Photography is one of the most powerful ways we show the world who Emerson is. Our images should capture the creativity, energy, and humanity of our community, from the work happening in our classrooms and studios to the people and places that make Emerson extraordinary.
Whether we’re capturing a moment as it happens or creating something specifically for a campaign, our photography should feel authentic, expressive, and distinctly Emerson.
Our approach
There isn’t just one way to photograph Emerson. Our photography ranges from candid documentation of everyday life to carefully art-directed imagery created for marketing and storytelling. The approach may change, but the goal is the same: create compelling images that feel true to Emerson and the people who make it what it is.
Documentary photography
Some of the best Emerson moments can’t be staged.
Documentary photography captures our community as it really is: students collaborating in a classroom, performers backstage, a production taking shape, faculty working alongside students, or the energy of an event unfolding on campus.
Look for genuine moments, interactions, movement, and emotion. The strongest images make you feel like you’re there, offering an authentic glimpse into the Emerson experience.
Great moments to capture include:
- Classes and learning
- Student life
- Performances and rehearsals
- Creative work and production
- Events and gatherings
- Collaboration and community
- Life on our campuses
Marketing photography
Marketing photography is more intentional and art-directed, allowing us to build imagery around a particular story, audience, or idea. These images may use considered lighting, composition, environments, and direction to create something more editorial and expressive.
Even when a shoot is carefully planned, the people in our photography should still feel like themselves. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s to create bold, compelling imagery that captures something real about our subjects and about Emerson.
Marketing photography may include:
- Student, faculty, and alumni portraits
- Recruitment and enrollment campaigns
- Brand campaigns
- Advertising
- Editorial features
- Institutional storytelling
What Emerson looks like
Our photography should reflect the breadth of our community and the many ways creativity takes shape here.
Show our people making, performing, experimenting, collaborating, learning, teaching, leading, and connecting. Capture students, faculty, alumni, and staff alongside the work they create and the places where it all happens, from classrooms, stages, and studios to campus life in Boston and Los Angeles.
Look for authentic moments, genuine expression, movement, interaction, and a strong sense of place. Experiment with perspective and composition, and choose images with personality, energy, and a point of view.
Above all, photography should feel specific to Emerson. Avoid imagery that feels generic, overly staged, or corporate. Forced smiles and manufactured “candid” moments rarely tell our story as well as the real thing. If an image could just as easily belong to any college or university, keep looking.
Look for opportunities to capture:
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Our People
Students, faculty, alumni, staff, collaborators, and members of our community. -
The Work
Performances, productions, writing, filmmaking, journalism, communication, research, design, comedy, and the creative process behind it all. -
The Experiences
Classes, events, student life, collaboration, traditions, and unexpected moments. -
The Places
The spaces where Emerson happens, from our Boston, Well, and Los Angeles campuses, to classrooms, stages, studios, residence halls, and the cities beyond our doors.
Find Photography
Looking for the right image? Our photography library includes approved images of students, faculty, campus life, performances, events, spaces, and more.
Have a photography request?
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Planning a project that could benefit from new photography or video? Connect with the Office of Marketing and Communications to talk through what you need.