There’s no excuse for not being creative. Dull subject matter doesn’t have to mean a dull picture – just because your business might deliver waste solutions doesn’t mean your photo needs to end up in the bin! With a little creativity and, considered thinking an eye for the unusual is all you need.

Like myself, many of you will fancy yourselves as amateur photographers - but believe me, leave it to the experts. Many offices have their own digital camera but a quick snap of your subject just won’t cut it with the media. Enlist the services of a professional photographer and a good one at that – remember, like most things in life, you generally get what you pay for.

There’s no denying a good image will enhance the chances of the media using your story, but a good quality, creative photo will ensure you maximise your coverage. A good photo can be the difference between a filler and a page lead, and whether your organisation hits the headlines or not. If you’re looking to justify your media relations to your Chief Executive through AVE you better pay attention to your photography!

You need to be aware of what the media are looking for – and that will differ among local, regional, national and trade media so you may need to tailor your imagery to publications as well as your messages. However as a general rule, avoid cheque presentations, line ups, men in grey suits (sorry to our male readers!), people shaking hands or gormlessly holding up their product. Likewise, think about the format – if it isn’t over 300 dpi and less than 1MG you have no chance – and if you don’t know what that means, you should definitely hire a professional.

Photography is not always “newsy” and events are one example of where a little creativity may be needed. If you haven’t got a hot celebrity and your event doesn’t involve thousands of naked people or crossing a picket line you may need to think a little harder to make the image work. But if your event is a breakfast briefing or a stakeholders’ event you should remember that speakers and Powerpoint presentations are old hat! If in doubt, and stuck for a better alternative, a photocall with the main players in an attractive location outside the event is always the better option.

Obviously a professional will consider this, but you need to think about it too – try to consider what you are asking the photo to do and what it needs to say. Make sure the picture is framed properly and that there is a clear foreground and background. You should also ensure there is a clear focus for the subject and the image isn’t becoming too confused by too many things happening within the frame. Technically, it needs to be well lit, and well composed and of a high quality.

There needs to be a link between the article and the image - and the former doesn’t necessarily need to lead the latter. In our award-winning campaign for DCC (Get the Feelgood Factor) the whole thing was led by the image, which reinforced the story. It reflected the energy, personality and objectives of the campaign itself and said as much about the campaign as the press releases with which it was distributed.

If you do enlist the services of a professional photographer, remember that you will also need to give him or her a clear brief – just because you know what you want doesn’t mean that he or she will. It’s a good idea to speak to the photographer about the story and ask for ideas. Any photographer worth his salt will have that creative eye and will really care about his work. Remember, too, to outline a full shot list and agree this, along with delivery deadlines and costs, at the outset.

You’ve all heard the saying ‘there’s no such thing as bad publicity’ but I’d have to disagree. The image has to be appropriate for the subject matter – and any images taken of your Chairman or Chief Executive in full party or Comic Relief mode could come back to haunt you when you least expect it and just when it is least appropriate for your business. Whether it’s crisis management or simply an old image which isn’t appropriate for the current news, if you don’t supply up to date imagery the old ones will be dragged out, so don’t say you weren’t warned.

The ultimate aim when it comes to photography for a media relations campaign is to catch the viewers’ eye by being distinctive and achieve maximum press coverage. If you use your creativity to come up with a different kind of shot then you will make sure you position your company and differentiate it from your competitors, achieve maximum impact and ultimately increase the chances of the success of your campaign.