ACADEMIC IMAGE
Academic Image was created to fill a void in the educational marketing environment.
Education is a unique space with unique challenges and opportunities. Academic Image thrives in that space whether it’s a boarding school, community college, university or day school.
We believe in compelling imagery and authenticity. We believe storytelling is the most effective marketing and communications tool available and those stories should be told by the people in your community.
Douglas Benedict is the founder and lead creative at Academic Image. Douglas graduated from Indiana University majoring in Journalism and Religious Studies and worked fifteen years as a newspaper photojournalist.
We are proud to work with some of the most pre-eminent schools in the Northeast in relationships that have lasted more than a decade. We would love to begin that journey with you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Academic Image provides photography and video services for independent K–12 schools, including both day and boarding schools, as well as colleges and universities. We work closely with admissions, marketing, and communications teams to create visual assets that reflect each institution’s culture and mission. While different institutions have distinct goals and audiences, our approach adapts to support both enrollment and broader institutional storytelling needs.
Academic Image focuses exclusively on educational institutions, which present a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Educational photography is not corporate or commercial photography; it requires an understanding of how schools and colleges actually function. With more than twenty years of experience working within academic schedules, campus cultures, and institutional priorities, we collaborate closely with school and university leadership to deliver photography and video that support admissions, marketing, and communications goals.
We create comprehensive image libraries that document academics, campus life, arts, athletics, residential life, and events. These images are used across admissions, marketing, publications, websites, and digital campaigns.
An image library is a broad, cohesive collection of photographs created by documenting many aspects of school life during a photography project. Rather than serving a single use, it provides schools with a flexible bank of images that can be used across admissions, marketing, and communications over time. This approach helps institutions meet a wide range of visual needs while maintaining consistency and reducing the need for frequent, one-off photography.
Yes. Video is often incorporated alongside photography to support storytelling, recruitment, and marketing initiatives. We produce both short- and long-form videos for use on school websites, in email campaigns, and across admissions and fundraising efforts. Our video work frequently features the voices of students, alumni, parents, and school leadership, and may highlight campus life, special programs, or significant events within the school community.
Immersion photography involves spending extended time on campus to capture authentic, unscripted moments across many aspects of institutional life. Rather than working from a fixed shot list alone, this approach allows the photography to reflect the natural rhythm of the school or college day. The result is a cohesive, flexible visual library that can be used across admissions, marketing, and communications.
Each project begins with advance planning and collaboration. On campus, photography is coordinated around academic and institutional schedules to minimize disruption, with an emphasis on observing and capturing candid, unscripted moments as daily life naturally unfolds. This approach allows us to document a wide range of experiences without interrupting classes, activities, or campus routines.
Yes. We work closely with institutional teams in advance to identify priorities, key
messages, and logistical considerations. Drawing on our experience working in educational environments, we often provide guidance on how to visually support specific admissions, marketing, or communications goals.
Photography projects are typically structured as a full eight-hour day, allowing time to capture academics, campus life, and after-school activities such as athletics or clubs. Video projects vary based on scope and goals. Some may involve a single interview session, while others require multiple visits across several days to capture the necessary footage.
A typical full-day photography project produces several hundred finished images, often in the range of 300 to 500 photographs. The exact number depends on the size of the campus, the scope of coverage, and the activities taking place during the day. Our goal is to deliver a comprehensive image library rather than a small, curated set of individual photographs, giving institutions flexibility across admissions, marketing, and communications needs.
Images are intended for admissions, marketing, and communications use, including websites, social media, print publications, viewbooks, and campaigns. Institutions may use the images in perpetuity across these platforms. Academic Image retains the right to use selected images for portfolio and self-promotional purposes.
Academic Image retains copyright while institutions receive broad usage rights appropriate for institutional marketing and communications needs.
Academic Image works closely with each institution to respect student privacy and follow established school policies. We rely on schools to manage permissions and consent in accordance with their own guidelines and applicable regulations. On campus, we photograph in a way that is respectful, unobtrusive, and aligned with how institutions represent their communities publicly.
Yes. Douglas Benedict holds current Pennsylvania child abuse and criminal background clearances, which are commonly required for working on K–12 school campuses. These include a Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance and a Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check. Documentation can be provided to institutions upon request. These clearances are maintained and renewed as required.
Yes. Academic Image maintains appropriate business and liability insurance for working on K–12 school and higher education campuses. Proof of insurance can be provided upon request.
Yes. Academic Image is based in the Mid-Atlantic region and regularly travels to work with schools and colleges throughout the United States.
Many institutions schedule photography when campus life is fully active, though timing depends on enrollment cycles, academic calendars, and institutional goals.
High-quality, authentic photography helps prospective students and families understand an institution’s culture, values, and daily experience, often shaping first impressions.