Photographers Guidelines 

  1. INTRODUCTION

These guidelines are for photographers and multimedia content producers who submit photographs to UN Photo in the Department of Global Communications (DGC) for news and media production, distribution and licensing, as well as for long-term archival preservation. As part of DGC’s mandate to inform the public about the work and mission of the United Nations, UN Photo encourages photo submissions from UN offices beyond Headquarters, including agencies, funds and programmes, as well as field and mission offices. Photographs held in the UN Photo Library (dam.un.org) are disseminated to global audiences, including governments, NGOs, academia, media and others, and constitute the photographic documentation of the work of the Organization.

UN Photo welcomes the submission of photographs from contributors that comply with the guidelines and minimum technical and information requirements outlined below.

Please note:

  • UN Photo does not have the capacity to accept the transfer of unprocessed photographs or other audio-visual materials at the point at which missions are in liquidation.
  • All submitted images must be wholly owned by and copyrighted to the United Nations.
  • No third-party content may be submitted unless there is a formal, signed agreement assigning full copyright to the United Nations.

  1. THEMATIC COVERAGE

UN Photo is interested in photographic coverage of the work of the entire UN family, including peacekeeping operations, field offices and UN agencies, funds and programmes. Photo coverage may document a wide variety of UN activities: high-level or newsworthy meetings and events, core mandate activities, operations in the field, outreach activities and civil society engagement. For peacekeeping missions this may include: mission life, patrols, high-level visits, day-in-the-life stories, cultural activities, and characteristics of the regions where UN entities and affiliates operate, such as population, landmarks, street scenes, and ethnic and cultural traditions of the local population.

  1. IMAGE AUTHENTICITY

UN Photo adheres to the principles of accuracy and authenticity in its photographic documentation.  The Organization does not permit any form of manipulation that alters the content, nature or meaning of UN Photo images, including any and all use of AI-generated content. Prohibited image processing includes adding, removing, or altering elements within the frame. It also includes significant color, density, or hue manipulation or the applying of filters that are intended to change the nature of a photograph. Furthermore, it is not permitted to use UN Photo images to create derivative works.

Image cropping, color adjustments and the conversion to B&W that do not significantly alter image content are permitted.

Our commitment is for UN Photo to present images that truthfully reflect reality as captured, maintaining the truthfulness of the visual record. Therefore, aside from portraiture or group photos, photographers may not stage or direct scenes, ensuring that every image reflects genuine moments as they naturally occurred.

UN Photo is also committed to truth and fairness in our visual representations, ensuring images submitted for inclusion in the UN Photo Library respect the dignity and rights of the individuals photographed. All photographers and multimedia content producers, UN agencies, field staff, and affiliated professionals are expected to act with integrity, avoiding any actions that could harm or misrepresent subjects or compromise the authenticity of the visual record of the UN's work. Special care must be taken to protect minors, vulnerable individuals, and populations, prioritizing their safety, privacy, and informed consent.

  1. MINIMUM TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
  • Minimum camera resolution: 18 megapixels or larger
  • Photo size: minimum 11 inches (28 cm.) on the short side at 300 DPI resolution.

 Example: 11 inches x 16.5 inches (~28 x 35 cm) or, 12 inches x 18 (~30 cms x 45.5 cms)

  • File type:  8-bit, Tiff
  • Color Space: Adobe RGB
  • Images should be fully captioned. The caption is to be embedded (in English) in the IPTC metadata (See CAPTIONS).
  • For scanned photos: longest dimension 12 inches, scanned at 300 DPI, file size submitted as Tiff. 

  1. CAPTIONS & METADATA REQUIREMENTS

All images must include accurate captions and basic information about the photograph. This information (metadata) is embedded in the image file and supports information integrity by providing key details and a description of the scene. Required metadata can be entered using editing programs such as Photo Mechanic, Photoshop or Lightroom before images are transmitted to UN Photo.

Mandatory embedded metadata:

  • Object Name / Title – “Field Coverage” if the coverage is outside Headquarters
  • Headline – A short, clear summary of the image or image set
  • Caption – Who is doing what, where and why
  • Source / UN Entity – The UN office, mission or agency responsible
  • Photographer / Creator – Full name
  • Country and City – Where the photograph was taken (this can be a local region if no village or town is nearby)
  • Capture date and time – Date and local time when the photograph was made (this must be accurate)

Images that do not have all mandatory captions or metadata will not be reviewed or accepted for use.

Caption Background Example:


Burial teams of volunteers in Guinea, wearing full personal protective equipment and working in teams of seven, disinfect themselves after carrying the body of a 40-year-old woman who died from Ebola. The Red Cross is undertaking safe and dignified burials in all Ebola-affected countries, ensuring that those who have died from the disease are treated with respect, while also ensuring the safety of communities.


  1. TRANSMISSION

 Image files should be submitted via WeTransfer or similar file transfer service.

  1. USAGE

The United Nations must hold full copyright to all photographs submitted to UN Photo and its archives. All accepted photos will be credited as follows: UN Photo/[Photographer’s Name].

Any images provided by a photographer engaged by a UN office for a specific assignment—whether as a contractor, freelancer or volunteer—must be accompanied by written proof that full copyright, worldwide and in perpetuity, has been transferred to the United Nations. This proof must be signed and submitted to DGC in PDF format.

See full UN Photo Usage Guidelines here.