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Photography Overview

Photography is a powerful asset for visual storytelling. It helps us show who the University of Kentucky is more fully and richly. By defining our photography style and usage, we can create a look and feel that’s distinctly ours.

Official UK photography has been processed to have the correct vibrancy and tone. Consult UK Marketing for guidance in achieving the same standards when using new photography at brand@uky.edu.

Kentucky is a warm and welcoming community with a diverse student body and faculty. While it’s impossible to represent everyone in a single photograph, it is possible to capture the spirit of our community with a distinct photo style, so that no matter the subject matter, it still feels like the University of Kentucky. Our brand has two photo styles: warm and human, and active and hardworking. This section details several subcategories for the photographs, but no matter what type of image we’re using, it should always relate to one of these two styles.

Warm and Human

We are known for our hospitality and friendliness. This is a community where anyone can feel at home, no matter their background, interests or pursuits. This feeling can be depicted in several ways — warm, golden lighting; light leaks and lens flares; optimistic, confident looks; authentic connections between people; soft smiles. While these photos may require a bit of setting up, they should always feel candid and in the moment. Photos of people or campus should never look cold (photos of winter weather are an exception) or unwelcoming. Avoid dark lighting and heavy shadows.

Active and Hardworking

At UK, we produce results, in and out of the classroom. Prospective students and alumni both wish to see how our university is delivering on what we promise. This idea can also be depicted in several ways — showcasing student work, from research to fine arts; close collaboration in all disciplines; people working with their hands; confidently posed Seeker Portraits. To achieve the appropriate tone, these types of photos sometimes use more dramatic cropping and angles.

Photography Resources

View UK Images at ukphoto.photoshelter.com (External Link)

  • This link takes you to general campus photography and is updated frequently.
  • To download a photo, choose the "Gallery Password" option and use this password: "photo".

Use the UK Photo Request Form to schedule a photographer.

Looking to schedule a portrait? Use this form to sign up for portraits on recurring days throughout the semester.