Photography and Video

Photography is a key component in the college’s visual language. FIT imagery aligns with the brand voice showcasing an authentic feel, using rich color and, when possible, shot from an unexpected and unconventional perspective.

Communications and External Relations arranges photography needed for institutional communications. We also maintain a photography archive of major college events and activities, as well as a photo library of selected campus and classroom images that you can access for communications materials.  

When organizing your own photography for any FIT materials, please follow the college's best practices below to ensure correct permissions are granted and all branding is aligned.  

Services

We assign a photographer to shoot events and activities that we plan to cover for college media.

To find out if we will be covering your event, please make an inquiry. If we won’t be covering it, we can provide recommendations of freelancers and typical rates should your department want to hire a photographer.

Photo Request Form

Inquire about producing or filming a creative video
Communications and External Relations can help produce a video for you as part of a larger marketing plan. We can also help point you to other campus video resources.

Record an event
Media and Event Technology Services provides filming of campus events. There are also other options such as recording virtual events through Google Meet and Webex.

Have more questions about getting a video filmed? Fill out our video inquiry form.

The college's photo library consists of selected images of:

  • the campus
  • faculty teaching in classrooms
  • students in academic settings
  • student life
  • classrooms, labs, studios, and campus facilities
  • special events

These images can be downloaded in high resolution for use in your FIT communications. 

FIT Photo Library

Click on "Galleries" in the top menu bar to view available photos.

If you need specialized images and are interested in viewing FIT’s photo archives or are looking for a specific image, make an inquiry using our Photo Request Form.

If you have specific questions about campus photography or would like more information on our best practices for photography, contact Smiljana Peros, Photography and Production Coordinator, at [email protected]. 

 

Photography Best Practices

The practices outlined here apply to all FIT stakeholders, including Communications and External Relations (CER), non-CER departments, and external photographers working with FIT. Adhering to these best practices ensures that all photography aligns with FIT’s mission, values, and professional standards while maintaining ethical and legal compliance.

Please be sure that you always ask consent from all parties before photographing them. Students sign a blanket photo release when they join FIT, but that only gives the college permission to take photos of them for academic and marketing purposes.  Faculty and staff do not sign this blanket release and are therefore not included. 

If you are photographing a large event, it may not be feasible to get signed releases from all attendees. In that situation, post a written notice at the venue entrance and, if possible, in the event’s printed program or in an on-screen slideshow prior to the event's start. Below is the appropriate text:

Attendees at this event may be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded. FIT reserves all rights afforded by law to utilize the footage for any lawful purpose.

People under the age of 18 are considered minors and cannot consent to be photographed without the permission of a parent. Please note that several students on FIT's campus are considered minors, especially participants in the college's Precollege Programs. Always ask permission to photograph students.

This is also a reminder to be aware of how minors are represented in photography. Please be mindful of how images may be cropped or misused. 

Using exising imagery? You must secure written permission from the creator to use their work. You may also be asked to pay for the imagery. Please keep your own file of this permission and/or paid receipt for legal purposes.

Do not include any artwork, products, or spaces in your photographs without appropriate permission from their creators or owners.

Appropriately acknowledge sources and photographer/artist credits with accompanying text. Below is an example of a photo credit with the photographer's name that also acknowledges that a gallery shared the image with us: 

Photo: Madison Sample, courtesy of Doe Gallery. 

In spirit, content should represent FIT’s brand identity and un-words, for example—unlimited, unstoppable, unpredictable, unexpected, undeterred, uncommon, unbelievable.

Photos should: 

  • feel authentic, and captured in the middle of a moment, not overly staged.
  • feel aspirational but attainable.
  • feature shared experiences and interactions, never people obviously posing.
  • represent diversity in gender, ethnicity, and age—though not to the extent that it misrepresents the college's actual demographics.
  • feature real people of all shapes and sizes. 
  • reflect FIT”s modern and creative identity.
  • strive for dynamic, artistic compositions rather than mere documentation
  • use lighting and angles creatively, but avoid dramatic edits that could distort the subject or mood.
  • be mindful of appropriation of culturally significant clothing, symbols, or practices.
  • Shots of people interacting, photographed from an unexpected angle.
  • Images with aspirational campus environment.
  • Images that are rich in color.
  • Shots with faculty and students engaged in real tasks.
  • Students shown in authentic FIT environments.
  • Active moments captured from an uncommon perspective.
  • Make the action the focal point (students on campus and in classrooms, rather than a just scenic shot of the school areas).
  • Candid, natural moments that convey authenticity and relatability.

image on the left: people from more interesting angle, in a computer lab and in a brightly lit toy design lab as an example of an aspirational environment

Image on the left - model posing for art studio class, she is seated on a stool in the middle of the room, and is surrounded by drawing students at their easels and benches. There are patches of color throughout the composition, such as a turquoise drapery set for a still life, that's adjacent to the model's pale pink dress. Image on the right: in a darkened room two people - a woman and a man in conversation in front of several screens, and the broadcasting mixer console. A woman is holding papers in one hand and possibly a pen in another, she is gesturing towards one of the screens, the man is smiling and looking down at the mixer console

Image on the left - birds eye view looking down the street from somewhere high on the building, the downward lines of the building's wall and columns anchor the composition. It's a warm day, there are few people around, one person is walking the bicycle. There are benches, small trees in large containers, and several cars parked along the street. Sunlit grays of the sidewalk and building concrete and very dark shadows create a slightly unsettling feeling about the scene. Image on the right - green tree foliage dominates the image, some of it is captured directly, and some of it is reflected in the glass. Several figures, street lights, parts of the building and greenery reflect and refract creating a dynamic image.

