Here are some instructions, tips and hints to help make your photos more appealing and usable for the paper.

DO	DON'T
Action shots are always better than "staged" or "posed" photographs. They are more interesting, tell a story and will more likely lead the reader to read the accompanying story or information.

DO	DON'T
Close-ups on individuals are usually better than more distant shots that include "everyone." Although it's nice to get everyone at an event into a picture, it just isn't as attractive or useful.

DO	DON'T
Needless to say, fuzzy or blurry pictures are unattractive and usually unusable.

DO	DON'T
Of course, there needs to be plenty of light, or there is really nothing to see.

To improve the chances of our using your photos, please keep in mind a couple of things: First, don't be shy. A good rule of thumb is that you should get as close to your subject as physically possible, and then take a step even closer. That way, faces will show up clearly, and readers can see the pastor's delighted smile at being handed a cheque. If you force yourself to get in close to your subject, it also makes it more difficult to take photos of long line-ups of people, and that's probably for the better.
Newspaper reproduction usually makes it impossible to see much detail in a photo that contains a dozen people. Please keep it simple, and keep it close.

Be creative. Rather than taking a picture of 10 people standing at the Bake Sale table, take a picture of your most senior (or junior) member, holding a slice of her famous 12-layer chocolate cake.