Our Photography

Getting your selection right

We’ve all read a publication or looked at a website where the images didn’t look ‘right’.  Perhaps the images weren’t relevant to the content or perhaps they didn’t give you the detail that you needed. In other cases, the photography might look outdated or stock images have obviously been used.  

Selecting the right photos for the content that you’re creating is as important as getting the words right.  It can help to think about the audience that your content is targeting.

• showing people in their natural/working environments will help the scene look ‘captured’ not contrived 
• unless you’re capturing profile images, avoid photos of clearly posed people create a natural scene 
• represent, promote, and celebrate the diversity of our community across our marketing materials. 
• a closer crop on subjects as they interact with each other at key moments will ensure a natural style of photography 
• choose a mix of images with some subjects looking away from camera and some into camera to add visual interest 
• try to use interesting and relevant backgrounds and consider allowing room for a text box or graphic to be overlaid on the image (if required) 

Location photography

Imagery of our campus, buildings, and venues are also important for creating a sense of place. This is especially important for those who have never visited Newcastle before.

Our tips for effective location photography:

• capture places of particular significance and interest to create an inspiring sense of place 
• consider the weather conditions, people, vehicles, and other possible variables when planning and executing your shoot 
• show off a variety of locations in marketing materials where possible 

Abstract photography

You can also use abstract shots of specialist equipment and signage to provide a greater variety of images, and to ensure a rich sense of place.

Mistakes to avoid 

When planning a photoshoot, and when selecting images for use, there are a number of mistakes that should be avoided:  

• photos where the subjects look disengaged  
• photos that do not draw the eye with a particular focal point 
• photos with dull lighting 
• faces and expressions that are hidden or obscured 
• using uninspiring shots of our buildings. We have some beautiful and impressive buildings, which we should show to their best advantage. 
• cut outs of people, as these can appear contrived, and are often difficult to execute to a high enough quality 

Arranging a photoshoot

There is a lot of imagery available in our Photo Library, however you may find that you need to organise your own photoshoot. For advice on photoshoots, contact the Brand Support team at brand-support@ncl.ac.uk. The following tips will also help:

• see our list of recommended photographers. Our Brand Support team can advise on who might be best for your project
• have a recce to the photoshoot venue in advance, even if it’s a venue that you are familiar with, to help the day itself go smoothly
• you should pay any students involved in photoshoots, which you can organise through Jobs On Campus
• when organising a shoot that involves students, all students must sign disclaimers