The Yearbook World of Scott Geesey
from Jostens Yearbooks of central/northern Pennsylvania
ARCHIVE - NOVEMBER 13, 2016
YOUR PORTRAIT SECTIONS: How to Make Them GREAT This Year
Hello! Well, that was quite an election last week, yes? History was made in so many ways. Is this yearbook worthy? Are you kidding? YES!!! If your book includes our annual Jostens World Beat 16 page year in review supplement, rest assured that there will be full coverage included in this year's edition. For my advisers I'll be sharing more on World Beat in the coming days. It's a great and easy way to add 16 colorful stylish pages to your book with no work involved for you, all at an affordable price.
I enjoyed assisting at the Pennsylvania School Press Association (PSPA) regional journalism day at Penn State Altoona last Friday. It was the final one of the six regional days around the state this fall. The winners of the various competitions for yearbook, newspaper, broadcast and literary magazine will meet up at Penn State University Park on Wednesday, March 29 for the annual PSPA state championships. I already have the date on my calendar.
We're now just a week to Thanksgiving break. Make it a goal to push your yearbooking staff to get as much done as they can in this next week so all can relax and have a great holiday break. Fall sports (except for those in playoffs) are now completed so let's get those pages or spreads done shortly. Winter sports practices are now underway this week, time to start thinking about how those teams will be covered. There is plenty to do, how much can be done by next Tuesday or Wednesday?
Are your portrait pages fun and readable? Or just pictures and names?
Many schools are now receiving their portrait images from their school photographer (or will soon) and they will be flowing their class spreads in this year's book. But before you really tackle this effort, here's are some things to watch and some ideas for this year's book...
LOAD YOUR IMAGES AND NAMES: For YearTech software users, find your directions on uploading your images and names from your photo CD or download. Then you can easily flow your material onto your portrait pages.
For YearTech Online users, be sure to get that CD/DVD to Jostens to upload your material on YBA. Send either to our Clarksville superfacilitty (check your editor's kit for mailer and address) or to our friend Micah Martin at our State College Creative Center. Or forward any online download link to us via email and we'll take it from there.
There's also a way to transmit all files from your photo CD/DVD via the Net. If you'd prefer this method just contact Micah for the details.
CHECK YOUR IMAGES: The first thing you do once all material is loaded. For YearTech Online users, check the portrait section in the Image Library. For sofrware users check the images loaded in your computer system. Look for duplicates of some students, the original and retake. We only need one so mark the "wrong" image not to be used or delete it. Check name spellings as well, make corrections as needed.
And hopefully your photographer provided you images with the same background behind every student. Multiple colored backgrounds, popular with some photo companies in recent years, make your pages look like rainbows. If that is your situation, give your photographer a quick call this week and see if they can provide images with just ONE background for all students.
PAGE DESIGNING: What have your portrait pages looked like in past years? For most schools it's all pictures and names, pictures and names. Portrait sections may be the most "boring" section of most yearbooks with no candids, no writing, no real originality. Let's change that this year.
Check out our many Jostens portrait templates in the Page Surfer book and category. Some are rather plain but many include extra elements to liven up your portrait pages and make the more readable - quote boxes, photo strips, survey modules, etc. Use those templates verbatim on your pages or change them around but watch out for changes in the actual portrait areas that could mess up your flowing. And DON'T type in names, your portrait flowing does that for you.
TRY DIFFERENT IDEAS: Here are some possibilities to consider...
- Find some way to get different content on EVERY portrait pages, not just pictures and names. Even if it's only candid images, it breaks up the monotony. Maybe arrange a strip of images down the side of your pages or across the top or bottom of your spread, leaving the rest of the area for portraits and names.
- One interesting idea is to use a template filling your page with portraits and names, then take out selected portrait photo blocks and replace them with a text box telling a story about someone on the page. Definitely makes the page more readable. Or take out several photo blocks and replace with a candid image box with an image of students in that class inserted.
- Vacate some space on the pages for survey or poll questions of students. Include candid images of student respondents if you can to find another way to get them in the book. Or create some infographics to display the info and show more faces.
- Portraits don't have to be large on the pages. Consider smaller portrait images with more space for candids, writing and graphics. Portraits are needed in every yearbook but are rarely read. Perhaps go smaller and leave more page space for storytelling about students.
- Check the Design Gallery on your YBA website for terrific ideas on portrait sections from top yearbooks across North America. And if you're a YTO user you can probably copy those page templates into your own template library to use on YOUR pages. Why reinvent the wheel when you don't have to?
HOW TO FLOW?: It's easy for both software and online. Use the directions in your editor's kit bag or via your Yearbook Avenue website in the Digital Classroom. We even have online videos there showing you everything to do. But if you need extra help, please let me know.
Bottom line - let's do something different this year. If you have any questions on portrait flowing, give Jostens Tech Support a call anytime and let them walk you through. Or contact me anytime so I can check things out.