Tips for Great Team Photos

Your Team photo is an important part of your total Team registration. This photo, plus your bio, are published in the Air Race Classic high-quality color program, which is distributed to all racers, Stops, sponsors, and hundreds of volunteers and racing fans. We encourage you to make your photo the best possible reflection of you and your teammates.

Here are some tips on how to achieve that high-quality look:

PRINT QUALITY

Photos should be 300 dpi (dots per inch) minimum resolution, and the higher dpi, the better. Check your camera settings to ensure that you are using the HIGHEST quality photo setting

In general, this will result in a file size that is close to 1 MB (1000 KB) or larger in size.

A file size less than 0.5 Mb (500 KB) for a single head shot is really NOT print quality material. A file size between 100 and 200 KB is usually only 72 or 96 dpi. While this size file may look great on the web or on your screen, don't be fooled; when printed on paper, it will be grainy and either darker or lighter than you thought it would be.

FILE FORMAT

All photos should be uploaded as jpg files. Please do NOT send your photo embedded in a doc or pdf file.

It helps the Program Editor if your uploaded file has a filename that indicates who is in the photo, and your team number if you know what it is. A format of Classic number_LastnameFirstinitial_role (pilot, copilot, teammate) is most useful. As an example, Classic32_JonesL_pilot_BakerP_copilot.jpg is most welcome and appreciated.

SHOW YOUR FACE

Everyone wants to see what you look like! So please, do NOT wear sunglasses. Sunglasses hide your eyes. And do NOT wear headsets. Headsets can also obscure your face, hair, etc.

DO take a close up photo that focuses on your faces. If the photo is from far away, we can't see you very well. Your photo should be primarily a "head shot", that is, head and shoulders only.

Remember, this is about the Team, not the airplane. If you want to stand together by the airplane, that's fine. But don't stand such that the airplane separates the team members by any significant distance. No standing on either side of the propeller, or either side of the tail; instead, be together! You will be spending 4 days of racing close together in the cockpit, you may as well start experiencing it now.

Don't forget to smile!

CHOICE OF CLOTHES

Many Teams wear their matching shirts for their photo, and this adds some nice color and variety to the program. But it's not a requirement. No need to get dressed up or have a professional photo, as this is about your Team in an aviation competition.

DO pay attention to lighting conditions and color contrast. Wearing dark-colored clothes in a dark hangar with poor lighting results in a poor photo. The same with wearing light-colored clothes against a light background with too much lighting.

IDENTIFY WHO IS WHO

Your Team photo must have the pilot on the left side of the photo, and the copilot on the right side of the photo. Left and right is from the point of view of a person reading the program. When you look at your Team photo, the pilot should appear on the left, and the copilot should appear on the right.

If you have a teammate, usually that person's photo is separate from the pilot's and the copilot's. If you have all three in the photo, then have the pilot on the left, copilot in the middle and teammate on the right. Please clearly identify who is who to Entry Administration.

We realize that some Team members do not live near each other. If that's the case, then submit separate photos of each person. Clearly name each person's photo file with their name and the race number (see above, e.g., Classic41_SmithM_pilot.jpg). That will reduce the amount of emailing to get it correct, and it will help to ensure the program photo placement meets your expectations.