Photos are one of the most important components of Columbia magazine, and the editorial staff relies almost solely on readers to fill the pages of “Knights in Action” with images of council activities.

Photos are one of the most important components of Columbia magazine, and the editorial staff relies almost solely on readers to fill the pages of “Knights in Action” with images of council activities. However, the majority of photos that we receive are unfortunately not usable because they are not editorially appealing — they are posed or blurry or simply poor quality. Compelling photos, on the other hand, always catch the eyes of our editors and represent a council’s best chance of having its activity published in the magazine.

So what makes a good photo?

• The best photos show the activity rather than people posed after the fact. For example, if you held a fundraiser for a good cause, send us a picture of the project in progress rather than the check presentation.
• Good photos also show faces and profiles, rather than people’s backs.
• Try to get close to the action, instead of standing at a distance.
• Be sure the camera is in focus and there is sufficient lighting.
• Set your image size to the large, and send us the full-resolution digital file.

Things to avoid:

• Photos taken on older cell phones, which are too small for publication.
• Photos that have been altered, reduced in size or made into a collage.
• Pictures of people standing in lines. We try to choose pictures that illustrate Knights in Action!