If you are a typical nonprofit development professional and not a photographer, you probably feel nervous about picking up a camera to take pictures for your organization's website, brochure, or similar.
But organizations can't always afford to hire someone who really knows what they're doing. And if you can, that person may not always be there to get shots when things are happening. So it's up to you.
Luckily, even if you don't know an f/stop from your elbow, there are a few basic tips that can improve your photos immensely!
That's what draws people's attention on a page. Even if you are an environmental nonprofit (for example), you could use photos of kids exploring the wetlands you strive to protect.
If in a photo someone is looking to the side even slightly, her face shouldn't be in the center of the frame. There should be extra space in the direction she is looking.
A pretty simple concept to grasp that has the potential for creating fantastic photos.
Remember in this digital age you can crop photos if your viewfinder composition doesn't come out the best. You don't need image software, you can even do it in Microsoft Word. Just be sure to use a high resolution so you can do this (also so the photos can be used in print, not just online).
Using the flash can make images look stark, and people washed out.
However, if you are having trouble taking pictures that aren't blurry, using the flash can help you out.
If a photo is too dark, you can first increase the brightness, and then increase the contrast so it doesn't look washed out. You have to play around with the settings so it doesn't look strange or bad. Again, these are tweaks you can make even in MS Word.
- Look at what's around your subject
It can be easy to focus on the person you are photographing—is she smiling, is his hair messed up? But don't miss something that makes it look, for example, like a tree is growing out of the top of his/her head. In real life it doesn't look like that, because we have 3D vision. In a photograph, though, the image is translated into flat 2D.
This post on Big Duck has 10 tips aimed at the nonprofit. #1, "Think beyond events," is so important. Do the people in these pictures like to see themselves featured in, say, your annual report? Sure. Does anyone else care? Not really. Donors like to see where their money goes. You want to give them a warm fuzzy feeling, which photos of people in suits accepting awards just doesn't provide.
Also, #6, "Shoot lots of frames," is great. Why not? In the digital age, there's no extra cost involved in hitting that shutter repeatedly. #9, "Always get permission," is of course very important!
Here are some more great beginning photography tips for you to check out.
Photos tell your story. Don't be afraid to experiment; you'll keep getting better and better.
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