Photography styleguide

We want our photos to tell a cohesive story about the people who live, work and play in Minneapolis. Here's how to follow our website guidelines and choose the right photos for a page.

Learn how to use images in Terminal 4

This photography styleguide outlines our goals and guidelines for choosing photos for the public website. To learn how to size images and use them properly in Terminal 4, see our website guidelines for images.
How to use images

Our photography goals

As you work with photos, keep the following three goals in mind.

Be honest and authentic

Shoot photos of everyday people doing everyday things. The best photos aren’t staged.

 

Young woman in a hijab taking a selfie

Be inclusive and diverse

Include everyone. Our visitors are more engaged when they see themselves.

  • All physical abilities
  • All races, religions and ethnicities
  • All ages
  • All locations and seasons
  • All activities
  • All forms of transportation
  • All types of energy use
Four black women in colorful dresses singing live on stage

Be friendly and welcoming

Show our residents in places they love, doing things they love.

Kids watching a parade at night on a city street

Image composition

Light

  • Use natural light.

 

 

Color

  • Use bright full color.
Weisman art museum reflecting the sun

 

Angle

  • Use angles and perspectives to help the viewer feel like part of the scene.

People

  • Include people whenever possible.

What to avoid

Avoid vertical orientation

  • Do not use images with vertical (portrait) orientation.
a man standing in an alley between tall buildings

Avoid excessive blur

  • Do not use photos that have excessive lens blur.
a close up view of a chain link fence

Avoid black-and-white images

  • Do not use black-and-white photography.

Avoid filters and effects

  • Do not use photo filters or color effects.
First Ave with a photo filter applied

 

Avoid extreme angles

  • Do not use photos that have extreme or unnatural angles.
a glass building with blue sky; example of an extreme angle

 

Avoid harsh light

  • Do not use photos with harsh light or flash photography, when possible.
a woman dancing in a colorful skirt

Avoid posed photos

  • Do not use photos where people look posed.
a family in winter clothes at an art fair