Brand guidelines
Photography
Documentary lifestyle photography focused on authentic relationships between people and animals. Warm, observational, and slightly whimsical. Images should feel like a moment that happened naturally, not something staged for advertising.
Key characteristics
Candid interactions
Moments should feel observed rather than posed. A vet reassuring a dog, an owner petting a cat, a dog curiously looking at the camera.
Imperfect compositions
Subjects slightly off-center, framing that feels observational, real environments included in frame.
Real environments
Clinics, barns, trucks, and fields as they actually are. Not styled sets.
Emotional connection
The human–animal relationship is the subject. Everything else supports it.
Subtle warmth, soft contrast
Gentle, natural color that feels calm rather than punchy.
Natural lighting
Window light, overcast daylight, open barn doors, soft outdoor light.
Sourcing
Always
- Real photography of real veterinary teams and the animals in their care.
- Images from our own approved library.
Never
- AI-generated or AI-edited photography.
- Generic stock photography.
The people and animals in our images are real. That honesty is the point. See “Human before AI” in Foundations.
Visual references
Common theme: humans interacting with animals in a relaxed, unposed way. Moments feel observed rather than posed.
Lighting
Prefer
- Natural, soft, and evenly balanced light.
- Window light, overcast daylight, open barn doors.
- Balanced exposure, lifted blacks, low contrast.
Avoid
- Hard shadows.
- Dramatic cinematic lighting.
- Strong golden-hour flare.
- Heavy color grading.
Color direction
Characteristics
- Inspired by Kodak Portra film tones (ISO 160).
- Slight warmth and natural skin tones.
- Muted highlights and soft contrast.
- Gentle color palette.
Avoid
- Cool blue tones.
- Green color casts.
- Over-saturated color.
- High-contrast film looks.
Composition
Guidelines
- Subjects slightly off-center.
- Framing that feels observational.
- Real environments included in frame.
- Depth created through foreground/background.
- Partial human framing allowed.
Avoid
- Perfectly centered subjects.
- Clean commercial studio compositions.
- Highly styled environments.
- Animals posed like portraits.
- Humans presenting animals to camera, forced smiles.
Subject direction
Humans
People should feel natural and comfortable. Expressions: relaxed, focused on the animal, laughing or reacting naturally. Not looking at the camera unless it happens naturally.
Animals
Animals should feel present and expressive. A dog looking toward its owner, a cat climbing or interacting, a horse calmly standing during an exam.
Framing & lens style
Depth of field: shallow but natural. Background visible but softly blurred.
| Lens | Look |
|---|---|
| 35mm | Environmental storytelling |
| 50mm | Human–animal interaction |
| 85mm | Animal portrait detail |