University partnership events presenting unreleased student work

Partnership events combine two different kinds of moment. One is public: a signing, an announcement, a handshake. The other is closer to the work itself: students showing something they have built, written or designed. The first is meant to be seen. The second may not be ready to be.

This page belongs to our guide to campus, student and alumni-event photography.

Separate the announcement from the demonstrations

Plan two tracks in the run sheet. The announcement track covers speeches, signing, group photographs and the arrival of guests. The demonstration track covers stations, presentations and conversations about student work.

Each track has its own rules. The announcement is usually intended for publication. The demonstrations are intended for the people in the room, and publication depends on separate approvals.

Which approvals apply to student work?

Do not assume that being invited to show work means agreeing to its being published. Several parties may have a say:

• The students who made the work and appear in images of it.
• The academic supervisor or department responsible for it.
• The institution, which may have rules on research and student work.
• Any partner or sponsor who has funded or contributed to it.

Confirm the approvals you actually hold for each named work, in writing if you can. If an approval is missing, treat the work as not for publication. Our guide to embargoes and photographs restricted from publication explains how to record such limits.

Marking what stays out

The photographer needs a clear list of what must not appear in published images. Practical measures:

• Mark restricted stations with a simple sign or a coloured tag.
• Ask presenters to switch off or cover screens not for publication.
• Brief the photographer on framing near sensitive displays.
• Name the person who approves images before they leave your control.

For example, at a partnership launch with six student demonstrations, the faculty decides that three are approved for publication and three are for the room only. The photographer records the announcement, the approved demonstrations and general atmosphere, and avoids framing the other three. Our guide to photography around projected slides and confidential screens covers the screen issue.

Partners and their images

A partner may expect images for its own communications. Agree beforehand what the partner receives, which images are included and how they may be used. Keep the list short and written.

If the partner wants images of student work, check the approvals first. The partner's interest does not replace the students' or the institution's.

Protecting confidential academic material

Some work may involve research or data that is confidential. If so, tell us which areas are sensitive and who can answer questions on the day. Our guide to event photographs that show confidential business information offers a starting point.

Planning the day

Use the priority photograph list builder to rank the announcement moments, and the photo sharing and privacy plan to decide who receives which images.

What to send us

Send the run sheet, the list of works and approvals, and the sharing rules. We ask what is missing and confirm date, venue, crew assigned, deliverables and quotation in writing.

Questions to ask us

Ask how we would handle a demonstration that turns out not to be approved, what we do if a guest asks to photograph a restricted work, and how images are separated by approval status. We confirm what is possible for your date in writing.

When the event changes on the day

Demonstrations get moved, a student pulls out or an approval arrives late. Agree who tells the photographer when a work's status changes, and treat any work without a confirmed approval as not for publication until someone with authority says otherwise. Mark the run sheet with a clear list, and carry a printed copy. If time is short, the announcement stays and the rest follows as time allows. We confirm in writing how the booked time is used.