Photography

Authentic Subjects

Our photography should feel authentic to our school, University and greater community. We achieve this by featuring real students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as recognizable imagery from campus and the Twin Cities. This helps to establish a sense of place while also highlighting our connection to the community.

When capturing people, highlight natural moments in relevant settings that feel real and candid. Showcasing interaction and collaboration between multiple people is a key way to represent solving problems together.

Though posed photography is allowed, avoid using images that feel too forced or inauthentic. We want our imagery to feel inviting, confident and impactful.

Diversity & Inclusivity

We strive to foster an education and environment that is inclusive. Our photography should be as inclusive and authentically representative of our community as possible. Diversity is broadly defined, and at all times, consider the various types of diversity such as age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, body type and more.

Color & Lighting

All photography should be as realistic as possible, so full color and natural lighting are ideal. Aim to match exposure, contrast and saturation as close to these examples as possible. Temperature should be neutral, but blues should lean slightly more green (to match the light blue) and whites should lean slightly warm (to match the ivory). 

Composition

Images should align with the rest of the brand and feel clear, confident and impactful — never busy or overwhelming. Avoid cluttered backgrounds, clashing colors and busy patterns. Photos with simple backgrounds and ample negative space will allow for the most flexibility when interacting with graphic elements and typography. Images should be cropped thoughtfully to achieve visual balance and avoid any distraction or tension.

Example Photos With Our Style

Three high-rise buildings with many glass windows. The photo is zoomed in to demonstrate a dynamic crop.
A person in a gold shirt carries a backpack, holds notebook and has headphones around their neck. The image is cropped close to the person's upper body to demonstrate a dynamic crop.
Three people sit at a table. The photo is from the side and the focus is on the middle person who is smiling and wearing a gold-colored shirt.
Two people wear graduation regalia and embrace while smiling.
A person is shown from the side, with only their head, hand and shoulder showing. They look happy while looking off to the side.
Two people are talking to each other. One person has their back to the camera and the focus is on one person who has their mouth partially open as if they're in the middle of speaking.
A flag on a pole with the University of Minnesota Block M with "We are driven." below it. The photo is tightly cropped around the flag with some greenery from a nearby tree in frame.
A person stands at a whiteboard with a marker in their hand while talking to three people sitting in the room. The photo is cropped in a horizontal frame, with focus on the person who is standing at the whiteboard.
A person looks into the camera while facing to the left. They are looking into the camera and smiling.
A glowing sunrise or sunset photo of a downtown skyline.
The exterior of the Carlson building. The image is cropped vertically and a narrow image of the building. A person bikes in front of the building.

Selection & Refinement

Quality

Any featured imagery should be high-quality and feel professionally shot, ideally with a more narrow depth of field that creates a contrast in focus between the foreground and background.

Example of Quality Photography

Smiling person in a gold shirt beside an ivy‑covered wall.

Before

Smiling person in gold blouse next to ivy wall on city sidewalk.

After

The “after” image demonstrates quality:

  • High resolution, feels professional
  • Clear focus and large depth of field
  • Subject appears confident, authentic
  • Overall feels consistent with rest of imagery

Retouching

When photography is the main element in an important piece of communication, simple retouching can help bring alignment across our brand. This may include simplifying or extending backgrounds to create more focus, overall color editing to match the temperature of the photography style, or including a pop of color from the brand palette.

Team discussion; central person in rust sleeveless top talks with two colleagues.

Before

Team discussion; central person in maroon sleeveless top talks with two colleagues.

After

The “after” image demonstrates retouching: 

  • Simplified the background behind the subject
  • Adjusted blouse to match the maroon
  • Adjusted blue tones to match the light blue

Dynamic Cropping

Cropping can be used as a tool to emphasize focal points, obscure distractions and find unique perspectives. When dealing with a photo that isn’t ideal, look to options like dynamic cropping or the retouching edits suggested above to bring it closer to the defined photography style. Or, consider an alternate visual solution that doesn’t rely on using the image — simple is sometimes stronger.

Entrance to Carlson School of Management with curved glass facade and brick walls.

Before

Curved glass‑and‑brick upper facade of the Minnesota Carlson building against blue sky.

After

The “after” image demonstrates dynamic cropping: 

  • Cropped out distracting elements
  • Focused on the building form and curve, creating a more visually interesting image

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