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GUIDELINES FOR MOST CUSTOM DESIGNS

  • Shoot all images in the best quality, high resolution and keep them full size; web designer will optimize and correctly size photos.
     
  • All photos should be horizontal in orientation.
     
  • Most photos must be wide and narrow - website photos span to reach the largest monitor and resize smaller. Think banner style when setting up the composition / shoot.
     
  • Shoot a variety of close-ups and distance to best provide the site designer with material that will work well for all pages/applications.
     
  • Shoot a series with a consistent area of white space, or copy space (blurred background), in mind. Many website designs have textual or navigation elements over the images.
     
    • The ideal focal point for home page images tends to be about at the ⅓ point - either right or left.
       
    • Plan some images where the focal point is centered
       
    • Know that your far right and far left edges of the image will often not be seen on smaller size screens
       
  • If shooting for a school, plan a series of shoots with students in school colors (spirit wear shirts, athletic/team wear, uniforms, etc.). The rest of the photos the subjects should be in neutral colors. Avoid clothing with graphics (other than school mascot/athletic wear).
     
  • If shooting for a school, shoot in a variety of locations that includes some of the classrooms and other environments to provide site visitors with a feeling of being on campus.
     
  • Background environment / location may be important. Be sure to obtain the subject's emotions but shoot a series that provides insight into what your location looks like.
     
  • Don't disregard "candid" photos - they can often be edited to work well for inside pages and galleries, etc. Review the overall quality and size; any image that is in a 300 dpi format is likely a good enough quality to work with on your website.
     
  • Focus photography shoots and resources on your home page. You'll likely obtain enough great shots to use for any landing pages or inside page needs.
     
  • Create a list for your photographer that includes the settings, age/people groups, etc. that you want reflected on your website.