Part I — Foundation · Chapter 06 · End of Part I
SDARM Brand Book · 2026
06
Art
Direction
The aesthetic concept that guides every image, photograph and visual composition of the SDARM — in any country, language or medium.
Part I · Ch. 06
6 sections
Aesthetics · End of Part I
In this chapter
6.1
Aesthetic concept
The visual identity before the logo
→ 6.2
Photographic direction
Parameters for light, composition and scene
→ 6.3
Dress and appearance
The visual standard for people in images
→ 6.4
Color grading
The image-treatment palette
→ 6.5
AI prompt guide
How to generate images with artificial intelligence
→ 6.6
What the brand avoids
Forbidden aesthetics and incorrect references
→
6.1 — Aesthetic concept

The visual identity
before the logo

Before colors, typefaces and logos, there is an aesthetic concept. It is the visual feeling the brand should produce — and it guides every decision about composition, image and presentation.

Section 6.1 · Concept · Late afternoon light
"Cinematic late afternoon light through church window falling on empty wooden pews, warm amber glow, dust particles visible, deep shadows, low saturation, film grain, no people, wide angle, 4:3"
Add photo
Official aesthetic concept
Documentary
Cinematic
Human · Real · Enduring
"The camera does not stage. It finds. It enters the moment — without arranging it, without artificial lighting, without asking anyone to smile. What it captures is what is there."
Documentary Cinematic Amber Grain Low saturation Real light Spontaneous Depth

The SDARM's aesthetic concept is cinematic documentary. It is not journalistic — which seeks the raw factual. It is not advertising — which builds perfect scenes. It is the point between the two: images that look found, but that have intentional composition and emotional depth.

The reference is the great documentary filmmakers — not corporate stock libraries. Images with texture, with real light, showing people in their own moments, with their own dignity.

The SDARM aesthetic is not about perfect beauty. It is about visible truth.

An image that looks like stock photography destroys in seconds what the tone of voice built over paragraphs. The visual and the verbal must have the same character.
Chapter 06 · Art Direction
6.2 — Photographic direction

Parameters for light,
composition and scene

Every image the SDARM uses — photographed, edited or generated with AI — must respect these parameters. They are not aesthetic suggestions. They are rules of visual identity.

Light
Ambient
and amber
Natural light always preferred. When artificial, it should imitate the natural — no frontal flash, no colored lights. A restrained amber tone in interiors.
Side light Amber Soft shadow
Composition
Emotional
not theatrical
Composition that serves the moment — not one that builds a moment. Rule of thirds as the basis. Room to breathe. Shallow depth of field where possible.
Rule of thirds Negative space Restrained bokeh
Scenes
Real
moments
Worship, prayer, a shared meal, Bible study, welcoming a visitor, a family on the Sabbath, children in Sabbath School. Moments lived, not staged.
Spontaneous Everyday Real
People
Real and
diverse
Real people of different ethnicities, ages and cultural contexts. No stock-photo poses. No forced smiles. The global diversity of the Church must show.
Ethnic diversity No poses Natural
Texture
Grain and
imperfection
A light photographic noise — like an analog camera. This is not an Instagram filter. It is texture that brings humanity and keeps digital artificiality away.
Film grain Analog Humanity
Proportion
Formats
by medium
16:9 for banners and video. 4:5 for vertical posts. 1:1 for square. 9:16 for stories and reels. 4:3 for editorial and print. The scene must be conceived for the format before it is captured.
16:9 4:5 9:16 4:3
Section 6.2 · Photographic direction · Worship scene 16:9
"Cinematic documentary photograph, Adventist congregation during Sabbath worship, wide angle, warm amber side light through tall windows, wooden pews, diverse ethnicity, modest dress, spontaneous moment — not posed — low saturation, film grain, slight vignette, 16:9"
Add photo
6.3 — Dress and appearance

The visual standard
for people in images

Dress in images is part of the visual identity. It communicates the values of the Church before any text does. It must reflect the Adventist reform of life — modesty with dignity, simplicity with beauty.

