Media Libraries
Finding the Right Photo or Video
Choosing the right photo or video is critical to amplifying the power of your story or campaign. Visual media plays an important role in our efforts to talk about ways that our students, faculty and staff make waves and bring about positive transformation in the world. Western has several media libraries that can help you enhance your promotional efforts.
Flickr serves as Western Washington University's primary photo repository.
New photos are added to the main photostream regularly, and albums are created for different seasons, events, and subjects.
If you cannot find the image you're looking for, view the alternative resources below or contact Visual Media for assistance in locating an image that may meet your need.
Western Washington University hosts most of its public-facing YouTube channel. You will find the latest video stories and brand anthems highlighted in the channel.
Do not use photos found online unless you are positive about the usage rights.
When using work produced by someone else, it’s always best to credit the photographer. In each of the locations mentioned below, author/photographer information can easily be found for citation purposes.
Western Today Photos
Western Today is constantly running stories with accompanying photos about all the awesome things happening at Western.
WWU Athletics Photos
Looking for athletics-related imagery? Contact Jeff Evans at jeff.evans@wwu.edu to explore options.
MABEL
MABEL (Multimedia Archives Based Electronic Library) is a repository for sharing and preserving Western's digital assets. MABEL has materials relating to the history of Western, as well as the surrounding community and region. This includes photographs, oral history transcripts, recordings, maps, and other archival material. The collections will continue to grow over time. Explore MABEL on the WWU Libraries website.
Stock Photography
Stock images should be used sparingly, and only when it makes sense to bolster the Western’s MAKE WAVES brand driver. You can work with University Marketing to identify and purchase/obtain an appropriate stock image–just send an email detailing/describing the kind of image(s) you want.
You can also look for your own stock photos. There are many, many stock photography sites. University Marketing recommends using Unsplash. If you endeavor to find your own stock photography, it’s best to run any choices by University Marketing to get a second opinion on appropriateness and fit.
Creative Commons or Public Domain Photos
It’s permissible to use creative commons license or public domain photos. A creative commons license grants basic rights, such as the right to distribute work for non-commercial purposes. There are several different types of creative commons licenses, you should look for the Attribution (BY) version and ensure that you are attributing the image correctly. Another option is to look for public domain images. Those are images with no rights reserved. Usually, the copyright has expired, and generally, these images do not require attribution.
Take Your Own Photos
We encourage you to take your own photos if you need specific subjects/imagery. You don't need the latest and greatest equipment if you’re taking photos for social media or the web. The most critical thing is making sure you have permission from the individuals you are photographing. When taking photos of people, be sure to have them fill out the Permission/Release form.
If you need a camera that's a step up from a smartphone, ATUS can loan you a professional SLR camera and lenses.