Freelance UnlockedBrand manual

Photography

People come to Freelance Unlocked for each other, and photography is how we show it. A good photo lets someone picture themselves in the room.

Choosing photos

The photos that work show an exchange: two people in conversation, a question from the audience, a laugh between sessions, the team making it happen. They show the connection people come for. Shoot and choose at eye level and close, so the viewer feels they are in the group rather than watching from the back of the hall.

Stock photos and AI-generated people undo that. They show people who were never there, and one spotted fake makes every photo after it doubtful. Keep the colour natural. A heavy filter makes a real moment look staged.

Two people on stage, laughing, mid-conversation
A speaker being interviewed in front of the event photo wall, with a camera and light in the foreground

Portraits

To balance our more neutral identity with a sense of play, institutional pieces mask portraits of individual speakers, organisers and attendees using either a trapezoid or a circle. Pair each portrait with a shape to break up the composition. FUN can develop its own framing and photo treatments on Visual identity, while keeping people and moments believable.

A navy quote post. The speaker’s circular portrait sits on a sky blue arch, with the name and event beside it.
An off-white quote post. The speaker’s circular portrait sits on a coral arch, with the name and event beside it.

Longer lists

When displaying larger groups of people, use rounded-square portraits with the same corner radius, a tenth of the portrait’s width. This creates a more uniform layout that’s easier to scan.

  • Maruan Faraj

  • Cathi Bruns

    Freie Autorin, Publizistin, Podcasterin bei 4. Mio+

  • Christian Moldenhauer

    Geschäftsführer & Gründer Expertpowerhouse

  • Bao Hanh Nguyen

    KI & Design Thinking Coach

Cropping

Different applications call for different crops. As a rule, use tighter face shots for lists and smaller portraits, and wider bust shots for profiles and speaker slides. The following guidelines show how to frame each.

Bust shot

  • Best for: speaker features, biographies and larger profile cards.
  • Include head, shoulders and upper torso. Keep eyes near the upper third of the frame, leaving enough room around the shoulders.

Face shot

  • Best for: smaller avatars, directories and compact profile lists.
  • Crop closer to the face, with only the upper shoulders visible. Keep headroom tight so facial expressions remain clear at smaller sizes.

Event photos

Event photos are a record of the room as it was, and their job is to be believed. On institutional pieces, use them full frame, with no masks and no shapes on top, so nobody at the edge of a group is cut away. A rounded corner is as far as the institutional treatment goes. They suit recaps, venue information and the website. A photo of a group stays an event photo, even when one person stands out.

Audience members in red cinema seats clapping, one smiling at the stage
Four attendees in conversation with drinks in hand, lanyards around their necks
Attendees playing table football, laughing as they lean over the table
The brick venue hall seen from the stairs, full of attendees at the coffee stands and tables

Incorrect usage

These examples show mistakes in institutional treatments. Honest images and clear subjects matter in every edition too.

  • Don’t mask event and crowd photos.

  • Don’t let the shape crop into the face.

  • Don’t use heavy filters or colour casts.

  • Don’t use lifeless stock or sloppy AI generated images.