Preparing your Lab or Classroom Environment

Advance preparation allows us to spend more time creating strong photos and video—and less time searching for materials, opening files, or deciding what to demonstrate. Identify two or three visually interesting activities that represent your work, such as using equipment, preparing samples, collecting data, or collaborating at a lab bench.

Plan your activities

• Identify two or three visually interesting activities that represent your work, such as using equipment, preparing samples, collecting data, or collaborating at a lab bench.
• Active research in progress is preferred where possible. If not, a safe, accurate demonstration may be prepared instead. Please have all necessary materials, equipment, and personal protective equipment ready before the scheduled start time.

Prepare computers and displays

• Sign in and open any software, data, graphs, scans, or models you plan to show. Close unrelated applications, silence notifications, and remove confidential information.
• Visually clear graphs, images, scans, and models generally photograph better than spreadsheets or screens filled with small text. Having a backup file available is also helpful.

Organize the space

• You do not need to choose the exact shooting locations; the production team will do that after seeing the lab. Please organize the primary work areas and their immediate surroundings. Pay particular attention to:
  • Primary lab benches and workstations
  • Specialized equipment that may be featured
  • Computer stations that may be used
  • Aisles, counters, and backgrounds near those areas
• Remove unrelated clutter, personal belongings, food and drink containers, and sensitive information. The lab should look authentic and active—not empty—while keeping visual distractions to a minimum.
• If convenient, sharing informal phone photos or a short walkthrough video before the shoot can help us plan locations and camera angles and may reduce how much of the lab needs to be prepared.

Prepare participants

• Ask participants to arrive on time, dressed appropriately, with any required lab coats, gloves, safety glasses, or other protective equipment available.
• All normal laboratory safety requirements remain in effect. Unfamiliar procedures may be demonstrated as supervised teaching moments with appropriate guidance from lab staff.
• Someone familiar with the research and the space should be available to explain the work, locate materials, verify accuracy, and identify anything that should not be photographed.