The Importance of a Great In-House Photographer

Does your school rely on the skills of your school's faculty and the quality of their current mobile phones, or do you have an in-house photographer to capture the moments that matter most to your families? Having a great in-house photographer can make all the difference to your school's online presence, internal communications, and customer satisfaction.

Enhanced Online Presence

The ability to portray your school on your chosen platforms attractively and within your brand guidelines very much depends on the quality of your photographs. Every school should have a visual appeal that they are looking to consistently display across all platforms. Having multiple amateur photographers using different cameras and inconsistent editing will not provide the necessary visual appeal necessary to elevate the branding of your school. Employing and developing an in-house photographer allows you to define your school's unique visual appeal and ensure that it is consistently portrayed.

More Effective Internal Communications

What better way is there to get your parents, faculty, and staff to read internal communications than making them ultra-attractive using on-brand and relevant imagery taken specifically for the purpose they are being used for. Vero, a popular messaging platform analyzed over 5000 emails and concluded that images have a 42% increase in click-through-rate. It's every school's internal communications goal to get a 100% open rate, so why not make these communications something that parents look forward to opening.

Greater Customer Satisfaction

Today, more than ever, parents want to see what is going on in the classroom and have some keepsakes for the future. Even though many schools around the world are returning to on-campus learning, it's unlikely that the parents will be allowed on-campus for quite some time. Providing a high-quality source of imagery for your families alleviates some of that disappointment in missing out on their child's important moments. This is especially true when it comes to assemblies, concerts, and sporting events where audiences and spectators are not yet allowed.

What to look for in a Great In-House Photographer

Not all photographers are created equal and not all photographers are suited to the fast-paced and high-demanding education industry. When you are looking for a school photographer, it's important to take the following into account:

• Personality - A school photographer needs to be easy-going, yet a go-getter at the same time.

• People Person - Your school photographer must be comfortable with adults, teenagers, and toddlers.

• Quick - Parents, administrators, and staff will be demanding photographs from all corners of the school, every day. Your photographer needs to be able to take, process, and distribute photographs timeously.

• Experienced - A school photographer must be able to adapt to various locations, times of day, types of photographs, and different lighting. Your school photographer must have significant experience in using editing suites such as Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop.

• Organized - The ability to manage time, arrange photoshoots, and keep your online photo repository organized is critical.

• Flexible - School photography can include anything from headshots for a yearbook to action photos from a basketball game. Your school photographer must know how to do it all.

It's not so much as to whether you should get an in-house school photographer, but rather who is going to be our in-house school photographer. This person is a critical component of a school's marketing team and should not be overlooked in any size school. It's my recommendation to all schools that they look for someone who fits their culture - someone who is willing to grow with the school, and someone who is as passionate about the school as you are.