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If your camera uses film
Drop off or mail us the actual prints of photos. If you have a photo scanner, do not scan prints and e-mail them. This diminishes the quality of the images and makes it less likely your photos will meet our requirements. Do not send Polaroid photos; they reprint poorly. Do not send your only copy of a favorite photo; have a copy made. Send us color photos, when possible. We do not return photos submitted to us.
If your camera is a digital camera
E-mail your photos directly to us. Do not print out copies of your digital photos for submission; we cannot use printed copies of digital photos. Send your e-mailed photos to one of the following bureau addresses. If the photo involves people from several areas, include a request to use it in other Neighbors sections, but do not e-mail to more than one Neighbors e-mail address:
East Neighbors: eastnews@syracuse.com
West Neighbors: westnews@syracuse.com
Northeast or Northwest Neighbors: northnews@syracuse.com
Syracuse Neighbors: citynews@syracuse.com
Madison Neighbors: madisonnews@syracuse.com
Cayuga Neighbors: cayuganews@syracuse.com
Oswego Neighbors: oswegonews@syracuse.comFollow these instructions for handling the digital photos: Leave the image as it is. Do not lighten or darken the image, even if it doesn't look perfect. Do not crop it. The more the image is changed, the more the detail and quality is lost when The Post-Standard photo technicians prepare it for publication. Do not doctor the photo in any way: Do not add people to the photo or change the sky or background. Send the image as a .jpg file. Name photos sent to the newspaper with one short word, probably the event or the subject's last name and .jpg (smith.jpg or carnival.jpg). In the subject field, write the person's first and last name or the full name of the event. Include details about the event in the e-mail. We need to know what happened, when, where and as many details as possible about the event. Send this as a Microsoft Word document or as part of the e-mail. Include the first and last name and address of everyone in the photo, from left to right. Double-check the spelling of all names. The address is important, since that's how we decide which Neighbors sections to include the photo in. Every person who is clearly visible in the photo must be named. If it is a group photo, we need to be able to identify people in the order they appear in the photo. If there is a face, there must be a name, or we won't print the photo. Include the name and daytime phone number of a contact person who can answer questions about the event or photo.
How to set your digital camera
To produce the best, most useable digital photos, here are some recommendations on how to adjust your digital camera before taking the photos: If you have an adjustment for resolution on your digital camera, set it for the highest resolution available. If there is an adjustment on your camera to set the frame/picture size, set that for the largest possible frame.
Some tips for taking better photos Arrange to take photos in brightly lighted places. The best indoor shots are in rooms with lots of daylight. From a lighting standpoint, daylight is always superior to artificial light. Look for shadows and dark spots, especially over faces. Your camera's light meter does not see them. Billed caps and people standing with the primary light source behind them are two of the most common shadow-makers. A single light source above the subject, such as in a school or hotel hallway, is also a notorious shadow-maker. Understand what your camera's flash can and cannot do. Most have a very limited range - 10 to 20 feet. Their ability to overcome darkness and shadows is limited. What's more, flashes tend to make other shadows in poorly lit rooms. Check your camera's instruction manual for specifics. Watch for competing light sources. A common problem is a brighter light source behind or to the side of your subjects than in front of them. For example, an indoor photo of a person standing next to or in front of a sunlit window or doorway produces lighting problems. Faces count. Arms and legs don't. In posed photos, unless the photo has to do with what somebody is wearing or doing, bodies are not important. So get closer. Even in photos of people doing something, it is important to get as close as possible so the people's faces are clear. A few recognizable faces are better than many faces you cannot see. You know who these people are, but most of our readers don't. It's best to hold group shots down to no more than a half dozen people. If there is a large group, such as an athletic team, break them up into several shots. Identify all people in the photo using first and last names. Also, indicate their location in it, preferably from left to right. Include their addresses, unless they are all from one school.
Other suggestions for amateur photographers Have the people in your photos face the strongest light source. During the daytime, that usually means facing a room's exterior windows. If people will be doing something in the photos, line yourself up so your back faces the strongest light source. But be careful your shadow doesn't extend into the photo. Avoid rooms without windows - hallways, gymnasiums, auditoriums, offices, garages, etc. The lighting is uneven in rooms lit entirely by artificial means, creating dark spots and other problems. Florescent lighting creates a green pall that people don't see but cameras pick up. Also the light tends to reflect the overall color of closed rooms. In gymnasiums, for instance, there's usually a gold or brown pall to photos. Good stage lighting is designed to overcome these problems. Be sure you're somewhere on the stage when you're taking these photos. Hats off! Hats make shadows over faces. Stay out of the shade. A camera's built-in light meter is easily confused, especially if you're standing in the sunlight and your subjects are in the shade - or vice versa. Never shoot just one photo. The percentage of photos that turn out poorly is high, even for professionals. Multiple shots help cut down those odds. When taking more than one photo, always move around a little - get a little closer, move a couple steps to the left or right. Often a problem you didn't see in your first photo is cleared up in a photo shot from a different angle. The fundamental rule: Line up the shot you want to take, take two steps forward, then click.
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