Authentic and Diverse
Our house photography is grounded in a documentary-style esthetic that sets itself apart from stock photography marked by posed figures and unrealistic situations. We favor natural lighting and colors that feel full, authentic, and unaffected by styles or trends. We go to real jobsites, with real people, and represent our customers as empowered individuals who are proud of their work and the industry we serve.
Our photography should be people-first, warm, and human. It should strive to show the diversity of people working in the industry and be inclusive of all genders, abilities and backgrounds. Our vision is to improve the lives of everyone in construction — and we mean everyone.
When choosing stock, keep diversity in mind, and look for human, lively expression that does not feel forced.
Organic and Un-posed
The overall mood should be organic, un-posed, documentary style, ideally capturing the subject in a candid moment either on the job or in conversation. These images should show texture, color, and depth. If the subject is talking to someone in the shot, the secondary subject should either be out of frame or out of focus. Utilize lighting and depth of field in such a way that allows the subject to pop from the background.
Do
- Capture the subject in natural movements and poses
- Capture the subject in candid moments
- Capture organic elements in the background such as jobsite tools and equipment
- Capture the subject’s facial features
Don’t
- Avoid sterile office environments that show cubicles, filing cabinets, paperwork, bad overhead lighting, or backgrounds that are beige/bland if possible
- Avoid shots with multiple people where it’s confusing to tell who the focal person is
- Avoid highly posed body language and facial expressions
- Avoid poses that are too static or dead on
Natural and Vibrant
Images should be vibrant but not oversaturated. Ideally we’d like natural light. Natural shadows within the environment and around the subject can be captured and utilized to evoke a personal or reflective mood.
Color temperature should lean towards the cool end of the spectrum with a slight blue cast. Though skin tone needs to be considered and may be warmer so people do not appear washed out.
- Work with natural lighting similar to what you see in the examples
- Shadows, when evocative, can also be creatively used to create mood
- Avoid shadows across faces
- Avoid settings that oversaturate the colors
- Avoid hot spot glares
Honest and Believable
Subjects should not look posed, especially in any kind of cheesy or stereotypical way. Most of these stories are about overcoming adversity, and are deeply personal in nature. We want to capture candid emotional moments with a range of emotions. The final crop on the image will be a medium shot, but feel free to capture wider shots if they can be cropped or if there is something of visual interest in the scene, such as equipment or materials.
Shots we’d like for each subject:
- One with more of a subtle or natural smile or laugh, subject is looking off camera. Body language is natural or potentially in motion (i.e. walking, talking, inspecting, instructing)
- One with a more serious reflective expression, subject is looking off camera/li>
- One where the subject is looking dead on at the camera, serious expression
- One where the subject is looking dead on at the camera, subtle smile