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.