When used effectively, photography is a powerful tool for elevating the Missouri S&T brand. It can also be one of the most challenging to execute. We strive to accommodate as many requests as possible while maintaining the highest quality standards. These tiers clarify how we prioritize photography requests based on their usage and impact on the university's brand.

Before requesting a photographer, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the three tiers and their respective priorities:

Tier 1 photos are the highest quality images we use to showcase our brand and key messages. They are distinctive to S&T and cannot be replicated by another university. These photos are shot and edited by a professional photographer, typically with a lot of thought and planning going into each shot. They are used in our most important and visible marketing materials, such as a beautifully composed photo of a landmark building on campus with a unique perspective or a dynamic action shot of one of our design teams showcasing their ingenuity and teamwork.

EXAMPLES:
ad campaign, web home page, view book cover, billboard, scenes that tie directly to brand positioning

Tier 2 photos are also of high quality, but not as unique as Tier 1. They are also shot by a professional photographer, but may have less control over the shoot, or the subject matter may not be as distinctive. These photos are still very useful in telling the story of our university and communicating our key messages. For example, a group of students studying together in a modern, well-lit study space, a photo of our campus during fall with vibrant foliage and students walking to class, or photos of faculty members and students conducting research together in a campus lab.

EXAMPLES:
annual report, website feature story, research news release, interior publication spread, marquee events, standard portraits, editorial

Tier 3 photos include casual snapshots, group photos from award ceremonies or meetings, and the like. These photos are useful for internal communications, but not for marketing materials. They are more about documentation than telling a story, and there is little to no planning or control over the shoot. We aim for basic photographic standards with Tier 3 photos, such as a snapshot of students hanging out in a dorm room or a candid shot of a speaker during a luncheon.

EXAMPLES:
departmental awards, picnics, poster presentations, speakers, small events, banquets 

The request form must be submitted at least 10 working days in advance for professional photography services from Marketing and Communications. The request does not guarantee the availability of a photographer.

We prioritize photography assignments based on the overall impact and intended usage explained in the tiers above. For example, candid photographs from commencement can be used in many different capacities for marketing the university as opposed to group photos at an awards reception for an individual department. Photographing an event to specifically create content for marketing has a greater impact and intended use than photographing an event to document the occasion.

The department charges $100/hour, with a minimum charge of one hour, for projects that do not have a campus-wide impact. In some cases, we may need to contract with freelance photographers to complete requests. Freelance rates start at $150/hour.

Please note that Missouri S&T holds all copyright to images produced by the Marketing and Communications department.

Request a photographer