Photo Selection tips
Selecting photos for a school web site or publication
In broad terms:
Photos that reveal the breadth of activities at the school... as well as the diversity of students and staff within the school.
Depict a range of activity
- Standard classroom activities - class working quietly at their desks.
- Hands-on classroom activities - interacting with equipment - science experiments, math tools, electronics components, conversational language lessons.
- Students and staff involved in lessons that take place in specialised rooms such as: mechanics, plumbing, painting and other trade training centre lessons, library, sewing, cooking, music, dance studio, drama performance, cricket nets, netball courts, non-specialist PE lessons in the gym.
- Off-campus activities that might include students traveling such as: Solar Car Challenge, trip to Cambodia, Bush Ranger activities, the Japanese exchange, sporting carnivals or competitions, debating team competitions, Canberra tour. (Photos that depict various additional opportunities for students beyond the school fence... your school might participate in programs not listed here.)
- Clubs: chess, table-tennis, robotics, student newspaper - any lunchtime or after school clubs
Depict the diversity of students and staff within your community
Choose photos that...
... reflect that diverse make-up of the school community.
... show gender balance and inclusion of those whose gender is perhaps more fluid.
... reveal the variety of the cultural backgrounds within the community.
... show if the school caters for both able bodied children and those with restricted mobility.
Tip - Be mindful of photos with Year 12's in them - for some projects the end product becomes out-of-date too quickly when this cohort leaves.
PS - Choose good quality photos!
Some criteria for selecting a good photo includes...
technically clear (not blurry)
- uses good lighting
- has visual impact
- tells a story
- is well composed
- is creative
- contains nice use of colour
...all the criteria that make for a good photo!