How can university teams share photos faster, organize growing content libraries and help people across campus find the right assets? Digital asset management (DAM) gives those teams a central place to organize and share their photos and videos.
In our webinar Cutting-Edge Visual Storytelling on Campus, experts from the University of Florida, Purdue Athletics and Bates College shared how they approached these challenges. Their answers below reflect their roles and workflows at the time of the discussion. Libris, mentioned in the original webinar, is now PhotoShelter for Brands.
Meet the Experts
- Bernard Brzezinski — Director of Photography, University of Florida Communications / University Relations
- Paul Sadler — Creative Services Manager, Purdue Athletics
- Phyllis Graber Jensen — Director of Photography and Video, Bates College
Q&A: Digital Asset Management in Higher Ed and College Sports
How large is your photo and video team, and what turnaround times are expected?
Bernard Brzezinski, UF: We have a staff of 3 photographers/videographers. The typical turnaround for an assignment varies from a few hours to a few days. We try to plan ahead as much as possible to reduce the number of last-minute assignments.
Paul Sadler, Purdue Athletics: Being the creative services manager, I manage a team of several graphic designers. I have two full-time graphic designers and several students throughout the year.
Which photos are most effective for telling your college’s story?
Bernard Brzezinski, UF: On social, photos of campus and sports seem to resonate the most. In other outlets, I find that the images that have the farthest reach in general are tied to a collaboration with our highly skilled writers. The combination of impactful imagery with creative and impactful storytelling gives us the greatest rewards.
Do you credit photographers on Instagram when they work for the institution?
Bernard Brzezinski, UF: We try to give our photographers photo credit anytime we can. Here is what a typical credit looks like: University of Florida / Photographer’s Name.
How do you handle photo releases?
Phyllis Graber Jensen, Bates College: Students are asked to sign a release when they matriculate and we also ask verbal or written permission when we can; with minors off-campus we ask for signed releases from parents or guardians; with faculty and staff we make verbal requests.
For current shoots, follow your institution’s current release and consent policies.
Do you publish Exposure galleries as well as galleries on your website?
Phyllis Graber Jensen, Bates College: We usually choose either or, but not both.
Bernard Brzezinski, UF: We do not. We are looking into the Exposure galleries and how they may contribute to our work in the future.
For athletics websites, see how the PhotoShelter and SIDEARM Sports integration connects a visual content library with a website publishing workflow.
How do photographers deliver images during games?
In the workflow featured in the webinar, Purdue Athletics sent photos from the court to its PhotoShelter library so the team could share them on social media during games. See the step-by-step process in our Purdue Athletics case study.
Do you use Wi-Fi or Ethernet to upload during events?
Phyllis Graber Jensen, Bates College: Wifi.
The best option depends on your venue and connection. Ethernet can work well when a photographer is stationary, such as at a basketball game. A reliable Wi-Fi connection can offer more flexibility to move around. Test your upload workflow at the venue before the event.
How do you decide who can access and share photos?
Bernard Brzezinski, UF: We determine who our audiences are and how they might benefit from different types of images. For example, our internal communications staff has different needs than the rest of campus. We encourage staff to use our images for anything that can help elevate the stature of the University in an official capacity. Our “stock” photos are for all UF Faculty and staff to use and our event photos are generally reserved for the client who commissions the event. We have a section on the backend of our site that is labeled Client Transfer to create galleries for specific assignments for specific departments. Only those departments generally need access to those photos.
How did you get people across campus to use the DAM in the right way?
Bernard Brzezinski, UF: Define the right way. Setting up a DAM is a learning curve for both the administrators and the end users. We are all growing together. I don’t know that there is a right or wrong way to use the system, but we are always cognisant that our users are not all the same. We make adjustments when necessary. Keep in mind that the system has to be setup logically for people to want to use it. No one wants to use a system where they can never find what they are looking for.
How do you get different campuses and departments to use the same system?
Bernard Brzezinski, UF: Provide quality imagery in an organized catalog. Make things as easy as possible for your end user. If you are trying to get other departments to provide assets, it may take a bit more coaxing. Let them know the benefits of a system where everyone contributes. The more people that contribute, the more robust the system becomes.
What was the biggest challenge when moving to a DAM?
Bernard Brzezinski, UF: The hardest part was figuring out how many folders we needed to appropriately organize the images. Too little folders and the images become a big mashup, too many folders and the system becomes difficult to navigate.
How do you organize college athletics photos and metadata?
Phyllis Graber Jensen, Bates College: We organize everything chronologically and use detailed captions and the keyword “athletics.” But depending on your needs and staffing, you can create a very robust keyword list for every sport/team and every coach/athlete on the roster. Obviously, this requires updates each season and is a lot of work for someone up front but makes searching a breeze.
For more on making files searchable, read our photo library keyword tips.
Did you migrate your older content or start fresh?
Phyllis Graber Jensen, Bates College: We decided to start adding in from October 2014 when we hired the first Photo/Video Fellow. We have a student working on that but it is lowest priority and we still have a long way to go.
Bernard Brzezinski, UF: We did an initial transfer of an old site. Soon after, we decided it would be easier for us to start from scratch.
Explore the Bates College case study for more on the team’s visual content strategy.
Who is responsible for adding player names?
Phyllis Graber Jensen, Bates College: The photographer, but we may be tweaking our system and have a student add names after the game.
Does the image resolution you upload matter?
Bernard Brzezinski, UF: Yes. Upload the highest resolution file you can. Images can always be downsized.
For more campus content planning ideas, explore The Education Marketer’s Guide. Have another question? Connect with @photoshelter on Instagram.
Cover photo: University of Florida / Lyon Duong.
