Briefing Photographers

On some occasions you will use pictures that have already been taken (called library or stock shots) but there may be occasions when you will want to commission new photography. This might be the case for larger projects such as brochures or campaigns, especially those that will run for a longer period of time and have a number of different publications planned.

Commissioning one photographer to do the work for you gives you control over the images taken and helps to establish an element of consistency on things like style, colour, tone and feel, throughout the project.

The University's Publications Office work with a number of photographers and can advise you on the ones that might best suit a particular project. We can also help with the task of commissioning.

This will usually be based on a briefing note that you draw up, in writing, setting out what you need and when. You should cover the number of different shots you'll need for the publication, the aim of the publication, the mood and feel you are trying to convey and what you would like to be in the photographs, both in general terms and if you want them to feature particular buildings and/or people.

As with printers, you may want to get quotes from a number of different photographers and you can follow the process set out in that section of this guide.

Once you have chosen the photographer, take some time to talk with them about the brief and draw on their skills and experience of what works. At this stage you will also need to talk about the formats you are working with because this will influence the way the photographs are taken. Are you working with large banners or posters, in colour or black and white, for print or for the web? We have set out more detailed guidance on these issues in the next section.

Alternatively you may want to make use of library shots and here too, the Publications Office may be able to help. We have a stock library which contains:

• Oxford: scenic, main buildings both University and colleges
• Students at work and leisure (labs, libraries, sports etc)
• Individual academics
• Famous people with an Oxford connection