Hiring a Photographer / Videographer

External Processes 

University Marketing and Communications has a list of approved photography and videography vendors who have a blanket contract with the university. The use of these vendors significantly streamlines the paperwork and payment process and is highly recommended. More information about this process and a list of approved vendors for photography, videography, and UAV/Drones is available here.

Before reaching out for any services, coordinate with the School of Architecture Communications AND the Business Office first.

On Campus Options

There are a handful of resources for on-campus photography and video production services. 

• Video: Liberal Arts ITS
• Video: Bevo Video Productions 
• Photo: Texas Student Media photographers
• Photo & Video: SOA's Technology Lab has several cameras and a camcorder available for the community to borrow. Equipment check-out details. 
• Photo: Contact Kelsey Stine for SOA student photographer availability.

University Photo & Video Policies

Talent Release Form

Be sure to have subjects complete and sign a Talent Release Form. This form should be retained on file by the department that will use the images or videos. For additional questions about model release policies, contact the Office of the Vice President for Legal Affairs.

UAV/Drone Photography/Video

When engaging any vendor on a project involving drones, the vendor must submit a drone flight request at least two weeks in advance. Click here for details. If you have questions related to UAVs or UAV flight requests, email uavflight@austin.utexas.edu 

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Photo Resources 

Image Relay

University Marketing and Communications maintains a collection of photos for UT faculty and staff to use on their websites, social media, printed materials and in promotional campaigns. The images are housed on Image Relay, a searchable digital asset library. To sign up for a free Image Relay account, visit utexas.imagerelay.com. Select “Request Access” at the bottom of the screen. Once you have an account, click the "Employees Log In Here" button.

Flickr

The School of Architecture maintains a public Flickr account, which houses UTSOA-specific imagery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/utsoa/albums. We are working to update this account with more recent photography, so check back for more. If you have a specific type of image you're looking for, contact Kelsey Stine. 

Archived Photo Requests

To request specific images from 2003-present, please submit a Digital Asset Request Form. Requests are handled on a first-come, first-served basis. University photos shot prior to 2003 are archived with the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

Copyright Infringement & Royalty-Free Image Resources

With the prevalence of images available on the internet, social media, and other digital sources, copyright infringement of photographs and other images has become a widespread risk. The most important thing to remember is that copying images without permission can be costly and illegal. The safest thing is to use images with explicit permission from the copyright owner to do so. Below are some resources that offer copyright-free images: 

• USA.GOV - Pictures provided by the U.S. government, free for use.
• Wikimedia Commons- A collection of 73,888,068 freely usable media files to which anyone can contribute.
• Flickr Creative Commons - Galleries of photos shared by community members.
• Creative Commons - Over 500 million images, available for reuse.
• Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online - Public domain images from the Library of Congress
• World Images - Collection of primarily historical images organized into categories like Science, Religion, the Arts, and more. Many images come embedded with relevant information.
• StockSnap - High-resolution photos added weekly. Free to download and use in commercial or personal projects.
• Unsplash - Freely-usable images for download for commercial and non-commercial purposes. Attribution is appreciated but not required.
• Pexels - Photos and videos that are free to use and modify. Attribution is appreciated but not required.
• Pixabay - Free, high-quality images and videos.
• Burst - Free stock photos for websites and commercial use.
• Canva - Free and premium photos.
• The Noun Project - Database of icons that can be used for free with attribution
• The Gender Spectrum Collection: Stock Photos Beyond the Binary - A stock photo library featuring images of trans and non-binary models. This collection aims to help the media better represent members of these communities as people not necessarily defined by their gender identities.

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Video Resources

YouTube & Livestreaming Events

The Technology Resource and Information Group and the Tech Desk Staff provide Audio/Visual support for events, guest speakers, and presentations to be live-streamed, viewed by the public, or captured for posterity on YouTube. Common events include the CAAD Forums, the Lectures and Exhibitions Services, and City Forum events. These events are planned before the semester and are noted on the TRIG calendar. Faculty and staff may request assistance by filling out the Event Request Survey. Events related to Final Reviews must be made through Academic Affairs.

School of Architecture YouTube channel

Rules for Filming on Campus

Unless it's a media outlet, a student filming for a class project, or someone we've hired to capture content for UT-hosted websites, social media, or newsletters/brochures, then no location permit is required for vendors on a blanket contract. All others must apply for a filming permit and submit a COI that meets UT's insurance requirements.

Captioning and Transcription

The University of Texas Libraries' Captioning and Transcription Service exists to ensure campus media is accessible to everyone. They prioritize video and audio content that directly serves those with hearing disabilities, but additional services are available to the entire campus. 

Campus B-Roll

University Marketing and Communications has B-Roll video clips available for UT faculty members and staff, news media, and other external agencies. Faculty and staff can download a selection of B-Roll from Box here (EID required)

Music

Music for videos is not provided by the university, but there are many affordable, royalty-free resources online. Check out PremiumBeat.com, Rumblefish, the Vimeo Music Store, and Creative Commons

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