UB Photo Database

Check out UB’s online photo database for images of UB campuses and buildings; faculty, staff and students; and important campus events. Best practices to download images from the database for digital use are also below.

Searching Database

UB’s photo database contains more than 20,000 professional-quality photographs of UB-related subjects. Search here for the most up-to-date, UB brand-appropriate images for your marketing and communications initiatives. To ensure that your search is productive, review the “search tips” before beginning. Photos are downloadable at no cost but are only available to UB students, faculty and staff.

If you are interested in having a freelance photographer cover an upcoming event, feel free to contact University Communications for recommendations.

Model Release Form

Download Release Form Download Release Form

If you will be using any individual as the subject of a photo or video shoot, please make sure this person completes the model release form. It grants the university full usage of the photo or video assets in perpetuity.

Photo Credits

External:

Preferred: University at Buffalo | Photographer’s Name

Required: University at Buffalo

Internal:

Photo(s): Photographer’s Name

Photography Restrictions

Photos within this database should be used only to promote or communicate official university programs, projects, units, schools, etc. If a company or organization is promoting a program or project that involves the university, they must first obtain permission from University Communications. If granted approval for the specific requested application, proper photo credit must be given to the photographer and the University at Buffalo. Outside entities are not permitted to use this photography to advance their own initiatives.

How to download SmugMug photos at a resolution suited for digital use

At any point, you can right-click and 'Save image as' to download a copy. But this does not provide any control over the image proportions (resolution), which is very important.

The following steps allow you to download an image at the desired resolution.

Step one: Click the Share icon. This is located in two locations.

When viewing a gallery, the Share icon is below the image, in the lower right corner. (An identical icon in the upper right is used to share the entire gallery!)

When viewing an individual image, the Share icon is located to the left of the image, near the top left corner.

Step two: Click the Embed tab. In the drop-down menu labeled 'Choose a size,' select a specific resolution.

Optimal social media image sizes by orientation:

Square: 1080 x 1080 pixels
Vertical (story): 1080 x 1920 pixels
Horizontal: 1200 pixels wide

Note: exact dimensions will depend on platform and type of content.

Hero Photo or Hero Slide Deck use:

X3Large – 1600 x 1067 pixels - If the full width of the photo will suffice for the banner crop.
X4Large – 2047 x 1365 pixels - If you need a little more information to crop into.

Any image used within a 960 pixel center column:

Large – 800 x 533 pixels - Image less than 1col / 960 pixels.
X-Large – 1024 x 683 pixels – Full-Size / 1col / 960 pixels images will zoom in pretty well.
X2-Large – 1280 x 853 pixels - Allows for a little more impact when adding zoom to the photo component.