The role of photography in communications
From the minute we wake up in the morning we are bombarded with images – the list is endless. A few examples are smartphones, the internet, newspapers, television and billboards. Images are used to sell products, sway public opinion and report news events. They shrink borders and globalize culture. Images are effective because they capture people’s imagination.
For IFAD, images are a tool for raising global awareness of rural poverty and how we fight it.
Photography is essential to our work because of its inherent role in presenting information and evoking an emotional response from readers. It is used as an advocacy tool to bring to life the issues facing rural people and to draw attention to initiatives that help them.
The types of photographs we use are:
For IFAD, images are a tool for raising global awareness of rural poverty and how we fight it.
Photography is essential to our work because of its inherent role in presenting information and evoking an emotional response from readers. It is used as an advocacy tool to bring to life the issues facing rural people and to draw attention to initiatives that help them.
The types of photographs we use are:
- Documentary, showing rural women and men in our project areas. These photographs help to draw the audience into our publications and displays, and to illustrate our projects.
- Abstract, for graphic design elements in publications and displays, such as close-up pictures of grain.
- Portraits, showing Governing Council sessions, loan signings, high-profile meetings and IFAD-sponsored events.
IFAD's photography policy
The main rule of IFAD photography is to safeguard people’s dignity and humanity while creating a window into their lives. The issues that concern poor rural people must be at the forefront of our advocacy work. The photographs we commission must focus principally on them, not on IFAD.
The photographs must always:
It is crucial to exercise care when publishing or distributing images of vulnerable people or groups. The guiding principle should be ‘do no harm’.
If they do not want to be photographed, their wishes must be respected. Photographs of children, especially those showing them working, should not be the main subject. It is also important not to offend any political, social or cultural group or appear to align IFAD with any such group. This calls for sensitivity in all picture choices. What messages are ‘appropriate’ depends on the context in which photographs are used. Publishing photographs out of context or using misleading content in connection with them is not acceptable.
Note: Whenever possible, verbal consent should be obtained from the person being photographed.
The photographs must always:
- Portray subjects with dignity and humanity, never as objects of pity
- Increase awareness of pro-poor issues as defined by rural people
- Help persuade donors and the private sector to invest in poverty reduction
- Avoid harming, exploiting or endangering the subjects or the groups they represent
- Be of high technical quality (ideally taken by accomplished professional photographers)
- Contain complete caption information.
It is crucial to exercise care when publishing or distributing images of vulnerable people or groups. The guiding principle should be ‘do no harm’.
If they do not want to be photographed, their wishes must be respected. Photographs of children, especially those showing them working, should not be the main subject. It is also important not to offend any political, social or cultural group or appear to align IFAD with any such group. This calls for sensitivity in all picture choices. What messages are ‘appropriate’ depends on the context in which photographs are used. Publishing photographs out of context or using misleading content in connection with them is not acceptable.
Note: Whenever possible, verbal consent should be obtained from the person being photographed.
Accessing photographs: Using the IFAD Image Bank
The Image Bank is a tool for the storage and retrieval of the IFAD photographic collection. Additions to the collection are made regularly. The colour photograph collection dates from 1986.
The photo editor manages the Image Bank and can edit and recommend appropriate images
for use in-house or for partner institutions. Most of the images have been taken by professional photographers. However, amateur work is acceptable if it meets high standards, and if the photographer is known to IFAD and has granted IFAD unconditional licence release.
Users must register with the IFAD Image Bank, and from the site they can make requests to download and publish photographs. The photo editor grants permission, after ensuring that their use is non-commercial and is consistent with IFAD’s usage standards. Exceptions for commercial use are made for scholastic purposes and for scientific publications.
The photo editor manages the Image Bank and can edit and recommend appropriate images
for use in-house or for partner institutions. Most of the images have been taken by professional photographers. However, amateur work is acceptable if it meets high standards, and if the photographer is known to IFAD and has granted IFAD unconditional licence release.
Users must register with the IFAD Image Bank, and from the site they can make requests to download and publish photographs. The photo editor grants permission, after ensuring that their use is non-commercial and is consistent with IFAD’s usage standards. Exceptions for commercial use are made for scholastic purposes and for scientific publications.