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Realizing ‘a new dimension of work’ through photography, our objective is to capture the energy of work; from an immersed and candid perspective, we experience the kinetic moments and beautiful realities of people from the point of view of the technologies they use to connect through Upwork.To achieve ‘a new dimension of work’ we are employing 3 key photographic principles: immersed perspective, dynamic energy in motion and personality through environment. We also use 4 technical principles to achieve this: motivated lighting, casting and styling, product in use, and color and tone.
1. Immersed perspective
2. Dynamic energy in motion
3. Personality through environment
We want to build a familiar sense how people natively connect through Upwork. Personality driven, intimate portraits shot on a spectrum of low angles and close-ups make images feel like they’ve been captured from the perspective of our devices — the way we connect through Upwork — or from the perspective of people immersed in the energy of work, creating a connection between our brand and product experience.This section will give an overview of how to capture this ‘Immersed perspective’.
Personality driven, intimate portraits from the POV of a device reflects the way people natively connect through Upwork.
Embedded in the action, unexpected angles (including Dutch angles) and lower POV create dynamic images that hero the subject, their talent and expertise. Angles can be applied along a scale, ranging from slight to extreme, depending on the device POV, setting and subject. We can use this scale to communicate in different tones of voices.We avoid birdseye or top angles, which become too observational and surveillance-like, away from our unique device POV.
A shallow or mid-depth of field should be used to drive focus on the subject, while the surroundings add context and touches of interest through colour, shape or texture.
With dynamic framing and layering, we give the viewer the impression they are ‘looking through’, actively embedded, or participating in the scene.
Where appropriate, wide angle lenses can be used to create or emphasize a more extreme device perspective or the feeling of being immersed.
To ensure viewers are always embedded in the worlds of our users, we work within a limited range of cropping, from mid to tight, to very close. We avoid wide shots, which can become too observational.
We use this approach as a way to drive storytelling, always centered on the unique personalities, experiences and skills of our users:
We want to capture the daily choreography of work. Repeated workplace gestures, movement through tasks, in-action processes. A running documentary of daily working life in both individual and communal settings. The stills should almost feel as if they are snapshots taken from a motion video capture, emphasizing energy and expression. This section will give an overview of how to capture ‘Dynamic energy in motion’.
Capturing the essence and energy of work, through authentic and realistic action.
We create a sense of energy and motion by capturing individuals mid-task as they work.
We flex the ‘immersed perspective’ principle with unexpected angles and lower POV to embed viewers in the action.
We use dynamic framing and layering to give the impression of ‘looking through’.
A shallow or mid depth of field drives focus on the subject.
Capturing the essence and energy of work, through authentic and realistic action.
We create a sense of energy and motion by capturing collaborative groups interacting and connecting.
We flex the ‘immersed perspective’ principle with unexpected angles and lower POV to embed viewers in the action.
We use dynamic framing and layering to give the impression of ‘looking through’.
A shallow or mid depth of field drives focus on the subjects.
Capturing the essence and energy of work, through authentic and realistic action.
We create a sense of energy and motion by capturing devices mid-task (in use), through personal interaction, with natural gestures; in motion and connected to the device. They are an extension of the user’s workspace and personal story.
We flex the ‘immersed perspective’ principle by using both first person and over-the-shoulder POV. Over the shoulder POV should feel inclusive, not invasive.
Capturing the essence and energy of work, through authentic and realistic action.
✅ Gestures should be intentional; they bring work to life by creating interesting storytelling moments, never static or boring.
✅ Gestures of Concentration: Individuals at work, deeply focused on their task, generally engaged with technology. Mid-shots that give environmental context
✅ Gestures of Collaboration: Groups collaborating remotely or in person, in office or hybrid spaces. Positive, productive exchanges: best humans + best technology = better outcomes for all
✅ Gestures of Connection: Individuals connected to or through the Upwork platform. Tight shots that express the human qualities of connection, rather than the technology itself
✅ Gestures of Expertise: Our Upwork community in action, delivering on their expertise or at the heart of their business, an expression of what they value most
Considerations when employing our ‘dynamic energy in motion’ principle.
We want to capture real people authentically set in their work environments. Whether at home, in a shared work space or in office, our aim is to capture a wide variety of environments when showcasing individual talent as well as enterprise clients who are leading large teams, allowing us to feel a real sense of belonging to place. This section will give an overview of how to capture ‘Personality through environment’.
Showcasing real people in their authentic workspaces creates a sense of belonging to place.
Talent environments range from at home setups to co-working spaces, and can also include transitory or liminal spaces like cafes and transport. We seek to capture a broad spectrum of workplaces that mirror Upwork’s global — and unique — community.
Environments should reflect the individual characters in the story. Imperfect, layered and textured attributes add to the personality of the physical space.
Elements that we add will give context to authentic environments that our audiences can relate to. Pairing expected items with those that feel unique or personal will help create images that support our storytelling.
