In a digital age, it’s important for everyone to have access to a professional portrait, Tommy Theis, photo services manager, said. He hopes photo services can help give students and faculty an edge over their competitors by providing them with a no-cost, quick and professional photo.
“It helps them look more invested into what they’re trying to accomplish with their life, you know,” Theis said. “I mean it isn’t a great measure of that, but I think it definitely kind of helps them get get a step up — that they’ve taken the time to come in and get a professional photo done.”
Photo services provides their drop-in photo service every first and third Friday of the month from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Dole Hall. Students and faculty can use it for free and without an appointment. Theis said photo services works with people coming in a little late so long as they communicate.
“You don’t need anything, you don’t need to bring anything,” Theis said. “Sometimes there’ll be a wait … I can usually get to anybody in about 15 minutes — you’ll be in and out.”
In addition to their drop-in service, Theis said photo services also takes all the photos for the university, among other things.
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“Our main goal is to get photos that represent all of K-State. So that’s with research, with our magazines with any kind of advertising that we put out there on social media, so we do a lot of that stuff,” Theis said. “But we also try to help as much as we can with different labs if they need help with photos for their research or stuff that they’re doing. We do a lot of event photography for either student groups or just groups.”
Additionally, photo services keeps a photo archive from years prior.
Photo services takes proper COVID-19 precautions, Theis said, and visitors must wear a mask at all times except when the photo is being taken.
“We do allow you to take your mask off once you get into that spot and we make sure everybody stays away, and that we are abiding by all COVID guidelines,” Theis said. “We have hand sanitizer at hand and everything.”
If students don’t have professional clothing, Kerri Keller, director of the Career Center, said students can check out the Career Closet to find something.
Theis stressed that photo services wants to support students.
“I know a lot of students — it’s hard to either pay for photo services or to be able to find time to be able to do it, so I just want to do my part to make sure that students succeed,” Theis said. “I think that’s what a university really needs to do and that’s what we’re here for — is to make sure that you guys have all the tools to be the best class that you can be and to be able to curve out other people over a job and get the jobs and you want in your life.”