Element Correct standard Never use
Women — clothing Skirt or dress below the knee · blouse fully covering the arms · simple, elegant and restrained clothing Jeans · shorts · low necklines · short sleeves · tight clothing
Women — accessories No earrings · no necklaces · no bracelets · no decorative rings · no visible jewelry Jewelry of any kind · piercings · eye-catching accessories
Women — make-up Natural appearance · no visible make-up · real skin Obvious make-up · colored lipstick · eyeshadow · false lashes
Men — clothing Dress trousers or clean jeans · buttoned shirt or polo · a suit in formal contexts · restrained, tidy clothing T-shirts with attention-seeking prints · shorts · torn clothing
Men — accessories A discreet watch is acceptable · no chains · no earrings Visible chains · earrings · piercings · visible tattoos
Children and young people The same principles adapted to age · clean, simple clothing · girls in a skirt or dress where possible Clothing with countercultural messages · eye-catching accessories
Hair Natural, tidy and without obvious artificial coloring Colored hair · extravagant hairstyles
Art rule — dress
This standard applies to every image the SDARM uses: real photographs, stock images and illustrations. An AI-generated image never shows people (§6.5). An image with incorrect dress cannot be published even if every other parameter is correct. Reviewing dress is mandatory in every material approval.
A real photo outside the standard
When a good photo from a real event shows someone dressed outside this standard: do not use it in a prominent place (cover, poster, video opening); crop the frame when that solves it without distorting the moment; and, when in doubt, the unit's communication lead decides. Never expose or comment on the person — the photo is simply not chosen. It is not edited or retouched to "fix" the clothing.
Section 6.3 · Dress · A family on the Sabbath
"Adventist family on Sabbath afternoon at home, warm window light, father in dress shirt, mother in long modest skirt and long-sleeve blouse — no jewelry, no makeup — children in simple clean clothes, natural and spontaneous, low saturation, film grain, 4:5"
Add photo
6.4 — Color grading

The image-treatment
palette

Color grading is the treatment applied to images after capture. It sets the emotional temperature, the sense of time and the visual character of the brand. It matters as much as composition.

The SDARM's color grading follows a logic of warm sobriety. It is not cold like a fashion editorial. It is not saturated like advertising. It is tempered — like a Sabbath afternoon with amber light coming through the window.

All the values below are references — not mathematical formulas. Application varies with the scene and the medium. What does not vary is the character: warm, human, textured, without artificiality.

Saturation
Reduced — between -15% and -25% from the original. Not fully desaturated. Colors still show, but gently.
Temperature
Slightly warm — between 5400K and 5800K, the same range as Ch. 11. In the field you work relative: +100 to +300K above what the camera metered on its own. Interiors with discreet amber; exteriors keeping the natural light.
Contrast
Moderate. Shadows lifted slightly — not crushed. Highlights controlled so they do not clip. A gentle S-curve.
Grain / Noise
A light addition of fine noise — equivalent to ISO 800–1600 on an analog camera. It gives texture and keeps the image from looking like a digital render.
Vignette
Discreet and soft in the corners — it leads the eye to the center without looking edited. −10 to −20, as in Ch. 11, and discreet enough that nobody names it.
Reference tone palette
Warm amber
Interiors · candlelight and window light
Cool gray
Exterior backgrounds · shadows and half-light
Natural skin
Warm skin tone · no artificial filter
Deep blue
Shadow toning · Hue 220 · Sat 10 (Ch. 11)
Grading rule
Instagram filters and social media presets are not color grading. An image with a generic filter does not represent the SDARM brand — even if the content is correct. Image treatment is part of the identity.
6.5 — AI prompt guide

How to generate images
with artificial intelligence

The SDARM may use AI image generation only for what has no people in it: spaces, objects, nature, textures. People appear only in real photographs, with image-use consent (§11.9). Every generated image carries the label "AI-generated image" in the caption or credit, wherever the piece has one.

