Services

Lens for Change believes that authentic photography is a powerful catalyst for social change, capable of raising awareness about critical issues, igniting conversations and inspiring action, and mobilizing communities towards a brighter future. By collaborating closely with your team, we’ll gain a deep understanding of your organization’s vision and goals. We’ll also learn about the unique challenges you face, such as limited resources, knowledge gaps, and time constraints, which are common in nonprofit photography.

Whether you need a single photo shoot, specialized training on a specific topic, or a comprehensive visual strategy, our customized solutions are designed to fit your needs and budget, with flexible content delivery options. By partnering with Lens for Change, you can overcome common challenges and transform your visual storytelling strategies to drive real impact, leading to greater visibility, increased donations, and more effective communication of your mission.

Consulting Services and Training Topics:

Comprehensive Photo Shoot Planning and Execution Services:

Concept Development: If you’re looking to refresh your visuals but lack a specific concept, we’ll brainstorm with you and propose impactful shoot ideas tailored to your programs.
Pre-Production Planning: We’ll work closely with your team to fully understand your vision and objectives, ensuring the shoot aligns seamlessly with your messaging and campaign goals.
Photographer Selection: Leveraging our extensive network, we’ll select the ideal professional photographer for your shoot. Whether it’s documenting your team, showcasing the impact of your services, or capturing the essence of those you support, our photographers excel at capturing authentic, high-quality images. If you’d like to be involved in choosing the photographer, we’ll provide portfolios for your review to confirm their style matches your vision.
Creative Direction: In collaboration with your team, we’ll develop a comprehensive shot list and creative brief to guide the photographer, aiming to capture all key moments and emotions.
Honest and Respectful Visual Storytelling: We prioritize authenticity and ethical considerations in every shoot, ensuring all subjects are represented with dignity and respect, and that your images reflect your organization’s values.
Image Delivery and Rights Management: We’ll provide the final images digitally, along with extensive usage rights, enabling flexible use across various platforms and formats.
Strategic Image Utilization Guidance: We’ll help you leverage your photos to create a powerful visual narrative that aligns with your mission and amplifies your message across platforms, creating a consistent and impactful presence.

Freelance Photography Management Training:

Select Compelling Stories: Identify and choose the most impactful subjects and moments to photograph, ensuring your shoots yield high-impact visuals that effectively highlight your organization’s key initiatives.
Evaluate Photographer Portfolios: Use recommended professional databases to find photographers and review portfolios to identify the best fit for your projects.
Recruit and Partner with Photographers: Engage with professional freelance photographers, and handle negotiations on usage rights and pricing.
Create Effective Briefs: Develop detailed shot lists and creative briefs that align with your organization’s vision and storytelling goals.

In-House Photography Improvement Training:

Enhance Photography Skills: Empower your staff to capture compelling images with any camera, from smartphones to professional cameras.
Standardize Image Quality: Implement best practices to ensure consistent image quality across your organization.
Master Photo Selection: Train your staff to select impactful images that will resonate with your audience.
Apply Essential Photo Edits: Provide guidance on basic photo editing skills to improve image quality.
Develop Your Professional Photography Team: Build or improve your in-house photography team, including recruiting and training full-time photographers and photo editors.

Ethical Photography Practices Training:

Develop Ethical Guidelines: Create and implement a robust photo ethics policy to preserve the credibility and integrity of your organization.
Foster Cultural Awareness: Ensure respectful and accurate representation by addressing cultural sensitivity in your photography practices.
Safeguard Consent and Privacy: Manage consent and privacy protocols with a focus on protecting vulnerable populations.
Maintain Visual Authenticity: Preserve the authenticity of your images by limiting post-processing to essential color and exposure adjustments.
Educate Your Team: Train your staff on the significance of your photo ethics policy, emphasizing its role in upholding ethical standards and protecting your organization’s reputation.

Photo-Driven Media Coverage Training:

Maximize Media Coverage: Leverage photography to capture media attention and expand your audience reach.
Enhance Storytelling: Craft compelling photo captions and narratives to amplify the impact of your visuals.
Streamline Distribution: Implement a system for efficiently delivering images to media outlets, including comprehensive metadata access.
Use Distribution Services: Leverage Lens for Change’s connections with major media outlets to distribute images locally, nationally, or globally.

