Digital Photography Standards

Photography that meets a high professional standard plays a critical role in creating a positive image of Davidson College.

The photographic images used in digital communications should inspire prospective and current students, parents, alumni and faculty and staff to make a connection with the people and activities depicted. We strive to use photos that capture and highlight our smart, driven and kind community in action. 

Davidson’s photography is: friendly, bright, welcoming, connected, social, positive, passionate, authentic and engaging.

It is important to show a range of genders, ethnic backgrounds and races to celebrate Davidson’s diverse community, but try to avoid artificial-looking situations. 

While every effort will be made to showcase students and classrooms of specific programs on their designated pages, top-quality, aspirational photography, in narrative presentation, will continue to be the primary objective for photo selection. We welcome requests for classroom and academic department photography, which will be scheduled at the discretion of our campus photographer.

Photo Quality & Technical Specifications

All photography will be reviewed for quality professional standards prior to use. Photos found not meeting quality expectations will not be accepted for use. Photos taken with cell phones, in poor lighting, or that are pixelated or fuzzy are not suitable for use. The use of clip art, non-compliant logos and low-end graphics should be avoided. 

All photos must follow the following technical specifications:

• Resolution: 72 dpi
• Photography Format: JPG
• Graphic Formatting: PNG
• Dimensions: At least 2000px wide

College Communications, working in concert with departments at the college, will assist in the selection and offer recommendations for photos to be used in digital communications.

Head Shots

In addition to posting top-quality, narrative photos, ensuring a uniform, professional look for all faculty and staff photos is another part of our strategic objectives. A college photographer, based in College Communications, takes all faculty and staff photos for biography pages. 

Headshots should be high resolution, and cropped to show one’s face and shoulders. Headshots of individuals wearing sunglasses, backpacks, or cropped from photos with others are not suitable for the website.