Overview
Art direction within Houzz photography aims to use instantly recognizable.To be able to do this successfully we need to be able to measure an image by its mood as much as its content.
Photography should be inviting and immersive while demonstrating a clear focus on the subject matter. Full bleed photography provides different tonality and can be used to express a different message while using limited copy.
Lifestyle
The manner in which photos are cropped should add dynamism and scale should be used to create excitement and tension.
Rooms
Detail Shots
Exteriors
Portraits
Photos in which people are interacting should not look staged.
These portraits of our professionals and home owners should feel approachable, real, and capture the personalities of the subject matters.
Home Professionals
Homeowners
Houzzers
Product Depictions
When using Houzz or Houzz Pro product screens within lifestyler photography, mock these screens into real, relevant, and up-to-date devices. The focus should always be on the screens, yet the devices feel natural in terms of the photo composition. They can be shown in use or in a scene that is relevant to home renovation pros and homeowners.
When depicting the product screens in materials, make sure the interface matches the device. For example: when depicting Houzz or Houzz Pro within a photo of a phone, make sure to use the mobile interface. The same applies for tablet and desktop depictions.
Marketplace Products
Another method to create focus on the subject matter is by silhouetting photos. More white space can be achieved by doing so, which helps with copy fitting. This is a technique that can be used when the quality of the supplied photography isn’t at the desired standard.
Photography Misuse
When selecting photography to use within Houzz communications and materials please avoid the following don'ts that can be found on the right. The imagery selected should always be clean, simple, and bright.
- Avoid photography with unintentional people in the background.
- Avoid photography that is too busy or messy.
- Avoid dark or overly saturated photography. They should be light and airy in tone.
- Avoid awkward or strange cropping of photography.
- Avoid warping or stretching of photography.
- Avoid copyright images with iconic furniture.
- Avoid modifying images in any way that would change the appearance of rooms and furniture showcased.
- Avoid placing any colored overlays or filters over images, black, dark gray, and white are accepted.
- Avoid using cliché images that attempt to represent a concept while not portraying the real world of home renovation and design.