Images help to bring stories to life and should be used wherever possible in EIT Food-branded offline and online communications. EIT Food is about food innovation, sustainability and health and trust, and the imagery used should reflect that. 


You can use free stock image libraries such as Unsplash, or paid ones like Getty, Adobe, Shutterstock or iStock, but it is always best to use photos taken at EIT Food events or activities where possible.


Here are some guidelines for selecting the right kind of photos.


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Realistic

Try to avoid photos that are “cheesy”, unrealistic and unnatural. It’s better to show real people doing real things (e.g. producing food) or real environments (e.g. fields, farms or supermarkets). Look for photos that show authentic and real life occurrences that relate to your topic, and don’t look too ‘staged’ or obvious that models have been used. Think, “could I have taken this photo myself?” and if you can answer, “yes’, then it’s ok to use.


Natural-looking

Look for photos that haven’t been too heavily touched up or photoshopped. If it’s obvious to you that it’s been edited, then it’s probably obvious to your audience too. Think, “could I see this scenario in real life?” and if the answer is, “yes”, it’s most likely fine to use.

It is also preferable that images are taken in natural light and not in a studio setting - this will make the image more relatable and will increase the chances of audiences engaging with our content. 



Diverse

This is more important than ever. Ensure that photos of people include diversity in ethnicity, gender, sexuality, body type and physical abilities.

Where possible, use EIT Food images depicting real colleagues, partners and participants rather than stock images, unless there is no other option.

Read also: How do I create inclusive and accessible visuals and content?


EIT Food image library

Using a consistent style of photography helps to communicate the EIT Food brand. The Asset Library provides good quality images which are relevant to EIT Food's missions. It also features images from the EIT Food programmes and events, as well as corporate infographics.


See also: Where can I find EIT Food images and videos to use?


Always be mindful of copyright and check the license of each image. If using a colleague or partner’s image it is best practice to ask for permission to use and then to credit it. Here are some ways you can write image credits: 

 

  • Photo by Art T. Fotog 
  • Drawings provided by A. Illustrator 
  • Image courtesy of the Library of Congress 
  • © 2017 House of Clip Art 
  • Art T. Fotog / XYZ Images 
  • © Art T. Fotog 2018 
  • "Great Picture" by Art T. Fotog is licensed under CC-BY 2.0


Templates and branding

Photos should have EIT Food branding on if being used in the public domain, such as on social media. 

There are also several EIT Food image templates that can be used. Go to: How do I use EIT Food image templates?

This article was last reviewed in December 2023 and will be reviewed again in December 2024.

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