Does Your ESG Photography Hold Up?
A seven point gut check
Most organisations don’t review their visuals with the same rigour as their written content. They check spelling, data accuracy, governance alignment and compliance language. But visuals often get a pass because they look “good enough”.
Good enough is not a strategy.
Here’s a simple seven point gut check to evaluate whether your ESG photography actually supports your message.
1. Does it show your real people, not stock actors?
If the audience doesn’t recognise anyone, trust drops. Simple as that.
2. Does the image match the text on the page?
If you talk about sustainability but show a generic cityscape, it feels disconnected.
Visuals must reinforce the message.
3. Is the environment honest?
Over-cleaned spaces feel artificial. Real environments feel grounded. Choose grounded.
4. Can you tell what is happening in the image?
If the image is so vague it could be used by any organisation in any sector, it isn’t helping your story.
5. Is there a sense of intentional lighting?
Authenticity doesn’t mean poor lighting. It means using light to reveal depth and context.
6. Is there a sense of narrative from image to image?
If every image feels unrelated, your report loses momentum.
7. Does the image spark curiosity or connection?
If it feels forgettable, it probably is. A photo needs “indexicality”. More on this later.
What this reveals
Most organisations pass two or three of these tests. The ones doing it well pass all seven. And they stand out immediately.
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If you want an authenticity audit of your 2025 report visuals, I can walk you through the seven point framework and where your organisation sits today.
