News Photos

A good photo, obviously, will enhance any news article about your church. So if you can, include photos with the news release.

Small papers will prefer, if not expect, that you provide any photos. They may not have people to spare to come take pictures.

Photos Newspapers Would Rather Not Use:

A bunch of people lined up in a row, posing for the camera.
Two men smiling at the camera as they exchange a piece of paper or a plaque.
The typical groundbreaking photo, where several people are surrounding the pastor as he rests his foot on the shovel, ready to stick it into the ground.
Group portraits of any kind.
Pictures of buildings, equipment, or nicely-decorated tabled...but with no people in the photo.

The Photos Newspapers Prefer:

Photos in which people are doing something, rather than just staring at the camera.
Photos with people acting in natural ways, rather than posing.
Photos that will provoke an emotional response of some kind.
Photos shot in a vertical format--photos that are taller than they are wide. They work better in newspapers. However, most people take photos in a wide format. That's what you get when you hold a camera naturally; you normally need to turn it on end to get a vertical shot.
Getting several photos from which to choose (rather than just one photo, which may or may not fit their needs).

Dos and Don'ts

See if digital photos are okay (which they probably are). It saves them the time of scanning printed photos, and you can send the photos by email. But be sure to take photos at a high resolution (at least 150dpi).
Never send Polaroid instant snapshots. The quality is typically very poor.
Use 35mm film.
Avoid backgrounds which make it difficult to distinguish the person in the picture. In real life, colors may provide enough contrast. But when the photo is reduced to black and white in a newspaper, a brick background and a person in a black suit may blend together.
Don't use staples or paper clips with photos.
Don't write with a pen or pencil on the back of photos. It can damage the photo (put a groove in the surface).
Attach a label to the back with your church name, address, and a phone number.
On the envelope you send, write, "Photo. Do Not Bend."
Don't ask that they return the photo. Either go pick it up yourself, or let them keep it.

The Ideal Photo to Send to a Newspaper:

A digital photo will probably be preferred. It should be of fairly high resolution; shoot it, at the least, at the medium resolution setting. The "fine" setting will probably be too much. (The terminology may differ from camera to camera.

If all you have is a printed photo, that's fine. It should be at least 5-by-7 inches in size.

Include a Photo Caption Which Briefly Tells What's Happening in the Photo

Identify people in the picture (left to right), with their full names.
Double-space the caption.
Tape the caption face-up to the bottom of the picture (with the tape adhering to the back of the photo).
Try to mention the name of the church or organization in the caption.
Include the caption on the news release, too. That way, if the caption attached to the photo gets lost, they'll have a backup.