Mandatory prompt structure
Every SDARM image-generation prompt must contain: (1) style — "cinematic documentary", "film grain", "low saturation"; (2) scene and context, with no people; (3) absence of people — "no people, no human figures"; (4) light; (5) aspect ratio; (6) absence of text — "no text visible in frame". A prompt that describes a person, a face, a hand or a silhouette is not approved, even with the correct dress.
Prompt 01
The sanctuary on the Sabbath · 16:9 format
"Cinematic documentary photograph of an empty, simple Adventist church interior on Sabbath morning. Wooden pews, an open Bible resting on the pulpit, warm amber side light through tall windows, dust particles visible in the light beams. No people, no human figures. Low saturation, film grain, slight vignette. No text or signage visible. 16:9 ratio."
Prompt 02
An open Bible on the table · 4:5 format
"Cinematic close-up of an open Bible on a wooden table at home on Sabbath afternoon, reading glasses and a cup of tea beside it. Warm window light, shallow depth of field. No people, no hands, no human figures. Warm amber tones, low saturation, film grain. Page text softly out of focus. 4:5 ratio."
Prompt 03
A Bible study table · 4:3 format
"Documentary photograph of a simple home table prepared for a small Bible study: three open Bibles, notebooks and a lamp, chairs pulled back from the table. Evening lamp light, intimate setting. No people, no human figures. Low saturation, film grain, shallow depth of field. No text visible. 4:3 ratio."
Prompt 04
The table set for a shared meal · 16:9 format
"Cinematic documentary photograph of a long table set for a community vegetarian lunch after Sabbath service: simple dishes, fresh bread, fruit, steam rising from the food, empty chairs waiting. Warm ambient light. No people, no human figures. Low saturation, film grain. No text visible. 16:9 ratio."
Prompt 05
The church's front door · 4:5 format
"Documentary photograph of the open front door of a simple church at golden hour, warm light spilling onto the steps, a small potted plant beside the entrance. Welcoming, quiet atmosphere. No people, no human figures. Low saturation, film grain, slight bokeh. No text or signage visible. 4:5 ratio."
Prompt 06
Friday sunset · 16:9 format
"Cinematic wide landscape at sunset on a Friday evening, as the Sabbath begins: an open field, soft golden light over distant hills, a quiet country road. No people, no human figures. Deep amber tones, low saturation, film grain, vignette. No text visible. 16:9 ratio."
Section 6.5 · AI prompts · Expected result
Use one of the six prompts above. Before using the result, check: no person in the image, the color grading of §6.4, and the label "AI-generated image" in the caption or credit.
Add generated photo
6.6 — What the brand avoids

Forbidden aesthetics
and incorrect references

Just as the verbal tone has forbidden phrases, art direction has forbidden aesthetics. These visual references contradict the character of the SDARM and must never be used.

Forbidden
Generic gospel aesthetics
Gradient color backgrounds, decorative typography, concert-style lighting effects, saturated and vibrant colors. This aesthetic does not represent the SDARM.
Forbidden
Corporate stock photography
People with forced smiles, artificial poses, clothes that are too perfect, white or neutral studio backgrounds. It looks fake — because it is.
Forbidden
Concert or spectacle aesthetics
Colored lights, stages with theatrical lighting, artificial smoke, angles that over-dramatise. It turns worship into entertainment.
Forbidden
Oversaturation and filters
Instagram filters, social media presets with vibrant colors, exaggerated HDR. Any treatment that looks artificial or over-edited.
Forbidden
People in incorrect dress
Women in trousers, wearing make-up, jewelry or short sleeves. Men with earrings, chains or visible tattoos. The standard is non-negotiable.
Forbidden
Raised hands as a standard
Images of congregations raising their hands do not represent Adventist practice and create an association with other denominations.
Forbidden
Infantilised illustration
Cartoon-style characters, cute icons, the color palette of a children's app. The SDARM is an adult, global organization — the aesthetic reflects that.
Forbidden
Renders and obvious CGI
Generated images with a clearly artificial look — skin that is too perfect, synthetic lighting, unreal depth of field. Even AI images must look photographic.
The SDARM aesthetic is
visible truth.
Not religious decoration.
Human before perfect
A photograph with grain and imperfect light from a real scene is worth more than a flawless, artificial studio image. Technical perfection is not the goal — authenticity is.
Enduring before current
The SDARM aesthetic does not follow the visual trends of Instagram or this year's motion design. An image created today should have the same character ten years from now.
Reverent before eye-catching
The visual serves the message — it does not compete with it. A restrained composition that lets the message speak is always preferable to a design that draws attention to itself.
You have completed Part I
Next: Part II
Visual Identity
The strategic foundation is complete. From Chapter 07 onwards, the Brand Book moves into the concrete visual elements — logo, colors, typography, grid and photography.
Ch. 07 — Symbol & Logotype Ch. 08 — Color Palette Ch. 09 — Typography Ch. 10 — Grid & Composition Ch. 11 — Photography Ch. 12 — Iconography Ch. 13 — Patterns
Brand Manager's Note · End of Part I
"Part I defines who we are, how we speak and how we present ourselves visually to the world. Everything that follows — logo, colors, typography — is the concrete expression of what was built here. Visual identity serves brand identity. Never the other way round."
Hugo Cibalde
Brand Manager
Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement
General Conference · 2026
← Ch. 05 — Verbal System
Next — Part II
07 — Symbol & Logotype →
SDARM Brand Book · Ch. 06 · Part I — Foundation · 2026