Share the UC Davis story in photos

The personality of the university should shine through in our work to help convey the UC Davis story. The keywords framing our work are: unexpected, authentic and engaging. When appropriate, our work will show a sense of humor.

Focus

Use shallow depth of field and selective focus in most situations. This technique draws attention to the subject, while losing distractions within the frame.

Composition

Avoid busy compositions. Use key compositional elements such as framing, rule-of-thirds, selective focus, etc. to create clean compositions. Frame your images to give options to graphic designers and build a strong, varied library of images. Consider incorporating wide, medium and detail images. When possible, incorporate negative space to allow for overlay of texts.

Subject

Capture candid, authentic moments of your subject. Avoid overly posed or staged images. When at all possible, photograph your subject in “action” rather than in a static state. Avoid subjects looking directly into the camera and smiling.

Look for an emotional connection

A photo of a happy patient can be far more powerful than a photo of a person in a lab. Faces command the most audience attention, so showing people with a sense of place is often best. 

Know your audience

The visuals you choose for your project are an important part of creating a sense of belonging and communicating your message. Parents react positively to images of UC Davis families. Alumni like seeing current students and campus traditions like Picnic Day.

Capture our community in action and outcomes

Always look for opportunities to tell the story of your subjects at work and in their natural environment. Use photos of outcomes whenever possible. Shoot standard portraits only when required.

Consider where the image will appear

Faces are the most powerful magnet for grabbing attention, as in the case of magazines in a newsstand, but scenery can be very powerful under the right circumstances. Consider where your photo will appear and its intended effect on your audience.

Reflect the diversity of our campus

One of our university’s greatest strengths is its diversity. Follow our visual inclusivity guide to ensure you’re photographing and selecting your visuals in the most inclusive way possible. When you're capturing images, you should be mindful that we are a global community representing many backgrounds, experiences and stories.

Follow university protocol when shooting and using research lab photographs

It’s our responsibility to promote safety in all UC Davis lab photographs. Even though the lab may not require all personal protective equipment, please ensure your subjects are wearing them, as this is a university-wide practice expected in all photographs of UC Davis labs, even if your subject states they aren’t required in this specific lab. Please review the guidelines for shooting and using research lab photographs.

Stock photography should be a last resort

Images taken at UC Davis connect better with our audiences than generic imagery. If you must use stock photography, follow our stock photography guidelines.

Lighting

When possible, use ambient (or available) lighting. When additional lighting is needed, it should be minimal and mimic the ambient lighting so that it is almost unnoticeable.

Abstract

These are images where color, texture or form are the subject of the photo. These images are useful to designers as background design elements. In a series of photos, an abstract image offers a storytelling component, but as stand-alone images, they do not.