The Yearbook World of Scott Geesey
from Jostens Yearbooks of central/northern Pennsylvania
ARCHIVE - SEPTEMBER 15, 2019
WANT AN IMMEDIATE YEARBOOK UPGRADE? Improve Your Photography!
Hello! It's the last week of summer, officially at least. Personally I'm ready for fall, let's lose the heat and humidity. Do you have a good amount of sports photos so far? Some seasons are now half over - if you're short of pics right now, let's get out to games and matches and catch up. More on photpgraphy below...
It's time for the September update of my fun project, The Yearbooking Report. How's your staff organization right now? Need some help? Watch and listen as a top MIDDLE school yearbook adviser gives you some tips and ideas for EVERYONE, along with other news and notes...
The Yearbooking Report Video, 9 minutes: https://youtu.be/EIPN8Ak_clo or search YouTube for Yearbooking Report.
The Yearbooking Report Podcast, 44 minutes; http://www.yearbooking.podbean.com or via Apple Podcasts.
Are you following the FOUR Jostens social media pages for even more great ideas as well as examples of great yearbook work by staffs from across the country? Jostens has a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest outlet - for Jostens advisers look for the direct links to each of these pages at the bottom of your Yearbook Avenue login page and home page. NO ONE ELSE has such a plethora of creative resources and tips!!
EVERY yearbooking effort can improve its photography - it begins with the idea to do so...
In some recent training days (and those upcoming) I mentioned that one quick way to immediately upgrade your yearbook is to make the effort to improve your photography. It seems like such a simple idea - of course everyone wants great pictures in their book. But most yearbook staffs make little to NO effort to actually go out and get great images.
Advisers, think about your current effort - how often do you discuss photography with your students? Or do you just send kids out to get pictures? How often do you figure out in advance what images you want for a particular page or spread? Ever?
Over the years I've encountered the idea that only professionals with expensive equipment can take great pictures. NOT TRUE - anyone can take great shots, it usually just takes some forethought and a little creativity.
Of all the tips on photography out there, I can boil down the key ingredients into just a couple of ideas. First, always be sure to get in close to your subject - it seems so easy but this is one that most young photographers just don't do. Then we're left with images of tiny people far away; in some cases we can't even make out who they are. Instead, fill the frame.
Another seeming "no brainer" is to make sure your shots are in focus; you'd be amazed how many yearbooks contain fuzzy images. When I ask why later, the response I usually get is "that's all we had." I remember the old days (not that long ago) of film photography when we didn't know the quality of photos until they were developed. We're now in the days of digital photography when staffers should be taking dozens of even hundreds of images at a time and they can see every one on their camera screen.
What are some ways you can show your students how to take great images? You can do some web searching for many valuable sites and tools, they're out there. But I've already found some really good utilities posted here on this site for you to use.
For starters there'e my online instructional video on Basic Photography Tips as I show some simple ideas on getting better images. Click the link in the left column of the home page here to watch this video, under 15 minutes, great to show during a yearbook class period.
Check out your YBA Digital Classroom and use the search bar to enter "photography." Watch the MANY resources and links pop up on your screen. Be sure to check out and use the photography resources in the Seven Minute Starters series, including the video on good photography and the lessons on better camera usage. Few yearbook staffers really know the particulars of camera settings and how to use them to enhance photos. And check the new Grow Your Know series there and a digital version of our new photography curriculum.
Also here in the left column of the home page, click on the link called Learning Good Photography. I've compiled some great web resources to help teach your students about good photography including proper camera usage and more. There are some neat websites out there and I've found a few. The Penn State camera simulator site is my favorite.
Make the commitment today to take BETTER photos this year - great storytelling images that your readers will enjoy for decades to come.