Pictures Speak Louder than Words

Remember the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words? Many businesses and organizations are perfectly positioned to give community news media exactly what they want: photos of local children, adults, and seniors participating in beneficial activities. Pictures portray the community, and often smaller media outlets do not have photographers on staff and must rely on contributors to do the job. Here are some tips for making the camera one of your best friends.

1. Make sure you center your subjects in the viewfinder. Don't cut off parts of heads or bodies.

2. Don't be shy about telling your subjects what to be doing for the photo you want to take.

3. Don't be shy about having to get in front of other people to take a photo.

4. Stage photos to show what you want the public to know, or if you have missed an actual event.

5. Try to avoid shooting where shadows are created by bright light streaming into a room. Close the blinds if necessary.

6. Outdoors, try to avoid shooting into a shaded area from bright light. Don't shoot directly into the sun.

7. Always use a flash indoors.

8. Take photos with a digital camera or smart phone so that they can be emailed to reporters for use.