School prospectus photography - is it time to update yours?

Pennie Withers - School Prospectus Photography Reading

Your prospectus and website is the first port of call for prospective parents when deciding on which schools/colleges to consider for their children. So it's essential that your school prospectus photography includes compelling images which lay the foundations of showcasing what’s special and unique about your school or College.

Your bank of school marketing photography needs to show pupils in a vibrant and engaging learning environment which can then be used across the whole marketing mix.

My background is in marketing, so for me, it’s not just about getting the perfect light for a specific shot (although that does help!) - it's working out what each photograph will show about your school. For example, if the school is known for its academic prowess - does it show engaged, hard working pupils? Or if the school is especially proud of its pastoral care, are there plenty of photos showing the children interacting with teachers and fellow pupils?

For the last 12 years, I have photographed a huge variety of schools throughout London and the South East including Westminster School, Kings College Wimbledon, Ludgrove and Shiplake College. I have also photographed lots of colleges too including East Surrey College, Central Bedfordshire College and Milton Keynes College.

I thought I would share with you what makes for a really effective school prospectus photography session and how to get the most out of your photographer . Here are my top 10 tips:

• Tip 1: Has your photographer worked in schools before ? I can't stress the importance of this one - school photography sessions are usually fast-paced. They have to fit in around lessons, keeping disruption to an absolute minimum, working in tight spaces as well as checking uniforms are correct, ties are done up etc. You can't spend time setting up lights/staging a shot....experience working in schools goes a long way here!
• Tip 2: Get your photographer to have a chat with your website or prospectus designer before the shoot - they may have some suggestions on the sort of images that are needed - or indeed, there may be some specific 'hero' shots that are needed to be photographed in a particular way/shape/dimension.
• Tip 3: Brief your photographer on what the school prides itself in: - academic results/pastoral care/sporting achievements? If your photographer knows this, they can bear this in mind when they are 'visualising' specific shots.
• Tip 4: Consider which subjects are important to show ? Don't just plan photographs for every single subject - remember, topics like geography, history, English etc…all look very similar in photos, whereas more practical subjects like science/music/art are much more impactful and visual.
• Tip 5: Involve the teachers - this is REALLY important. Photo sessions are always much more effective if the teachers are briefed that a photographer will be coming into their lesson. If you have 15 minutes on the schedule to be in a particular lesson - it's much better that the teacher has specific tasks already set up rather than interrupting a planned lesson and then trying to set up certain scenarios.
• Tip 6: Engage with the pupils - try to get reactions from them or get them engaging with each other. It's much more interesting to see photographs of pupils enjoying themselves than just immersed in a book.
• Tip 7: Timetable 2-3 shoots in the academic year - this way, you will get a good mix of weather in the photos, but also, sometimes different uniform, seasonal sport activities and extra curricular activities.
• Tip 8: Uniforms - the best possible term for a photo shoot is the new Autumn term. You'll have lots of fresh-faced pupils in new uniform to photograph. Also - establish how much emphasis the school puts on smart uniform. Some really like to make sure that uniform rules are adhered to. Equally, some schools like to allow pupils to express themselves through what they wear at school, so in this instance, uniform rules will be more relaxed.
• Tip 9: Have a shoot timetable - this brings together many of the other points as it means teachers will know when to expect you photographing their lesson. It also will mean that you are able to review what lessons you are going into to ensure that you are going to be getting exactly the right mix of photos that you want. But within the timetable, allow for some flexibility - the photographer will need to get between classrooms and sometimes, you will come across scenarios around the school which are naturally happening which you won't want to miss. Eg: pupil interactions at break times/meal times etc.
• Tip 10: Warn parents/pupils that photography is taking place . Some parents don't like their child being used in publicity photographs. Conversely, for those who are being photographed, parents can ensure that their uniforms are smart and correct!

A typical full day photo shoot will set the school up with on average, around 300 photos which will provide you with a hugely valuable marketing collateral .

You will have a library of photos which will not only form the basis of your school prospectus, but can also be used on your website, in social media posts, press releases, advertisements and also displaying aspirational images around the school to inspire staff, students and parents. So, the value from even just one photo shoot, is huge.

Finally, I have also worked with schools taking photographs of speech days, results days, alumnae events, sports days and drama productions. So, remember that these provide opportunities to boost your bank of photos too.

Hopefully these tips will enable you to plan a really effective photo session for your school prospectus and website photography. However – working with a professional photographer, hugely experienced in school prospectus photography (like me!) will mean that together, we can formulate a plan to deliver captivating school prospectus photographs. To see more examples of my work, click here.