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Shooting your own Photos and Videos

Tips for Shooting Your Own Marketing Photos and Videos

Using photography and videos that are clearly identifiable as your transit system and region can help attract potential riders. You may have someone within your agency who can shoot custom photography and videos of your vehicles, passengers, drivers, events, etc., for use in your marketing materials.


While a DSLR camera with a good lens will generally produce better images, a good cell phone camera may be all you need. The skill of the person shooting is usually more important than the camera itself. Learn the features of your camera to make the best images and videos, and become comfortable and familiar enough that you can focus your attention on the subject and determine the best composition, rather than trying to figure out how to use your camera while you’re shooting. 


Portrait mode on some phone cameras can help simulate the high-end look of a blurred background that typically comes from a high-quality DSLR. Some phone cameras have a portrait lighting or HDR mode that can help make people in the foreground more visible if they are against a bright background.

Photography

Less is More

Keep your compositions simple. Busy photos can be overwhelming, and extra elements in the photo can distract from the main subject. If the background is distracting, then blurring the background with portrait mode on your phone camera may be helpful.

Tell A Story

Try to tell a story in your photograph. Maybe it’s a story of a senior on his way home from the grocery store, or a student on her way to school. Think of things that can provide hints to this story, like a shopping bag or a backpack. Try to eliminate things that distract from this story. If you’re telling a story in your photo, then the subject would probably not be looking at the camera; instead, they might be looking out the window, at their phone, or talking to another passenger. A passenger interacting with a driver can be a great way of showing friendly staff who are there to help customers, which might put a viewer at ease if they’ve never ridden before.

Learn about Composition

While there’s a great deal of information online about composing a photograph, here are three general guidelines. 


Rule of thirds: This involves imagining a 3x3 grid over your image (two horizontal lines and two vertical lines). Many cameras and cell phone cameras give you the option of showing a 3x3 grid on-screen while you shoot. Positioning the main subject of your photo at a point where two lines intersect helps create a visually pleasing and dynamic image.


Symmetry: In contrast to the Rule of Thirds, symmetry can be pleasing as well. Simply placing your main subject right in the center creates a more formal look. Combining this with the next tip can make for a strong image.


Leading Lines: The concept of leading lines involves using linear elements to lead the viewer’s eye toward the subject of your photos.

Bus Exteriors

If you’re photographing the exterior of your buses, it can be a lot more interesting to show people getting on or off than simply showing the bus itself. A bus traveling through a particularly scenic area or by a well-known landmark can make a compelling photograph, too.

Bus Interiors

Photographs of people riding your bus can be a great way to depict the friendly, comfortable experience that a potential rider can expect. It’s important to have models acting as they would when riding the bus rather than posing for the camera.

Model Releases

Whenever you shoot photos that include people, it is extremely important to get signed model releases from anyone who may be recognizable in the photo. These releases give you permission to use their likeness in your materials. Using a photograph in your marketing or informational materials would be considered “commercial” use, even though you may be a not-for-profit public agency. And it doesn’t matter if the model is being paid or not–you need a signed release either way. To avoid any legal problems, ensure that anyone recognizable in a photo has signed a release and that you keep the signed releases on file. This includes people who might have been nearby while you were taking pictures, not just models you’ve planned to have in the shoot.


Here is a sample model release that you can modify for your specific needs.  Check with your legal department to ensure that you are properly protecting your agency. 


Here are some external sources that may be helpful for more information about model releases, or for model release templates: EasyLegalDocs.com and LegalTemplates.net

Videos

Just about everyone has a cell phone camera that can be used to capture video. The result won’t be the same as something professionally shot, but the look of phone video can actually have its own kind of appeal—unassuming, friendly, and casual. Phone videos can be used on social media (including for live, as-it-happens social media postings), to document rider testimonials and other instances for which you might want to capture audio and action. 



Many of the same basics apply to shooting phone video as shooting photographs. Search online for video composition tips, and you’ll find many articles and videos about composing pleasing videos.

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