We often get asked how much photography and videography costs, when undertaking a new school website build. Investing in new photography and videography for your school website is a consideration for any new project – therefore maximising the most of your time with a professional is key to achieving the best results and gaining the optimum value.
If you are lucky enough to have a professional photographer on your staff or as a parent in your school, then you’re in luck. Just make sure you have all of the insurance (public liability) and safeguarding checks in place before they begin their work with you. You’ll also want to be very clear about the ownership and usage rights of the photographs. Finally, they’ll be handling photos of children (now classed as personal data) so it makes sense to have a data protection assessment in place and assurance around how these images will be processed and stored.
All our photographers work with you to prepare and organise the shoot before the day – which is key to a fantastic outcome!
Before the day
We work with schools to meticulously plan the session well before the day of the shoot.
You can download a checklist we use to help you plan the session and also ensure that your shoot fully represents the diversity of your school, from ethnicity, gender, age, special needs etc… It’s key that your school website is a true and authentic reflection of your school community. It can’t be underestimated how important ownership of the school website is – it is the embodiment of the school’s reputation and ‘shop window’ to the world. It needs to reflect your values and your community.
Our photographers will always work with you to understand what you are trying to communicate through the photo shoot, which usually incorporates the school’s ethos and vision. We will check and confirm that your checklist and plan for the shoot will effectively communicate elements of your ethos and vision to website visitors within a fraction of a second. That’s the magic of good photography and videography – telling your story, concisely, authentically and believably.
The school will be responsible for selecting the students who have permission to be photographed and we ask that the school considers letting parents and carers know specifically about the planned photo shoot and re-confirms this consent. Not only is this good practice, but it also encourages parents and carers to make sure the uniform is correct, pressed and sparkling for the occasion.
Having the right technology is critical, some of our cameras have lenses that cost thousands of pounds – whilst it’s true that smart phone cameras have come a long way, there’s a world of difference between a photo from a phone and one by professional equipment. CODA Education also has the technology to offer drone footage and 360 virtual tours. Plus, the associated insurance and accreditations to complete these safely and legally.
On the day
We’ve completed over a hundred shoots in schools, which means we’ll take an active stance on the day of the shoot. We will ask for activities to be repeated, we will ask for piles of books to be removed or a coat on the floor to be hung up!
We know the images that you need and we are laser focussed on the detail – both in the fore and background of every shot. We live in a world where image and videography is highly scrutinised, so gaining the perfect shot is our ambition and it’s what our clients rely on us to achieve.
After the day
Editing of the photographs means that we will remove the shots where a child blinks or someone accidentally wheels the lunch box trolley behind the subject in the shot – it’s a school and we know these things happen!
This means you’ll be left with the pick of the crop – great photos, shortlisted for your final selection. Great photographers spend as much time editing as they do with you taking photos. At CODA Education, we spend a minimum of 2 hours in a school and then a further 2 hours editing and improving the images we have taken.
Why work with us on photography & videography?
Here’s the benefit of working with CODA Education for your photos and videos:
- Legal and compliant – with the DPA, enhanced DBS safeguarding checks and full insurance and accreditations.
- Comprehensive planning before the event to ensure customer satisfaction and value for money.
- Professional, confident and considerate on-site support, we will communicate in a positive and straightforward way with you on the day!
- Fully edited photos, to save your leadership team hours. Don’t sift through thousands of images, we will send you the pick of the crop for your executive decision.
- Cutting edge technology – we invest thousands of pounds a year in photography equipment, meaning that our photos and videos zero in on the details that matter. The colours pop and the image is captured in a moment of true, living authenticity.
- Your school owns the rights to the images, this means you are free to use and re-use them as you want. Turn them into canvases, use them on your posters and banners. These are your photos, use them as you wish.
The costs
When you incorporate our photography and videography into a new website build, the cost, fully inclusive of the features ranges from £300 – £900, depending on how many hours or days you would like us at your school.
For our very specialist drone and 360 virtual tours, the cost can vary on the size of the school and starts from £250.
For one of our promotional videos, we bring to life a theme or focus in your school, use vox pops to hear a diversity of voices and opinions from your school community, and help plan and script this, shoot and edit it starts from £900.
