If there's one type of image that really represents us, it's a member portait. In our portraits, the LinkedIn member or members always make eye contact to build a direct emotional connection with the viewer. They are shown at their best, confident and true to themselves. We prefer to photograph them in the spaces where they work or are at their most comfortable. This is the photo we use to let the viewer know who the member is and what they do.

This type of photo is the most 'staged' we take, but retains the qualities that make it at LinkedIn image: it's a little imperfect, it's lit naturally, and it's real.

While we're focused on the professional, that certainly doesn’t mean ‘suit and tie at the office’. Our members are in many different industries and professions. Their attire, location, and workplace culture vary widely, and our photography reflects their diversity. As a global network, we encourage region-specific images that tell stories that resonate with particular cultures.

Much of our photography falls into the 'real moments' group. This is where the documentary feel of our imagery is most strongly expressed. We organize this type of photography into three big categories: People/Relationships, Knowledge, and Opportunity. They all share the same style, but diverge in subject matter. 

People and relationships photography is brought together by its focus on individuals and groups. Here we don't generally focus on our products, but rather on the personalities, identity, and connections of our members. This is where the human-scale representation of our network is on display, and where we are able to show where, how, and when LinkedIn members work.

Knowledge photography is all about staying up to date, growing as a professional, and learning anywhere and anytime. It's here where we focus more on our products being used, whether leaning over the shoulder of someone catching up on industry news while waiting for a train or sitting down next to a colleague while she reads a post from a LinkedIn Influencer.

We seek to connect our members with opportunities of all kinds: a dream job, the right school, recognition by their peers or industry. We capture this in many ways. Perhaps it's tagging along as a mentor collaborates with a new employee, or a student connecting with a leader in her future career path. Opportunity comes in many forms, and we want to show that it's within reach, through or products or in our members' workplaces and schools.

No matter what the focus of the image, we look to document and to celebrate our members' accomplishments in their professional lives in meaningful and tangible ways.

Even when people aren't in the frame, we want our photography to have a human touch. In our still life photography you should still feel the presence of a person. Perhaps they just left their desk, or dropped their phone off on a countertop near the front door. Wherever it is, we want to show our products in the real world, stains on the tables and all.

Sometimes our still life photography doesn't involve our products, but rather focuses on a LinkedIn member's 'tools of the trade' or environment in order to help tell his or her story as a professional.