Fraternal Programs > Visibility Toolkit > Photo Tips
Photo Tips

Try to take pictures at any activity, and if you know there will be good photo opportunities, let the media know when you invite them (again, think about which events make sense for news releases, because not all of them do).

Photo Tips

• Go for the close-up and be creative! Action-oriented pictures attract more attention than pictures of people’s hands (unless they’re famous!). Each newspaper and Web site has its own policy on photographs, but many won’t print "check-passing pictures."

• Submit pictures with a caption, also known as a cutline, that explains who, what, when, where, why and how. Make it short but descriptive. Include the name and telephone number of the photographer and chapter publicity person.

• Tell people that their pictures may be taken and appear in the papers. If local newspapers will be at your event, include a sign-in sheet at your event, clearly stating that local media will be at the event and that their photos may be taken and published. Mention that if anyone has a concern about their photos being taken, they should notify the event organizers. (Then make sure the media do not take photos of these people.)

What Works

• Action: People working together, moving or doing an activity. Avoid posed photos.

• Reactions: People responding to your chapter’s volunteer service activity.

• Emotion: People with expressions.

• Thrivent Financial identity: When appropriate or possible, show the activity is a chapter activity. For example, include a Thrivent Financial banner, caps or T-shirts in photos.

• Individuals or groups: Limit group shots to five people.

• Digital photos: If you are shooting these pictures, make sure the file quality is set at a high resolution to make sure the photo has good quality. Most print publications require a photo of at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) to reprint.

• Pros: If you hire a professional photographer for your activity, make sure you purchase the rights to reprint the photos in a newspaper or magazine.

The nuts and bolts: Interested in submitting photos to Thrivent Financial? If you plan to submit photos to Thrivent Financial publications, you will need permission from the people appearing in the photos. Print and complete the online Fraternal Communications Volunteers in Action Information Release form found in the Forms area of the Volunteer Resources section of Members/Chapters at www.thrivent.com. Send the completed form with the photos to the address indicated on the form.

Proceed with care: Consider confidentiality of recipients!

Access this form from the Forms page on thrivent.com (www.thrivent.com > Members/Chapters > Volunteer Resources > Forms).

If the recipient is a qualified not-for-profit organization, the form does not require a signature, unless a volunteer or employee’s name or likeness is published.