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Photography Tips Corrections (Touch Ups) It is understandable that you would like to correct color, lighting, and other minimal issues before your submission. These corrections are acceptable but we ask that you also submit the original image if making major manipulations. Examples of major manipulation would include photoshopping in or out a background or adding and removing objects. Cropping of images is not recommended as we will more than likely resize the pictures according to our needs. Sizes & Formats Follow the guide below and change the Image Size Settings as noted for the best results. Shooting in the highest resolution possible gives us the best results for large format printing. The suggestions below are our minimal suggested sizes at 300 dpi. Individual Persons – 480 X 640 Groups of 2 to 6 – 960 X 1280 Groups of 7 or More – 1560 X 2290 Please send your image files in one of the following formats: JPEG • EPS • TIFF • PSD Photo Submission Mailing Photos – If you are sending your images on a CD or DVD, please, if possible, send a list of people with the images. Also verify, after the burning process, that all images that were intended to be sent were successfully burned to your disk. Mailing address is: Law Enforcement Publications 2348 W. Andrew Johnson Hwy #173 Morristown, TN 37814 E- Mailing Photos – Submit images to Artwork@lepcalendars.com. It is suggested that you send a “test” email to verify being able to successfully contact us. Please be aware if sending a large amount of images that most email services have a limit of 10 MB of attached file space. It might be necessary for the images to be divided into multiple emails. Along with the attachment of photos please specify the amount of images that you are providing to avoid any loss of images through the emailing process. With larger files, please burn to a CD or DVD and mail in. Design Elements In addition to the department’s pictures, please be aware of elements that our graphics department might be able to use in the design of the calendars. These elements include but are not limited to: badge seals, uniform patches, police cars, buildings, etc. For examples of how we use these in our designs, please refer to the Samples link. Also feel free to ask the department for any suggestions of elements they might like to incorporate. Avoiding Common Problems Think About Lighting - In order to get enough detail in your subjects you need to have sufficient light. The methods you use to get this varies from situation to situation but consider using a flash if the group is small enough and you are close enough for it to take effect - especially if the main source of light is coming from behind the group. If it’s a bright sunny day and the sun is low in the sky, try not to position it directly behind you or you will end up with a collection of squinting faces in your shots. Backgrounds - Specifically, if the department request head shots please be conscious of the background. Preferably we would like to have a neutral background that could potentially allow us to remove it in Photoshop but suggestions might also include patriotic backgrounds, neutral muslin, etc. * Be aware of unsightly objects in your shots like chain link fences, objects rising from behind a person's head and unwanted people walking through your view in the background. Posing Groups - In most cases groups will pose itself naturally. Tall people will go to the back, short people to the front. But there are other things you can do to add to the photo’s composition: •If the event is centered around one or two people (Sheriff, Chief, etc) make them the central focal point by putting them right in the middle of the group. •Group taller members not only towards the back of the group but centered with shorter people on the edges of the group. •Try not to make the group too ‘deep’. Keep the distance between the front row of people and the back row as small as you can. This will help to keep everyone in focus. •Tell everyone to raise their chins a little - they will thank you later when they see the shot without any double chins! Larger Groups Large groups of people can be very difficult to photograph as even with staggering people and tiering to make the back people higher you can end up being a long way back to fit everyone in. One solution to this is to find a way to elevate the photographer. You can arrange for a ladder or maybe even a chair to be present to take a shot looking down on the group. In doing this you can fit a lot more people in and still remain quite close to the group. You end up with a shot of lots of faces in focus and less bodies. It also gives an interesting perspective to your shots - especially if you have a nice wide focal length. Take Multiple Shots One of the best ways to avoid the problems of not everyone looking “just right" in a shot is to take multiple photos quickly. Switch your camera into continuous shooting mode when taking group shots and shoot in short bursts of shots. You might find that the first shot is often not as good but that the one or two directly after it often give a group that looks a little less posed and more relaxed. Also mix up the framing of your shots a little if you have a zoom lens by taking some shots that are at a wide focal length and some that are more tightly framed.

