Publicity photos
Public relations are an increasingly vital aspect of a corporation, organization, or prominent person's identity. The need for public relations specialists has grown at an exponential rate over the years, and there are always newly trained public relations specialists there to meet the demand.
A public relations specialist, also referred to as a publicist, is essentially a manager, who handles and strategizes his or her client's public relations. A corporation, organization, prominent person, or other entity uses the services of a public relations specialist to build relationships with the media and public. A public relations specialist works to promote and build publicity for his or her client, and make them appear positive in the eyes of the media and public.
A public relations specialist's tasks that allow him or her to meet the needs of their client vary somewhat, but two consistencies are preparing press releases and press kits. Press releases are usually a single piece of paper sent to the media that coincide with a client for possible inclusion into an article or story. A press kit is a packet sent to the media containing detailed information on the client. Both of a press release and kit are ways of promoting a company, organization, prominent person, or other entity. Many times, a press kit will contain photographs of a client, or photographs that relate to the client.
The Purpose of Publicity Photos
A picture has the power to say more than an entire article. Photographs used in a press kit, distributed to the media, or used in promotion of a public relation specialist's client have the ability to provide valuable client publicity. Photos may be formal portraits, the client, company executives, or client's corporate presence at an event, interiors and exteriors of a company or organization's headquarters, or any number of photo types that showcases the client. These photographs may be printed in a newspaper or magazine, broadcast on television, or displayed on a client's website.
The Publicity Photo Process
Public relations specialists do not obtain publicity photos of their client by walking around with a digital camera and snapping pictures. Public relations photos are important public relations tools that must look flattering and professional.
Public relations specialists hire professional photographers and arrange photo shoots to obtain pictures for use in public relations. A photo shoot's purpose may be for obtaining formal portraits of a company or organization's executives, or portraits of a prominent person. A photo shoot's purpose may also be to obtain exterior shots and interior shots of company or organization's headquarters
The public relations specialist will provide guidelines for the photographer and the types of photos they wish to have taken. They will also notify everyone who will be involved in the photo, or who may appear in a photo, and may provide guidelines so the photographs may turn out well.
In addition, members of the media may send photographers to photograph events that involve a public relations specialist's client for possible inclusion in a story.
Publicity Photo Guidelines
There are important guidelines that must be taken into consideration when preparing to obtain or distributing publicity photos. Public relations specialists should keep these points and tips in mind:
- Regardless of the subject of the photo or type of client, a photograph should always be high-quality, crystal clear, and accurately positioned;
- Scan photographs with a DPI (dots per inch) count of 300 or more for the best printing clarity;
- Portraits that showcase a single client, be they a prominent person or company executive, and group portraits should be close-ups;
- Avoid arrogant or child-like poses;
- Consider having black and white photos taken if they will be used in a newspaper;
- Do not use busy backgrounds;
- Photographs that show action or movement provide visual interest;
- Avoid clichéd photos that show ribbon cuttings or portraits of company employees speaking on a telephone;
- Avoid placing oversized photos on your client's website. They can slow loading time;
- Rather than a photograph of the groundbreaking of a client's new building, provide the media with artist's renderings of the finished structure;
- If members of the media take photographs at an event, you do not have the autonomy to demand to see the negatives or request free prints;
- You may need to obtain photo releases from everyone who may have their picture taken. A photo release allows the use of person's photo, or a person who appears in a photo, to be used freely and without compensation;
- Update photographs regularly. Maintain a collection of current client and personality photos for use.
The use of a publicity photos as part of public relations strategy is a useful tactic that provides increased prominence and publicity for a public relations specialist's client.
