How to Plan a Photo Project: Rutgers Photo Services (University Relations)

Universal Project Planning


Schedule:	What is your deadline?
Audience:	Who are you most trying to persuade?
Message:	What is the primary idea or fact you want to convey?
Objective:	What do you want your audience to do?
Methods:	What format is right for your project?
Distribution:	How will you get your communication to the audience?
Strategy:	How does this project fit into your overall marketing strategy?
Budget:	How much time and money do you have to invest?

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Questions for Every Photo Project

Scope:

How many images to you need?

Subject(s):

What/who is the photograph(s) of?

Source:

Can you use stock photos from Creative Services archives or from a commercial source?
Do you need original photos taken specifically for your project?
Can you borrow images from a nonprofit source like a museum, peer researcher, or library?

Use:

How will the image be used (e.g., in a printed publication, on a web site, for display, or personal use, etc.)?

Format:

Black and white or color?
Prints, slides, or digital files?
In what dimensions do you need the image when it is reproduced (in inches or pixels)?
File type (tif, gif, jpeg)? What resolution is needed in DPI (dots per inch)?

Budget:

What is your budget? (Refer to Services & Rates for guidance on costs.)

Reproduction:

Who is working with the images during production (e.g., a designer or web developer)?

Delivery:

Where and when should the images be delivered? Should they go to you or to the designer?