Guidelines for Photos

All photos should be submitted in JPG or TIFF format and be at least 400KB in file size – photos downloaded from Facebook and other online sites are usually only 70KB and too small to reproduce in newsprint even though they may look fine on a computer screen.

Aim to make photos show action. If a presentation is being made, capture the recipient being handed the award or shaking hands with the presenter. A static shot of a group of people facing the camera is generally of interest only to those in the photo or their organisation rather than a broader readership.

Always include the names and surnames of people in photos – unless a large group – and if necessary list from left to right.

It’s usually better to compose photographs so that the subjects fill the frame rather than appear in in the distance surrounded by background.

Try to avoid cutting off heads and feet.

If it’s important to the shot, make sure everyone is looking at the camera – preferably smiling – and that nobody’s eyes are closed. Take the same shot two or three times to be sure.

Photos that are overexposed (too light) or blurry (out of focus) are generally unusable. If a photo is too dark, we may be able to salvage it as long as the image is reasonably sharp.