Photographs accompany many of the stories in the School Journal and some other series. Sometimes these are commissioned from professional photographers, but often they are taken by amateurs using fairly basic photographic equipment. If you are submitting a photo-article, your chances of having it accepted will be greatly enhanced if the photographs are of the highest possible quality. The following notes may be helpful.

Take lots of photos – more than you think will be needed. Include all of them with your submission, including those that you think haven't come out very well. We may be able to crop or clear-cut details from them. Do not try to trim the photos yourself or write names and descriptions on the back. Use Post-it notes on the back or a covering list for all images.

Take a variety of shots, including close-up and medium shots. Be careful to keep the main subject of your photo in focus. If you are taking photos of people, get as close as you can. Make sure you haven't cut off their heads or limbs.

Avoid taking pictures into the sun, or against a white background. If you have a choice, it's best not to take photos outside in bright sunlight. Instead, early morning and late afternoon light gives the best lighting and colour results.

For health and safety reasons, photos of children outdoors in sunny weather should show them wearing hats. But shade on people's faces can obliterate their features. Having the sun at the photographer's back and the subject looking in the direction of, but not into, the sun should stop most unwanted facial shadows.

Think about how the photos will illustrate and follow the text of your article. There should be photographs to illustrate all the main aspects covered in the text. If the article follows a sequence of events, make sure that there are photos for each stage of the story. It may be helpful to work out a shot-list in advance. If necessary, you may have to set up shots to fill any gaps. It may be worthwhile to take a few shots of details on the periphery of the main action (example, if you are photographing a sports event, take shots of the equipment, people warming up, spectators, and so on.)

Remember to make sure that safety equipment is used where appropriate (for example, skateboarders should be wearing helmets and protective pads.)

Tongan men and boys can’t be shown with their shirts off – even if they are at the beach.

Keep continuity in mind. If all the action is supposed to be happening in one day, avoid changes of clothes and watch out for variations in the weather. (On the other hand, if it's happening over a long period, don't have your subjects all wearing the same clothes throughout.)

Either transparencies or prints are acceptable.

It is essential to obtain written permission to use all images of recognisable subjects in photographs. For images of children, parents’ or caregivers’ permission must be obtained. We can supply you with copies of the necessary forms. Please phone us, asking for the School Journal office, or the editor of the series your article is for. Alternatively, email contributors@ learningmedia.co.nz stating which series you would like permission forms for.