Get support today
Our shops
Donate now
Accessibility Contact us
Get support today
Our shops
Donate now
Get support today
Our shops
Donate now

Photography

We have 3 types of photography to serve different purposes across our communications:

  • Hero
  • Reportage
  • Detail


Examples of the 3 types of photography. First image is a hero image of a black woman smiling and wearing a bright pink jumper and green t-shirt, with our Bright Purple background. Second image is reportage style of a man and son reading a book under a blanket. The last is a details photo of a bed sheet drying on a washing line.


Hero

Hero photography is our studio shot imagery and represents and elevates the individuals in our community. It should have the feel of a high end fashion shoot.

Hero photography is used in:

  • retail environments
  • campaigns
  • social media posts and brochures (where appropriate)


8 examples of our hero photography showing headshots of different disabled people. There is a range of races, visible and non-visible impairments, ages and genders. All photos are against a plain grey background.


Hero photography

Disabled people are the heroes of our brand. They're represented through our studio-shot portrait photography style.

When shooting portraiture we follow the following principles:

  1. Proud and confident. We are proud of our differences. Let's show the world.
  2. Capture a unique moment in time. Not staged and not always looking directly at the camera. The subject should show authentic emotion, meaning that looking pensive is just as valid as a smile.
  3. Diverse and inclusive. A range of ages, and backgrounds and we show both non-visible and visible impairments and conditions.
  4. Cut-outs. Our portrait photograph should always be shot on a neutral background or a colorama matched to one of our brand colours. 

Coloured backgrounds


5 examples of hero photography against brand coloured backgrounds. These are Pastel Pink, Yellow and Green, and our Bright Purple. The photos have wider shots of a wheelchair user leaning back with a leg in the air, someone leaning with their arms stretched, 2 people with one leaning their head on the other, and 2 head and body shots in action. The photography style is playful and everyone is smiling.


We can colour the backgrounds of our hero photography with Scope brand colours. We can do this where necessary to add vibrancy and make them feel unmistakeably 'Scope'.

Watch out

Try to avoid 'cutting' out the subject from the background. 


4 examples of correct and incorrect use of colour background. 2 examples show photos with background colours with bright block colour behind without natural gradient. This is incorrect use. The second 2 show the gradients with softer colouring and variation. This is correct use. Colours used are the Bright Pink and Green.


Instead, try applying the colour to the background of the image. This is so that the natural gradients of the image show through to avoid the photo looking flat.

It is okay if the background colour does not match the colour reference exactly, as long as it is close.

Cropping into circle


3 examples of how images can used in the amplification circle. It shows the hero images as standard headshots and different coloured background. Each image is then cropped and placed inside the circle so that the person's head and some of their shoulders fit inside the circle, but positioned so the top of the head sits slightly outside the circle. One example is enlarged and explains 'part of the image explodes out of the circle to create depth'.


Occasionally we may want to hero our subjects in a circle. It is important to retain the background treatment when doing so.

Tips for cropping into circle:

  • Make sure the whole face is visible
  • Create depth by having part of the image coming out of the circle
  • Ensure the face takes up at least 60% of the circle

Reportage

6 examples of reportage style photography. Image 1 shows a father and young daughter talking together in the kitchen. Image 2 is a boy on the sofa feeding a biscuit to their dog. Image 3 is an older man sat in a chair looking out a window. Image 4 is a mother showing her daughter something on a phone and laughing, they're in a park and the daughter is a wheelchair user. Image 5 is a disabled child looking at a tablet screen. Image 6 is a disabled woman at the gym standing next to boxing bag with their arms crossed.


This is a style of photography that provides a straightforward and accurate representation of:

  • people
  • places
  • objects
  • events

It conveys our community in the most authentic way possible. This style should be adopted to accompany 'storyteller' material.

Tips for reportage style photography:

  • natural lighting
  • neutral colours (no high saturation of colours)
  • 'clean' space within the photo so that the logo can be placed on top of it legibly
  • natural poses, that are 'in the moment' never staged

Reportage: all-rounded stories


3 example of reportage photography at different angles and zoom. The first has a disabled child playing, image one shows a very zoomed in shot of her face next to the toy, image 2 is zoomed out to show more of her face and a hand helping her, image 3 is zoomed out to see the table and more of her body. The second example has a mother and son baking, image one is a zoomed in shot of him in surprise, image 2 is mother and son working together, image 3 is zoomed out and the mother is tying his apron as he sets ingredients out. Example 3 is an close up of an older man looking out a window, image 2 he's sat on the sofa, image 3 he's standing in his doorway.


To create pace across our communications, we can vary how close we crop in and the angles we shoot from. 

When we want to focus in on the subject of the photo, we crop closely into their face. 

When we wish to show the context in which the subject is in, we zoom out. 

Detail

We do not always have to show people to tell their stories. It can be more provocative to show a detail from a story to get our point across and to make the content more universally relevant.

We can show objects or personal items that allow us to tell their story without having to photograph them. The details we show are personal but also recognisable, relevant and accessible to all.


9 examples of details photography. These include: make up laid out on a windowsill with a large mirror against the window, a shed in a garden, 2 people holding hands, a dirty plate, a fidget popper, a pair of legs on a path wearing purple socks and brown shoes, wellies by the front door, a bed sheet on a washing line, a child holding yellow plate up to their face and covering it.


Adding alt text to images

We include alt text when images convey meaning, and we mark them as decorative when they don't.

For information on how to do this, please visit our alt text guidelines.

Important note on use

These guidelines have been created to show how the Scope brand should be used in any given situation. The individual images for reportage and details photography are examples only and may not be used in creative work.

If there is an image you want to use, please contact the Brand and Marketing team. They will then either provide you with a licensed version or suggest a suitable alternative. You can also browse the digital library to find images that are available for use.

Request our brand assets

 To request Scope brand assets, please complete the assets request form.