The saying goes, a picture speaks a thousand words.
Yep. 100% true. And video even more so but more on that in another post.
When getting coverage with traditional press (newspapers and local or industry specific websites etc) for you charity firewalk event, they will want at least TWO specific things. And local press can carry more weight than most people realise.
A press release
The bottom line is they want a document that outlines clearly, simply and with a bit of sizzle, the who, why, what, where and when of the event. Alongside some quotes. More on that HERE.
Photos… But WHAT will they want?
They will want some pictures. With drama, inforamtion and story. Sometimes they will want loads. Here’s what we recommend, and can help you achieve, when working with us.
Photos Before…
So before the event you wont have any photos so you will need to supply archive shots. They should be…
- Generic firewalking photos where you can’t really see who is walking, just a person. Or shots of feet.
- Maybe a headshot or small group shot of the organisers or event.
Photos After the Event…
- Photos of the walk (kind of behind the scenes) that capture the spirit of the event.
- Photos of a walker, selling the drama of the Firewalk.
- A group photo, ideally with the huge cheque. We take this directly after the walk while the energy is high.
- An impact photo, so perhaps a group photo of the people who will benefit accepting the cheque, like the kids accepting a cheque for the school above.
You can see a collection of photos at the bottom of this post. These are the types of pics that play well in the press.
And don’t worry, we can supply the big cheque for your photo opportunity! It’s of course not a real one.
Photos should be high-resolution and tagged and named clearly. A guide post for photographers is coming soon. You can share photos in a large zip file via services like Dropbox or Google Drive. If sending five or fewer in high resolution, you can likely just attach as an email attachment.
All these photos convey excitement, thrill, impact, and drama. Of course, well-shot video is a bonus too. You can see how the Stroud News and Journal took all our photos and put them on their website HERE.
And remember, these photos should also be pushed out on social media channels along with short comments, tagging, and always the event link so that people can contribute.
Chris Jones
The Firewalk Experience
Firewalk instructor, best selling author and film director, Chris has been training people, making movies and writing books for three decades. When he is not running a firewalk, he is currently directing splinter unit on Mission: Impossible 8.
