Photography Guide

University Communications photography

The three-member photography staff within University Communications provides visual support for the office’s institutional news and communications projects, including making studio portraits of key university leadership and newsmakers. 

University Communications also hosts an online photo library featuring thousands of contemporary UW-Madison photographs that are available to the campus community (UW–Madison faculty, staff and current students). Campus users with UW NetID credentials ending in wisc.edu can log in to the photo library (upper right button of website) to freely access and download low-and high-resolution file photos for campus-related communications uses.

University Communications also offers a summary of their photography practices and usage guidelines.

Alternative photography-for-hire resources

University Communications photo staff are not available to cover assignments on requests from individual campus units nor fulfill the work-for-hire needs of other campus departments.

Media Solutions in the Health Sciences Learning Center is one campus department providing fee-based photography services, including traditional studio portraits and event coverage, to campus clients.

With support from the Division of Business Services, the Office of Strategic Communication coordinates a list of contracted services, including freelance and work-for-hire photography, with a related list of approved vendors. Additional questions about utilizing these contracted services can be answered by Sarah Martin at UW–Madison Purchasing Services and Tricia Nolan, executive director of UW-Madison University Marketing.

For historical photographs of UW–Madison, visit UW Libraries Digital Collections and University Archives.