You want to look your best for your photo shoot, whether for a profile photo or a group photo.
Here are some things we recommend you think about before and after the photoshoot.
Taking Your Own Photos
When a student, staff, faculty, or alumnus/alumna will be submitting a portrait photo, here are some recommendations to follow that will help you achieve the best possible image. The portrait should be well lit, in focus, and show the subject from the waist up with margins on the left, right, and top.
Tips for taking a great photo:
- Make sure the subject is near a light source
- For best results, use natural light by taking the photo outdoors if the weather permits, or by placing the subject near a window if indoors. If you don’t have access to a window, move the subject to an area that is well lit.
- Make sure the light source is illuminating the subject’s face and not turning them into a silhouette.
- If you are using a mobile phone to take the photo, you may need to stand roughly 4-6 feet away to achieve the appropriate framing. Again the image should be from the waist up and include margins on the left, top, and right side of the subject.
- Do not zoom in with the camera, change your positioning as needed.
- Have the subject stay away from a wall whenever possible to give more separation between
the subject and background. - Try not to position the subject in front of a busy background.
What we need from you:
We will need the image to be uncropped and as high a resolution as possible (i.e., the original image) with a minimum size of 680x680 pixels.
Here are a couple of example photos to give you an idea of what we’re aiming for, as well as a visual diagram.
https://artsci.wustl.edu/faculty-staff/thomas-bakupog
https://artsci.wustl.edu/faculty-staff/deniz-aksoy
Note: You can achieve great results using an iPhone or a similar phone with a decent camera, by following the above guidelines.