Typical desk items (notebooks, writing tools, mugs, glasses), lighting (desk lamps, floor lamps etc.), decor items (objects used to layer for framing, add texture) and personal objects (personality-driven items) all work to create authentic and human spaces.
Technology is essential to Upwork; a variety of hardware and accessories are needed to add context and build character in our scenes, appropriate to the profession that is being depicted. Hardware should reasonably up-to-date and be varied by brand (e.g. not all Apple,
Sony etc.)
Considerations when employing our ‘personality through environment’ principle.
Capturing natural expressions and gestures while immersed in the energy of work brings authenticity to our storytelling
Shooting from the POV of a device or first person takes the viewer from an observational to an immersed, exciting perspective
Through framing and layering, we create a sense of depth and dimension that brings the viewer into the energy of work
Our motivated lighting adds dimension in form and depth in storytelling. In daylight, Motivated AM uses strong, warm natural light to illuminate the subject. In the evening, Motivated PM uses luminous, glowing artificial light, spotlighting the subject. This lighting approach allows us to celebrate the intensity, passion, flexibility and quality of work achieved through Upwork in a global context. This section will give an overview of how to apply our motivated lighting technique.
Our motivated lighting adds dimension in form and depth in storytelling.
In daylight, Motivated AM uses strong, warm natural light to illuminate the subject. This accentuates the textural quality of the environment, and more importantly the subject, in a heroic way.
Natural light sources such as windows, skylights and doorways should be used, with diffusion or bouncing where required.
Our motivated lighting adds dimension in form and depth in storytelling.
In the evening, Motivated PM uses luminous, glowing artificial light, spotlighting the subject. This creates a vignette that frames the action and talent, and reflects not only the global nature of our platform, but also the passion and dedication of our community.
Artificial light sources can include devices, lamps and ambient street lighting diffused through windows or curtains.
Considerations when applying our ‘motivated lighting’ technique.
In casting and styling a new dimension of work we seek to reflect the global Upwork community, representing a truly diverse network of people, their talents and experiences. Striking a balance between realness, authenticity, charm and energy, our cast is made up of individuals and collaborating groups that mirror our brand and user base. This includes individual talent as well as enterprise clients. This section will give an overview of how to approach casting and styling.
Broadly diverse — in culture, ethnicity, age, physical or mental ability, gender expression, and size — real people with unique yet relatable attributes, form the cast who represent our truly diverse global network of people, their talents and experiences.
Be conscious of potential biases and stereotypes; where possible work with relevant data to select an appropriate, ideal character for your audience.
Considerations when approaching casting.
Striking a balance between classic and casual professionalism, with plenty of room for self expression, our styling is modern, accessible and approachable.
On a spectrum ranging from classic to casual professional, work appropriate looks are key an should be suited to the character, setting and story.
Considerations when approaching styling.
Devices are how people natively connect through Upwork. We capture our product in use through natural gestures and physical interactions, embedded in the users authentic environments. By showcasing our product as an extension of the user’s workspace and personal story, we create an emotional connection between our product and our users rhythm of work. This section will give an overview of how to capture our product in use.
Our product shines when it’s part of the action; employing our principles — an immersed perspective, dynamic energy in motion and personality through environment — bring life and humanity to technology when devices are the central focus.
Considerations when capturing product in use.
Photography allows us to bring additional color into our design system, and the and tone of our images help build brand recognition; what people think of when they think of Upwork. Our color and tonal grade is naturally warm, human and energetic, reinforcing our connection to our community and the work that motivates them. This section will give an overview of how to use color and tone during capture and grading.
Our color and tonal grade is naturally warm, human and energetic, reinforcing our connection to our community and the work that motivates them. It elevates the everyday and adds richness through texture.
Color and tone is developed throughout the capture process. The photographer, lighting approach, styling and set dressing all contribute to creating the warm feeling our images convey.
This process continues in post-production, where images are graded and color balanced together to ensure harmony throughout our photography.
Never try to make an image what it isn’t; consider color and tone from the start, rather than trying to ‘fix it’ in post-production later.
Considerations when capturing product in use.
Co-created content offers us the opportunity to guide capture, while tapping into carefully selected creators, their world and audience. Our photographic principles form the foundation of our brand expression, and should extend into content that is made in partnership with creators.
In applying our principles to co-created content we support our marketing strategy while maintaining the beauty of our brand photography.
This section will give an overview of how to guide co-created content capture.
Our core principles embed the viewer in the worlds of our users; from an intimate perspective, we capture workplace energy in motion, with portraits and environments that reflect their personalities and realities.
Co-creation is an opportunity to increase representation and diversity for the communities we serve. Work with creators that match our storytelling objectives, and who reflect our brand values and the opportunities Upwork represents.
We encourage the use of natural light, emphasizing motivated AM/PM approach.
Give clear guidance on what styling is/isn’t appropriate for Upwork, then let talent shine.
Encourage authentic depictions of a creator’s working environments.
Considerations when guiding co-created content capture.
