etc. Look for students / staff wearing school colors / emblems.

Look for places to practice.
Don’t just shoot for important events, look for opportunities to practice. This is perhaps the biggest tip. Practice the way a musician, actor or athlete would: often and with intention to improve. You’ll get only mediocre results if the only time you shoot is on “game day”. It’s digital. Toss the junk, process and post the keepers.

Sharpen your post production skills.
Whether you use Photoshop, Lightroom, Pixlr, Picasa or iPhone, the post-processing can make or break a photo. Being able to work quickly is important. Taking an hour to edit one photo is fine for personal / home photography, but schools are typically looking for variety, wide selection and therefore high volume. You’ll need to develop a reliable workflow from image capture all the way to the delivery of those edited images. Practice this too (see above).

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