Just as our text content tells a story, so does our visual content. Choose images intentionally, rather than dropping in any picture just to fill white space. Images should convey impact and meaning just as text does.
Our goal is for images on our website to work with the text content to share our UTIA story and excite and engage our viewers – both newcomers and internal UTIA “family” members.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Images should be the proper size. Grainy, or pixelated, images are distracting and devalue your other content. No matter how cool the subject of your photo is, if the image is too small or old to render clearly, it won’t translate. Images should be saved as jpg or png files for uploading to the web site. While you don’t want your image to be too small, it also shouldn’t be too big. Files that are too large can take a long time to load over certain internet connections and slow down the user’s experience of the web site.
- In general, images should not contain embedded text, for accessibility purposes.
- Images should be named descriptively yet concisely. For example, you should avoid uploading images with names like “IMG2017893,” and rename them with a title that explains what the image is. A photo of Morgan Hall on the ag campus, taken in September of this year, might be called “MorganHall_Fall2019.”
- Images should always be accompanied by alternative text, commonly known as alt text. This ensures that if there is an issue with rendering the image, text will be shown instead to let the user know what the content was intended to be. Alt text should be descriptive, since many people use e-readers and the alt text is exclusively how they interact with images. Using the previous example, the alt text for a picture of Morgan Hall might be something like “A photo of the front of Morgan Hall on a sunny afternoon in September. Red and orange leaves fall in the foreground.” More information and instructions on how to add alt text to your images are included in the Accessibility section.
What Makes a Good Photo
- It’s clear, not pixelated (again, why size is so important)
- It’s not overly busy or distracting, and;
- It has an obvious focal point which draws the eye and engages the viewer
- It feels “real” and is specific to the context – be careful when using stock images, because too often they are obviously staged or don’t relate to the rest of your content
- It echoes the colors or elements of the brand/identity
Sourcing Photos
If it’s so important to use great photos in your web content, where are you supposed to find them? Thankfully, there are several great resources, depending on your needs.
Free Resources
First, there is Extension’s Digital Asset Database (DAD). The DAD contains photos taken and uploaded by and for UTIA employees. The hope is to collect images that are specific to subject matter areas and specialties which are difficult to find elsewhere.
Photos in the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s Asset Bank are available for departments and colleges to use free of charge. You can request access by following the steps to become a “University User.”
There are also free photo websites like Unsplash, Pixabay, or the USDA Agricultural Research Service Image Gallery where you can find high quality photos for nonprofit use. Always review the terms of use and licensing information for photos available on the internet and if you have questions, feel free to reach out to a member of Marketing and Communications.
You can request a photographer from Marketing and Communications by entering a project request. They are available for event photography, staff photos, award portraits, etc.
Paid Resources
Photo services like iStock and Shutterstock can be a useful option if you have a budget for photography and your timeline is too short to spend a lot of time searching for the perfect free option or scheduling a photoshoot. If your department does not have an account with these services, or needs help picking photos, you can contact Marketing and Communications, who can purchase the photos for you through their account and be reimbursed with a departmental transfer.
The University of Tennessee Knoxville offers drone services for a reasonable fee. It is illegal to use a drone without proper licensing and prior approval on the agricultural campus, and in many places across the state.