Photo style guide
Last updated 15. June 2022
This is a guideline for BI employees, photographers and agencies. The guideline ensures all photos used in a BI-context has a holistic expression. When the audience sees a photo published in our channels, they should understand that BI is the sender. Nevertheless, we wish to be flexible and are open for creativity and for adjusting the visual style of the photos to make it fit the communication when needed.
Photo categories
- Portrait of student, faculty, BI-Alumni or business profiles.
- Events. Photos from different events at BI, or events where BI is involved.
- Campus photos. Interior, exterior, surroundings and student life images.
- Creative photos for marketing.
- Other photos might occur, if needed.
Portrait photos – Examples
Portrait of student, faculty, BI-Alumnies or business profiles.
Campus photos - Examples
Campus photos. Interior, exterior, surroundings and student life images.
Events photos - Examples
Events. Photos from different events at BI, or events where BI is involved.
Technical qualities
- Minimalistic style
- The photos should be inviting, open, welcoming and human.
- Natural light (do not edit the white balance of the photos to make them unnaturally yellow/warm, the photos should not be over exposed, the use of artificial light should only be used when necessary or if it is a part of a creative idea). Please try to make the photos look interesting with taking an advantage of the natural light when it comes to light and shadow, colourful sky, or other opportunities that might arise.
- The portraits should have a calm background (not many details), preferably close to the person, but with enough air around the person, to make it easy to place text or graphic on the image, and for easily cropping the photo for different formats.
- For Social media: We wish to have some blue elements in all photos, and we wish to use different colour shades from BIs colour palette in the photos.
- Dress code. One does not always need to be in business clothes, some can also be dressed in for instance earth colours, neutral and warm colours.
- It is nice to show diversity. There are many different people at BI.
Stock images
BI has a huge need for photos to different type of communication, and sometimes it is not possible for us to shoot the photos we wish to use, or we might not find the photo we wish to use in our media bank. In these situations we use stock images.
Stock images should be used in moderation. Do not use it uncritically
- Do not use photos with different images merged together
- Do not use photos with artificial light, unnatural settings, unnatural, junky and over exaggerating poses (where everything is saying "this is fake")
- Do not use photos which gives the feeling of a different time, for instance the 90s business world
OK Stock images – example photos
When using Stock images, have this in mind
Using stock images is never without any risk. Other brands might also use the same image in their communication, which can confuse our audience.
Searching for the right photo can be time consuming. Sometimes it can be better to use the time to shoot the photo you want, instead of using the time to search for it. An original photo from BI is highly preferable over a stock image.
Check if there are other photos we have in our media bank that can be used instead of a stock image.
Have this in mind
Planning
Photos are an important part of the communication. It is what draws people attention and might make them click into an article and read it. Therefore it is important to:
- Use enough time for planning the photos
- Involve the photographer early in the process
Guidelines and use of images
When using images of persons or photos from external photographers, it might be some limitations in the rights for the use of the images:
- Remember GDPR and privacy guidelines. When you take a photo of a person you must have the Declaration of consent signed.
- Remember to make sure you understand details defined in the contract, if the photo is from an external photographer
- Remember to upload the photo in to the media library and remember to add the details from the contract. When the contract for the photo expires, the photo should be archived to avoid any use in the future.