Digital Photo Library Training:

Develop a New System: Build, organize, and manage photos in a digital photo library (aka Digital Asset Management system) tailored to your needs by engaging an external vendor.
Optimize Search Functionality: Implement metadata standards and tagging to facilitate efficient search and retrieval processes.
Establish Access Control: Create robust access controls and permissions to safeguard sensitive or proprietary images.
Streamline External Distribution: Implement efficient workflows for providing images to external sources, such as media outlets and corporate partners.
Empower Staff: Train your team to utilize the library effectively, supported by detailed resource materials.
Enhance a Current System: Upgrade your existing Digital Asset Management system to improve efficiency and accessibility.

Ethical Use of Stock Photography Training:

Search Effectively: Efficiently source images using recommended stock photography websites.
Select Strategically: Choose stock images that align with your organization’s mission and visual identity.
Avoid Stereotypes: Select diverse and culturally sensitive stock photos that avoid reinforcing stereotypes.
Ensure Transparency: Develop strategies for balancing stock use with original content and maintaining transparency with your audience to uphold trust and authenticity.
Comply with Licensing: Understand and adhere to stock photography licenses to ensure proper usage and avoid legal pitfalls.

Photo Licensing and Legal Contracts Training:

Master Licensing and Copyright: Understand photo licensing, copyright laws, and usage rights.
Manage Licensing Agreements: Track and manage licensing terms and renewals to ensure compliance.
Draft Effective Contracts: Develop clear and comprehensive photography contracts and release forms to to secure usage rights and protect your organization.
Consider Ethical Licensing: Understand the ethical aspects of photo licensing, respecting photographers’ rights and avoiding exploitative practices. Balance cost considerations with fair compensation for visual creators.

Content Delivery Services:

Lens for Change offers trainings and services using the content delivery service that works best for your organization. Current options include:

Pre-Recorded Webinars: Access training materials anytime.
Live Webinars: Participate in real-time sessions with Q&A opportunities.
In-Person Workshops or Presentations: Engage in hands-on learning with our experts.
Long-Term Consulting: Receive in-depth, ongoing consulting services on one or more areas of focus.
Written Resources: Utilize training materials, templates, and contracts for reference and implementation.

With millions of advocacy and nonprofit organizations in the world today, the competition for donor dollars and eyeballs is steep. People support advocacy organizations for many reasons: some want to help others, some want to make the world or their community a better place, and some want to support a cause that is personally significant to them. But with so many incredible organizations to choose from, how do you inspire people to support yours?

Credibility is key to drawing people to your cause. People need to trust that their donations and support are making a real difference in the world. Authentic photography helps you secure that trust by showing your audience what your organization is doing and demonstrating the tangible impact of your work.

We all know the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and in the case of advocacy work, that statement couldn’t ring more true. It can take less than a second to catch somebody’s eye with a powerful photograph and inspire them to learn more about how they can support your cause.

In the simplest of terms, authentic photography is imagery that wasn’t staged or posed when it was taken, and that wasn’t significantly altered or changed after it was taken. It means using less stock photography and more professionally shot images that show your staff doing the real work of your organization.

Of course, sometimes there are legitimate reasons to use posed or altered photography for specific purposes, but it’s important to be transparent with your audience in those instances; for example, a photo credit can clearly state that an altered photo is an illustration or a collage. There are also times when stock photography is appropriate, but again, it’s important to be honest about where the images came from, and to choose suitable images that don’t mislead your audience.

Using authentic photography will help uphold the integrity and credibility of your organization, which is key to gaining and sustaining trust and inspiring involvement in your cause. Lens for Change is committed to providing services and helping you learn strategies for doing exactly that.

Visit the Process page to learn how Lens for Change works with clients. View examples of our authentic photography of advocacy work by visiting the Portfolio page. Visit the About page to learn about the background and expertise of Lens for Change founder, Michelle Riley. Get in touch or request a free consultation meeting with Riley by visiting the Contact page.