Abigail MarshallNow on campus – professional grade photos. For free!
Thanks to Charles Jennings Jr., director of NCCU’s Career and Professional Development Center, N.C. Central University students can now save money and improve their brand with professional-grade photos for free. In other words, student no longer need to hire a professional photographer to build their resume.
It is all due to a photo booth called the “Iris Photo Air,” located in the Career and Professional Development Center in the Student Center. The booth cost NCCU $21,000 and comes with an annual maintenance fee of $6,000 per year.
“It’s very fulfilling. It’s actually quicker and easier than I thought. I’m really excited that we have this opportunity,” said De’Zaria Lucas, a sophomore mass-communication student, adding that having professional headshots opens up new opportunities for developing a student’s portfolio.
In the photo booth, students can take, receive, and edit three digital professional headshots. They can also get passport photos taken. The photo booth is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
According to the Iris website, “The process is like taking a selfie but with the result of a high-end studio.” The Iris Air is one of two models offered by the Iris company. It’s a booth that is wheelchair accessible.
Students can get posing and dressing suggestions in the booth or, better yet, at www.irisbooth.com. But if a student is not satisfied with their photo, they have the option to retake it. The photo is then sent by email, which has a link for editing it for details like brightness, contrast, whiteness of teeth, and more.
Jennings said he first learned about the Iris photo booth at Tennessee State University’s LinkedIn page. And, after a former NCCU student, Kendall Ray, brought it to his attention again at a Thurgood Marshall College Fund event in New York, he was sold on the idea.
