Photography
For many prospective students, families and donors, a photograph is the first impression they form of NIU. Imagery should reflect our brand personality: personalized, inviting and charged.
Photography Requests
Our Institutional Communications photographers specialize in capturing the Huskie spirit in warm, dynamic images. Our team is small and demand across campus is high, so requests are prioritized rather than filled in the order received.
Before submitting a request, consider two alternatives:
- Check the Canto image library to see whether existing photographs meet your needs.
- If the goal is to document that an event took place or to share photos on social media, designate an employee or student from your area to capture photos on a mobile device.
Upcoming Photobooth Events
No appointment required.
Talent Release Forms
When photographers and videographers are capturing events in public places such as in classrooms or on campus, release forms are generally not required. Institutional Communications requires signed talent release forms from subjects who appear in its productions.
Download a Form
English version for participants and guest speakers.
Autorización para el uso de voz e imagen (Spanish, PDF)
Spanish-language version of the talent release form.
When a Release Is Required
- Educational productions: When we stage portraits, group shots or interviews for instructional promotional use, subjects who appear in the media production and guest speakers who are taped must sign a release form.
- Commercial productions: When an image, sound or video segment is recorded for use in a commercial product, all subjects must sign a release form.
Image Library
Institutional Communications maintains an image library in Canto. Campus partners can browse photographs and request the images they need using the asset request feature. An account administrator from Institutional Communications will approve requests within two to three business days.
Image Use and Copyright
- All images taken by NIU photographers are the copyrighted property of the Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University.
- Images taken for any client may be used by the university for other projects.
- Portraits cannot be used for political purposes.
Additional Information
Best practices for university photography and personal privacy
- Generally speaking, it is permissible to capture university photographic images of people in public places performing public activities.
- For staged photography setups in the residence halls, NIU photographers should obtain signed release forms from the subjects.
- While shooting, NIU photographers will respect anyone's request not to be photographed. It is permissible to ask anyone who does not wish to be photographed to move, within reason, to a location away from the area of photographic interest.
- Upon request, NIU will remove images from a university-controlled social media site.
- If a printed brochure contains objectionable images, future printings will include a replacement image, but NIU will not recall materials already printed or distributed.
- Editing images in Photoshop to create an artificial scene is not permitted. Cleanup of images in Photoshop is permitted, but altering the context of a photograph is not.
- To the extent possible, reasonable steps should be taken to notify people in advance that photographers will be present and working. For most predictable public events, this can be accomplished with signage and notices printed on the backs of tickets.
We offer free environmental portraits to employees, photographed in your usual work environment or a favorite campus location. For example, if you teach science, we might photograph you in a lab. We do not offer individual appointments for studio headshots. Traditional headshots are available at our drop-in photobooth during the Career Services All-Majors Internship and Job Fair, and upcoming dates are listed on this page.
To schedule an environmental portrait, complete the photography request form or contact Institutional Communications. One of our experienced photographers will work with you to schedule a time and location for your session.
We want you to look and feel your best during your session. Please contact your photographer in advance if you have any questions or concerns. Since it can be difficult to coordinate a reshoot, we want to do everything possible to make your session a success. You can help by following these tips:
- Wear professional attire that makes you feel comfortable and confident.
- Dress casually if your line of work calls for it, or feel free to dress more formally.
- Choose solid colors and avoid busy patterns, obvious brand names or other university names.
Your photos will be stored in Canto, NIU's online image library. Your photographer will send you a link to your photos, and you can indicate which image you prefer the university use when you are featured. Your photo may appear online or in print. For example, it may appear on your department website or on printed promotional materials for the university. You may use your portrait on personal websites. Using it for political purposes is prohibited.
- Communication Standards: Learn how to correctly implement the university's visual and narrative identity.
- Photography Standards
- Video Standards and Style Guide (PDF)
We are excited for you to be part of an NIU photoshoot. Dress in casual clothes. Wear an NIU shirt and bring a plain shirt, or wear a plain shirt and bring an NIU shirt. Your plain shirt should be white, gray, blue or black. It can be a button-down shirt or blouse, or a cotton T-shirt, short-sleeved or long-sleeved. Wear jeans, khakis, black pants or capris.
We use these photos for a variety of purposes, so it is best if your clothes are modest and not seasonal. Do not wear:
- Shorts or tank tops.
- Busy patterns.
- Obvious brand names.
- Other university names.
Additional tips:
- Bring your backpack if you normally carry it to class.
- Wear your hair or makeup the way you would when going to class.
- Bring a brush or comb if you would like.
- Feel free to wear a zip-up jacket.