Craig Verley

I increasingly see visuals associated with school district marketing that are carefully crafted and controlled. In most cases, you can tell that the video or photographs were taken under planned and controlled settings with great lighting and staging. The resulting campaigns are often slick-looking and probably do a great job competing for intended audiences’ attention.

With tight schedules and deadlines, it can be easy to get tunnel vision when you are out at a campus or other location for a shoot. I challenge you to make a conscious effort to widen your view when out and about. Be more aware of your surroundings when you are walking the hallways of a campus or traversing a campus outdoors. Put your head on a bit of a swivel and try to notice what is going on in classrooms through the glimpses you get from the small windows in classroom doors. You never know when you might see something that would make for an engaging photo or video shot. Yeah, it might not fit the exact needs of the current project, but it might make for a great social media post or addition to your department’s stock of photos and b-roll.

These quick and spontaneous shoots might not have the perfect lighting, but they will have something very genuine that is often not possible in staged environments, even if you are trying to capture “natural” classroom interactions and activities in a room that you have lit for the purpose. These little moments also have a few other positive impacts. They can help you reconnect with “why” we do what we do when you get to be a part of an impromptu learning or classroom moment. These can also provide a bit of a creative boost to your morale. Plus, they are often quick hits of fun for you. Grab the images in the moment, and then follow up with the campus staff on getting names and checking on parent permissions, etc. later. The main point is to strike while you have the chance and while it is happening organically. The images captured in those unplanned moments can often have an authentic feel that you just can’t duplicate in a planned shoot with all the perfect lighting and staging. And, in my opinion, that more authentic feel does translate into a final image or video.

So, when you are out and about in your district, make an effort to be more present and aware of the possibilities. Those unplanned creative moments can offer the benefits of some great shots and stories, but also help keep you connected to the positive things going on in each classroom/hallway/gym/cafeteria/campus, etc. in a way that can give your personal positive energy a little charge. It could even be considered a little dose of self-care, and don’t we all need that from time to time?