  • Shots that show the building in uncommon angles.
  • Images that highlight the serenity of the campus within a bustling city environment.
  • Campus shots that are stylized and unexpected.
  • Show the creative and working environment of FIT.

Image on the left - birds eye view looking down the street from somewhere high on the building, the downward lines of the building's wall and columns anchor the composition. It's a warm day, there are few people around, one person is walking the bicycle. There are benches, small trees in large containers, and several cars parked along the street. Sunlit grays of the sidewalk and building concrete and very dark shadows create a slightly unsettling feeling about the scene. Image on the right - green tree foliage dominates the image, some of it is captured directly, and some of it is reflected in the glass. Several figures, street lights, parts of the building and greenery reflect and refract creating a serene yet dynamic image.

Image on the left - photographed from the street level looking up, the angularity of the building's lines, variety of shades of gray of the facade tiles against the black window frames, and sunlit planes versus shade contribute to an interesting visual effect. Image on the right - Toy design lab with the large work tables, surfaces full of fabric, sewing machines, fabric, and work in progress. A colorful display of fabric samples in every shade visible in the background draws the eye, and serves as a focal point of the composition.

  • Detail shots of an action or task in progress.
  • Close-up shots of materials and tools in use.
  • Shots of students engaged in a specific activity.
  • Details of the classrooms and student spaces.

Image on the left: a close-up of a woman leaning over a knitting machine from the upper left corner of the image, she is working in a thread into one of the hooks of the machine. The tight close-up framing, helps the viewer to appreciate the subject's focus on the task. Image on the right - a close up of painer's brushes arranged in a line, ready for action. A variety of bristle types, shapes, sizes and handle colors splattered with paint are inviting to take a chance and be creative.

Image on the left: a mid length shot of a man holding an upside down shoe in his hands. The focus is on the object, the person is cropped at the shoulders. The shoe is in a side view, with excess material hanging around the edge where the shoe-top meets the sole. It is ready to be folded and tucked under the sole. Image on the right: little less than half of the image captures an array of various size brown glass bottles with turquoise labels arranged on narrow shelves, it could be a fragrance or some other lab that requires chemical solutions. The image may have been taken through a glass surface that is on an angle in relation to the camera, as there is some distortion, blur, and discoloration on the left side of the image the bottles are smaller and with white labels on that side. The shift in color and clarity makes this composition work.

  • Don’t crop images too tightly or in a way that misrepresents the subject. Always include contextual elements (e.g. backgrounds or surroundings) when appropriate.
  • Don’t use photos of staged interactions.
  • Don’t use images with centered subject matter and obviously posing for the camera.
  • Don’t show students outside their authentic FIT environment.
  • Don’t highlight inauthentic group moments.
  • Don’t use images with a busy background.
  • Don’t use images that are dated and have artificially saturated color.
  • Don’t use badly framed and lit compositions.
  • Don’t include distracting elements like garbage cans, cables, empty water bottles or other cluttered objects.
  • Don’t photograph individuals in revealing or minimal clothing, particularly during summer months. 

Image on the left: two women are standing slightly turned towards each other, one of them seems to be a student; she is showing a shoe prototype to the instructor. The gestures and facial expressions of the subjects look staged. A thin red line runs diagonally across the image, crossing it off, indicating that this type of image is not recommended. Image on the right: two smiling women are facing the camera, their arms are in a friendly embrace around the shoulder. There are people in the background speaking to each other, and a large projection screen is visible in the background. This image seems to be a memento to commemorate a shared experience at the event. Images like this can be used in certain circumstances, but not in general, which is indicated by a thin red line crossing the image.

Image on the left: Photograph is taken during a student event, in a warm season, possibly a club fair. Focus is on the girl in the first plane. She is standing above the street level on a parapet, and turning three hoops - one is positioned around knees, and two others on each hand. There are a lot of people visible in the background gathered in the groups. Due to a busy background the main subject of the image does not command the attention of the viewer. Thin red line runs diagonally across the image indicating that this type of image should be avoided. Image on the right: people are seated in a classroom along the narrow tables, they have books and notebooks in front of them, and some are working on their laptops. While this image has useful information about a particular location, and captures an authentic environment, it should not be used for a more general representation. This is indicated by a thin red line crossing the image.

DOWNLOAD FIT'S FULL BRAND IDENTITY GUIDELINES FOR PHOTOGRAPHY (.PDF)