Publicity Photography for News Releases

Publicity photography and news releases go together like bread and butter. A news story is much more interesting when it features a photo. News editors are more inclined to run a news release that has a publicity photo to go with it.

We've all heard the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words." That is true in the case of publicity photography. We want our photo to tell a story, or to demonstrate something, or simply to be intriguing and eye-catching.

I owned a public relations agency some years ago and worked on a great number of publicity campaigns. These years of experience taught me what kinds of photos get the best acceptance by editors.

What are good subjects of publicity photos? People are always interesting. If you are taking photos of a product, get an attractive person to hold the product in their hand or use it or just stand by it and smile. A watch looks better on the wrist of an attractive person. Cowboy hats look best -- you guessed it -- when worn by cowboys and cowgirls. So try to put a human element into your publicity photography.

Here are some tips for better publicity photography.

• Try to use a commercial model in the photo shoot. Good models are well worth their pay.
• Photograph the product in use or being demonstrated by a person.
• Try to shoot in a unique or exotic location, such as at the beach, on a mountain top, by a waterfall, in a garden, etc.
• Add a little drama or humor to the photo and news release when possible. Make it entertaining and memorable.

Have fun! Publicity should be light-hearted. Editors love humor. Most stories are so serious.

One of my most successful news releases was about a man who sold environmentally friendly products. He made Yo-Yos and Frisbees out of used recycled and melted down milk cartons. The news media loved it and his story was picked up by Associated Press and appeared in many major newspapers and magazines including National Geographic.

    Another client, Lynn Carr, baked the best pies and cheesecakes you ever tasted. Soon she was featured in free publicity in Reader's Digest and many other magazines and newspapers.

Publicity is even easier now that the internet offers agencies like PRnewswire.com and others.

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