Objective

To provide CAHNR departments, units, and programs with professional photography services for use in promotional materials, such as websites, social media, print/digital marketing materials, and news stories. This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will serve to 1) confirm the responsibilities of the CAHNR Office of Communications and the CAHNR unit requesting services (Requestor); 2) determine the scope of services to be provided; 3) establish the timeline for scheduling, coordinating, and executing the shoot, and for processing and delivering final photos; 4) provide recommendations for acceptability of subjects and locations to make photo shoots as efficient as possible and ensure deliverables meet the standards of the CAHNR Office of Communications and the desired outcomes of the Requestor.

Scope

This SOP applies to all photo services provided by CAHNR’s Office of Communications. Photo services provided by external agencies or individuals outside of CAHNR’s Office of Communications are out of the scope of this SOP.

Roles/Responsibilities

Requestor: The individual/unit within CAHNR requests photo services from the CAHNR Office of Communications using the online form. The Requestor serves as the point of contact for CAHNR’s Office of Communications and the assigned CAHNR Photographer to support all aspects of the photo shoot (e.g. submitting the request for service, discussing desired outcomes, coordinating with members of the unit as needed for the shoot, etc.)

CAHNR Executive Director of Communications: The CAHNR Executive Director of Communications will determine resources for the shoot, including assigning a CAHNR Photographer or connecting the Requestor with other resources. Depending on the needs of the Requestor, the CAHNR Photographer may be either a full-time staff member or a qualified student intern/worker. The Executive Director may decline to provide services if resources are not available.

CAHNR Photographer: The assigned CAHNR Photographer will create high quality images to support the desired outcomes. The assigned CAHNR Photographer and/or the CAHNR Multimedia Specialist will process the photographs as needed.

CAHNR Multimedia Specialist:  The CAHNR Multimedia Specialist will oversee uploading the processed photos to the University’s Media Share, Merlin, and will contact the Requestor via email to deliver the final photos, copying CAHNR Communications Executive Director and the relevant program/department head.

 

Timeline

The CAHNR Office of Communications will respond to a request for photo services within three (3) business days upon receipt of the online form. If photo services are deemed necessary, the assigned CAHNR photographer will work with the Requestor to schedule a shoot at a mutually agreed upon time that is acceptable to both the Requestor and the CAHNR Office of Communications.

For standard photo shoots, photos will be delivered to the Requestor and uploaded to the UConn Media Share within 5 business days of the photo shoot. For large-scale shoots or shoots that require significant photo processing, photos will be delivered to the Requestor and uploaded to the UConn Media Share within 10 business days of the photo shoot.

Photo delivery/upload may be delayed if CAHNR Communications has publication plans that extend beyond the 5-10 business day window. CAHNR Communications Executive Director will communicate this to the Requestor at project set up or as soon as the delay is deemed necessary.

Subject/Location Preparation

As part of preparation for the photo shoot, the Requestor should ensure that locations/equipment/spaces to be photographed are tidied, cleaned, and accessible to the CAHNR Photographer. This includes ensuring that all EHS and other compliance requirements are met during the shoot, even if the activities are staged. Individuals to be photographed should be available and willing to participate in the shoot. Their attire should be appropriate for the desired shoot (e.g. lab coats should be clean and pressed, only UConn logos should be worn, goggles, gloves, etc. should be worn if required by EHS for a given activity).

Permissions

Certain locations like private land or State/National Parks may require permission for a photo shoot. It is the responsibility of the Requestor to ensure that the CAHNR Photographer has permission to shoot in such locations and share written documentation with the CAHNR Photographer for recordkeeping purposes.

Deliverables

The CAHNR Photographer will shoot professional photos and will process/edit photos using professional editing software prior to delivery. The CAHNR Multimedia Specialist will oversee uploading the photographs to the University’s Media Share, Merlin. This will include ensuring necessary metadata have been added to the photos. The CAHNR Multimedia Specialist will notify the Requestor via email to deliver the final photos.

Updated October 2024