Photography Tips

Corrections (Touch Ups)

It is understandable that you would like to correct color, lighting, and other minimal issues before your submission. These corrections are acceptable but we ask that you also submit the original image if making major manipulations. Examples of major manipulation would include photoshopping in or out a background or adding and removing objects. Cropping of images is not recommended as we will more than likely resize the pictures according to our needs.

Sizes & Formats

Follow the guide below and change the Image Size Settings as noted for the best results. Shooting
in the highest resolution possible gives us the best results for large format printing. The suggestions below are our minimal suggested sizes at 300 dpi.

Individual Persons – 480 X 640
Groups of 2 to 6 – 960 X 1280
Groups of 7 or More – 1560 X 2290

Please send your image files in one of the following formats:
JPEG • EPS • TIFF • PSD

Photo Submission

Mailing Photos – If you are sending your images on a CD or DVD, please, if possible, send a list of people with the images. Also verify, after the burning process, that all images that were intended to be sent were successfully burned to your disk. Mailing address is:

Law Enforcement Publications
2348 W. Andrew Johnson Hwy #173
Morristown, TN 37814

E- Mailing Photos – Submit images to Artwork@lepcalendars.com. It is suggested that you send a “test” email to verify being able to successfully contact us. Please be aware if sending a large amount of images that most email services have a limit of 10 MB of attached file space. It might be necessary for the images to be divided into multiple emails. Along with the attachment of photos please specify the amount of images that you are providing to avoid any loss of images through the emailing process. With larger files, please burn to a CD or DVD and mail in.

Design Elements

In addition to the department’s pictures, please be aware of elements that our graphics department might be able to use in the design of the calendars. These elements include but are not limited to: badge seals, uniform patches, police cars, buildings, etc. For examples of how we use these in our designs, please refer to the Samples link. Also feel free to ask the department for any suggestions of elements they might like to incorporate.

Avoiding Common Problems

Think About Lighting - In order to get enough detail in your subjects you need to have sufficient light. The methods you use to get this varies from situation to situation but consider using a flash if the group is small enough and you are close enough for it to take effect - especially if the main source of light is coming from behind the group.

If it’s a bright sunny day and the sun is low in the sky, try not to position it directly behind you or you will end up with a collection of squinting faces in your shots.

Backgrounds - Specifically, if the department request head shots please be conscious of the background. Preferably we would like to have a neutral background that could potentially allow us to remove it in Photoshop but suggestions might also include patriotic backgrounds, neutral muslin, etc. * Be aware of unsightly objects in your shots like chain link fences, objects rising from behind a person's head and unwanted people walking through your view in the background.

Posing Groups - In most cases groups will pose itself naturally. Tall people will go to the back, short people to the front. But there are other things you can do to add to the photo’s composition:

•If the event is centered around one or two people (Sheriff, Chief, etc) make them the central focal point by putting them right in the middle of the group.

•Group taller members not only towards the back of the group but centered with shorter people on the edges of the group.

•Try not to make the group too ‘deep’. Keep the distance between the front row of people and the back row as small as you can. This will help to keep everyone in focus.

•Tell everyone to raise their chins a little - they will thank you later when they see the shot without any double chins!

Larger Groups
Large groups of people can be very difficult to photograph as even with staggering people and tiering to make the back people higher you can end up being a long way back to fit everyone in.

One solution to this is to find a way to elevate the photographer. You can arrange for a ladder or maybe even a chair to be present to take a shot looking down on the group. In doing this you can fit a lot more people in and still remain quite close to the group. You end up with a shot of lots of faces in focus and less bodies. It also gives an interesting perspective to your shots - especially if you have a nice wide focal length.

Take Multiple Shots
One of the best ways to avoid the problems of not everyone looking “just right" in a shot is to take multiple photos quickly. Switch your camera into continuous shooting mode when taking group shots and shoot in short bursts of shots. You might find that the first shot is often not as good but that the one or two directly after it often give a group that looks a little less posed and more relaxed.

Also mix up the framing of your shots a little if you have a zoom lens by taking some shots that are at a wide focal length and some that are more tightly framed.