Photos should entice your reader to want to read your newsletter or appeal, arouse their curiosity, make them want to know what’s happening. Give them an interesting picture to look at and some compelling copy to read. Arouse their curiosity, and they will give you their donations.

A photo of the Executive Director receiving an oversize check from the Rotary won’t arouse curiosity. Cutting ribbons on a new building have been seen before. These pictures have a place in your local paper with a news release, but they won’t inspire your donors to read more, and therefore give more.

Sometimes the caption adds the curiosity; sometimes the picture says it all. A close up of a child in a Teen Challenge newsletter could arouse a donor’s questions. . . “What does this child have to do with a restoration program?” The story can explain that the child’s parent is at Teen Challenge, or the child is there with their mother, or this child’s parent died while on the waiting list. Make the donor want an answer to their questions.  It can be a picture of a person doing something ordinary, like serving meals — a clever caption encourages the reader to read further to get the full story.

Keep an eye out for interesting, unique photo opportunities, but always remember to use good techniques to insure the best photos possible.

Photo Tips:

1. Shoot lots of photos. Keep your camera close by and take several shots of each subject.
2. Check the background behind the subject before taking the picture. Look for poles or trees sprouting from their heads. Remember, a cluttered background will be distracting while a plain background will emphasize your subject.
3. Change your perspective – get on your subject’s level. This may mean getting lower with kids. If you shoot at your subject’s eye level you’ll capture the power of those magnetic gazes or mesmerizing smiles. They don’t have to look directly into the camera, but the eye level angle will create a personal feeling.
4. Move in close to your subject to create pictures with impact. When you move a few steps closer your subjects fill the picture and you eliminate the background distractions. The details of your subject will “pop”!
5. Take a variety of horizontal and vertical shots. Many shots look better in a vertical format – from the Statue of Liberty to your students. Sometimes the graphic layout works better with a specific horizontal or vertical picture. Have both available.
6. Move from the middle. Bring your picture to life by adding interest by moving the subject off center. Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid in your viewfinder, and then place your subject at one of the intersections of the lines. With auto-focus cameras remember to set your focus by centering the subject, pressing the shutter halfway down, then reframing the picture while holding the shutter button, then finish pressing the shutter down to take the picture.
7. Watch the light.  Great lighting makes great pictures. Study the effects of light in your pictures. For people choose the soft lighting of cloudy days. Avoid overhead sunlight that casts harsh shadows across faces. You may need to use a flash outside to fill in the shadows.
8. Take a few extra minutes to be an active director, not just a passive picture taker. You can add props, rearrange the subjects, try different backgrounds or a new view point. Move the subjects closer together and let their personalities shine.

Now, choose your best photo that will arouse your reader’s curiosity and stir them to send their donations!