Use a Photoshop template
This Photoshop template will help you achieve consistency in cropping. All photos in this site use this template to create a sense of consistency.
Download the cropping template PSD
Crop consistently
In many cases, when you need to get photos for faculty and staff profiles, you will be sourcing photos from a wide variety of sources. Even if the photos weren’t originally shot consistently, the most important part of creating a consistent profiles page is to crop consistently. This will create a sense of consistency even among vastly different photos.
Take a look at the photos below to see how consistent cropping is possible even when photos have different natural orientations.
Example of a well-cropped horizontal photo
The photo below is a from a model on Unsplash.com and is used to portray a fictional staff member, Suzanne Brown.
Example of a well-cropped vertical photo
The photo below is a from a model on Unsplash.com and is used to portray a fictional staff member, Jason Gray.
Use high quality photos with similar backgrounds
When your photos have similar backgrounds, they will look more consistent when presented together in pages like directories.
Aim to find photos that have non-distracting backgrounds, such as a background in a studio, or take the photo with a shallow depth of field so that the face is the only thing in focus.
Not all photos have to be exactly the same. Consider varying angles or poses slightly to introduce some variety. The example below shows how photos can vary in background and pose while still feeling consistent, as long as cropping is done appropriately.
