Photography

Overview

Illustrations and iconography are typically used to visually support content at the Office for National Statistics (ONS). We are building a photo library of appropriate images for when photography should be used instead for print and digital publications.

You can find good quality, royalty-free images on the Unsplash website (opens in a new tab)

If you need any help with finding images, send the details of what you want and where it will be used to ons.design@ons.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Warning:

Always make sure you have the right to use the image and correct licensing rights before buying or downloading any images

Choosing the right image

All images used should support the written content and not be used purely as decoration. If you will be using images in printed materials, they should be in CMYK and have a resolution of at least 300 dots per inch (DPI).

Images should:

feel like real-life situations with real people
reflect diversity by showing people from a mix of ethnic backgrounds and ages
include either a wide shot with lots of depth to the background, or a close point of focus with a shallow depth of field
tell a story relating to a theme
include eye contact with the camera and natural poses in portrait shots (not overly staged or posed)
not be overly processed with filters

When using an image, avoid: