Photo tips & technical specifications for the calendar project.
Here’s a general idea of what we need for the calendar project.
| SUBJECT MATTER: | • Miracle Baby/Child alone: (One child, age 0 – 3 per photo.) • Parent & Child ‘Relationship’ Photos: We will also need photos of Mother and Child (for May/Mother’s Day) and Father and Child (for June/Father’s Day). We are particularly interested in photos that capture the parent looking at the child; the relationship between parent and child. For this project, we need photos of one parent and child, but in the future, we may also have a need for photos of both parents – if you wish to submit those too. |
| WARDROBE: | Simple and solid colored clothing is best for everyone in the photo, because it keeps the focus on the people and not the outfit. Avoid clothing with images, logos, slogans, etc. (unless it’s an FST onesie!) |
| THE BACKGROUND: | Take your photo in a space where the background is simple, clean, uncluttered. Make sure there are no other people or pets in the photo. Avoid logos, easily identifiable locations, or other brands. Keep the focus of the photograph on the child (or on the parent-child relationship). |
| COMPOSITION: | • HIGH RESOLUTION: The photos you submit MUST be high resolution (straight from the camera). Photos taken with phones might not meet this requirement. See our tips below about taking photos with your phone camera. • DON’T GET TOO CLOSE: It’s important to leave space all around your baby/subject, this gives us room to crop the image if necessary to fit our layout. • HORIZONTAL IS BEST: To use a photo in the calendar, we’ll need to be able to use it in a horizontal format. So, create your images that way to start with if possible. • EYES: If the baby/child is awake, eye contact can make a big impact and draw the viewer in. Of course, sleeping newborns are adorable too. • PROPS: If you use props, be sure they are simple, timeless, not distracting, and in keeping with the overall color scheme. |
| FOCUS & RESOLUTION: | Photos must be crisp, in sharp focus and well/evenly lit. No shadows on the face, or distracting shadows on the background. Photos you submit MUST be high resolution. If you are using your phone to photograph, make sure it is set to capture the full, high resolution. See tips about using your phone to photograph below. We cannot use low resolution/compressed photos for the calendar. |
| TIP: Taking photos for a print project using your phone | These days, phones take great photos. But you need to be aware that if you are using your phone for a print project (like our calendar), your camera settings will need to be on the highest resolution. Many phones lower or ‘compress’ the resolution of your photos to make them easier to post online or email. However, this will not work for printing, so we cannot consider photos that are not high resolution. Please refer to your phone’s instructions to ensure you have your camera on the right settings to create high resolution/print-quality images. |