November 13, 2023

Dear Photographer:

**[RE: Revised Procedures for Sending in Photographs.]{.underline}**

In an effort to organize FEMA's photographic library and make it more
available to the media and the public, we are creating a photo archive
that will be accessible by keyword through the FEMA web site. To make
this archive as useful and complete as possible and to increase the
likelihood that FEMA photographs will be published, we are asking for
your cooperation in standardizing procedures for photo transmission and
captioning.

While we work out problems with using a TACACS account for posting
images on the FEMA FTP site, we ask that you submit all images and
correspondence to the FEMA Photo Desk e-mail address
**[Photodesk@fema.gov]{.underline}**. Please note, the previous e-mail
is no longer in use. Please send all photographs to this address even if
your final recipient is the web site or Recovery Newsletter. Indicate in
the e-mail that these images need to be forwarded. They will be archived
first and then delivered to the intended final recipient.

Please follow these guidelines for the image file type, dpi, size, and
file name:

File type: JPEG

DPI: 300 dpi

Size: 5x7 inches

File name as follows: DR[XXXX]{.underline}-brief-description.jpg

Example: DR1292-flooded-power-substation.jpg

Please note, do not use spaces, slashes or any markers other than the
hyphen when writing the file name, as the server is unable to display
them.

We expect you to use Adobe Photoshop© as the standard for editing
images. It contains a place for making annotations about the image and
is widely used in the publishing field. Since all regional offices have
been supplied with a copy of this program, please ensure that it is used
for all FEMA photographs.

One of the most important aspects of submitting images is providing
caption information in the File Info section of Photoshop. Images that
are uncaptioned or which have unclear or incomplete captions will not be
added to the archive. Please make your caption as descriptive as
possible within two or three sentences. Identifications are necessary
for images that have three or fewer readily identifiable individuals.
Furthermore, please write all caption information in the present tense.
Please make all attempts to be accurate with the spelling of names and
locations. Caption information should contain the following:

City, State, date image taken and a description.

Photo by: «FirstName» «LastName»/FEMA News Photo

Mandatory credit (no charge for image use).

For Example:

> Greenville, NC, 9/22/99: This power substation is surrounded by the
> flooding Tar River. Utility companies have managed to route around
> this facility and the main facility.

## Photo by: DAVE GATLEY/FEMA News Photo

> Mandatory credit (no charge for image use)

Make all attempts to send timely select photographs in the "heat" of a
disaster via e-mail so they can be made available quickly. Then please
follow up with a more complete selection of your photographs pressed to
a CD-ROM in high resolution. Please include caption information for the
CD-ROM either as a print out in the same envelope as the CD-ROM or as a
word file via e-mail. Originals of your photographs should be made
available to the regions, per their needs and requirements.

Please remember that all photos taken while you are activated by FEMA
are FEMA property and must be turned over to the agency. These images
cannot be made available for sale by you or others. You may make a
personal copy of the images but you must pay the reproduction costs.
Please refer anyone wanting free copies of FEMA photographs to the FEMA
Photo Desk. Not submitting images that belong to FEMA and/or making them
available for sale can be the basis for termination of FEMA employment.

If you have technical questions about any of these procedures, please
contact Lauren Hobart or Alex Plummer at 202-646-2749 or by fax at
202-646-4086. Questions about policy can be referred to Holly Harrington
at 202-646-2996.

Respectfully,

Mary Anne Lyle

Acting Director, Office of Public Affairs

Federal Emergency Management Agency