Photography is more than just imagery.
Photos of Carnegie Mellon University give the outside world a glimpse of the things that make us great: groundbreaking research, world-changing students and faculty, a dynamic campus and world-class facilities. As such, authentic images are a crucial part of the CMU brand and must be created and used with purpose and consistency. Every photo should reflect one or more of the brand pillars. Generic stock images are highly discouraged.
Available Resources
CMU Selects
Special collections of campus, lifestyle, classroom and research imagery available for use by the CMU community without a login.
For external use, please email marketing-info.andrew@cmu.edu.
DAM - Digital Asset Management
A collaborative, self-service library of digital assets exclusively for staff members with communications and marketing job responsibilities. A user account is required.
Request a Photographer
CMU photographers are available for a fee. This team of experts should be your first resource for custom photography.
Request a Waiver
We provide an online waiver collection platform for CMU photography and videography shoots or university events where participants’ images may be captured for marketing purposes. Request a waiver for your shoot or event by completing this form.
Commercial Use
All filming and photography for commercial use must be coordinated and approved through University Communications & Marketing. All requests for commercial filming on campus must be accompanied by an Entry Use Agreement. Applications must be submitted to UCM a minimum of 10 business days prior to the requested film date.
Requests will receive a timely response via email. Please note that business hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekend and holiday requests will not be addressed until the next business day. CMU reserves the right to decline any request. Questions regarding commercial filming and photography should be directed to marketing-info.andrew@cmu.edu.
News Media
News media who plan to film or photograph on CMU’s campus are asked to notify the University Communications & Marketing Media Team in advance by emailing media-relations@andrew.cmu.edu.
The UCM Media Team will work with news and commercial media to determine available filming locations on campus. To respect the privacy of our community members, filming or photography inside residence halls, the health center and other private spaces is prohibited.
Capture Your Own Photo
If you choose to capture your own photo, take a strategic approach by adhering to our principles, style and scene guidelines below.
If you do not own a professional camera, we highly recommend contacting UCM’s Photography Team. While our smartphones are constantly improving, they are often not sufficient for meeting the quality of the university’s visual standards.
All photos must follow OSHA and other safety guidelines. Do not access any areas that require accompanied access without an escort or permission from the building manager.
Principles
When shooting and selecting images for marketing materials, follow these principles:
Be a Storyteller
Whether shooting a portrait or scenario, candid or crafted, every CMU photo should tell a story. Consider the environment, props and surroundings as a stage scene. Even our campus and architecture can make a statement. When focusing on the subject's expression, capture the “aha! moment.”
Be Purposeful
Think ahead about the intent and tone that you want to convey and let the camera do the work. Do not rely on post editing for special effects.
Be Collaborative
While individual students, alumni, faculty and staff are incredibly important to our storytelling, it’s also important to show interaction with others to reinforce interdisciplinary culture, collaboration and community.
Be Authentic
Be sure the image accurately tells the CMU story. Avoid third-party stock images when representing actual university experiences.
Be Branded
As naturally as possible, include some element of the CMU brand or campus reference in the image. The goal is to establish that this moment took place at Carnegie Mellon.
Be Positive
Brilliance is attractive and happiness is contagious. Show passion, not pain. Success, not stress.
Style
Style ensures that every CMU image feels like part of the CMU collection, no matter who created the image or when it was created.
Avoid Clutter
A clean set and careful crop draws focus to where it is intended. Before taking the photo, take a moment to clear clutter or distracting elements in the background. When using the image, carefully crop to focus on the key element and eliminate distraction.
Be Bright, Crisp, & Bold
When processing images, a few points of added mid-tone brightness, dehaze and vibrancy make our images pop.
Do Not Distort
Never skew, tilt or stretch an image. CMU images should feel authentic and dramatic without additional effects.
Address Keystone
Wide angle lenses often makes buildings look top heavy and distorted, particularly when angled upwards and/or in close proximity. This can also be the case with people in photos. Be cognizant of this when photographing. You can also correct some keystone in extreme cases using post-production tools.
Scene Guidelines
We must visually capture stories that convey passion, ambition and a deep, practical engagement with the challenges facing society. These are the pictures we strive to take and share with the world.
Academics: Classroom
At CMU, learning is an experience and the professors are engaged. Show the spaces, but bring the passion.
- Capture engagement between students and faculty.
- Highlight unique learning environments.
- Avoid empty seats and large lecture halls.
Academics: Research
Our research is aimed at real-world outcomes that benefit real people. Show work in real-world situations that are collaborative and fun.
- Show hands-on research in progress.
- Get up close and personal to capture detail.
- Go to real-world environments and unique sites when possible.
- Capture “aha!” and happy moments.
Student Life
Capture what's unique, fun, and full of quirk.
- Candid is best to capture CMU culture.
- Branding and identifiable locations are key to authenticity.
- Avoid higher education photography cliches, sometimes called “three and a tree” type photos (three smiling students sitting around a beautiful tree on campus). Photos like these are overused tropes amongst universities, and may result in generic and inauthentic-feeling photos.
Health, Wellness & Athletics
Capture the moment. The moment that shows CMU passion and compassion, collaboration, and teamwork. When all the work pays off.
- Avoid shooting from spectator POV.
- Immerse yourself in the scene at eye level or find unique, dramatic camera angles.
Campus & Architecture
Our campus tells a story of its own. Let the architecture do the talking. And don’t forget that people make the place.
- Capture all four seasons in their most spectacular moments.
- Highlight the details on a micro and macro scale.
- Uncover hidden gems.
- Show spaces in use.
Experts & Leadership
Show experts being leaders on the big stage, in the real world. CMU experts and leaders are engaged and media ready.
- Focus on the CMU expert.
- Frame your image to include identification of the event or location.
- When possible, capture brands, celebrities, dignitaries, etc.
Portraits
Highlight the person, but show the work. Real people in real settings tell the story.
- Photograph the subject in their environment, highlighting their work.
- Match the natural light of the location for authenticity.
- Leave extra room for wide frames.
Carnegie Mellon University photography captures the authentic, diverse experiences of our community. Any religious or political expressions in the images are those of the individuals depicted and do not represent the position of the university.