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"
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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, illustrations and AI-generated images. An image with incorrect dress cannot be published even if every other parameter is correct. Reviewing dress is mandatory in every material approval.
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 5500K and 6500K. Interior scenes with restrained amber. Exterior scenes 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
Restrained and soft in the corners — it leads the eye towards the center without looking edited. Only on editorial images, not on all of them.
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
Deep shadows · night · introspection
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 tools — provided the prompts respect every parameter of art direction, dress and color grading set out in this chapter.

Mandatory prompt structure
Every SDARM image-generation prompt must contain: (1) style — "cinematic documentary", "film grain", "low saturation"; (2) scene and context; (3) dress — always specified; (4) light; (5) ratio; (6) absence of text — "no text visible in frame". Prompts without dress specified are not approved.
Prompt 01
Sabbath service · 16:9 format
"Cinematic documentary photograph of an Adventist Sabbath morning church service. Congregation seated in wooden pews, diverse ethnicities, warm amber side light through tall windows. Women wearing long modest skirts and long-sleeve blouses — no jewelry, no makeup. Men in dress shirts or suits. Spontaneous, not posed. Low saturation, film grain, slight vignette. No text visible. 16:9 ratio."
Prompt 02
A family on the Sabbath · 4:5 format
"Cinematic close-up of an Adventist family reading the Bible together at home on Sabbath afternoon. Warm window light, wooden table. Mother in long modest skirt and long-sleeve blouse, no jewelry, no visible makeup. Father in dress shirt. Children in simple clean clothes. Genuine, spontaneous moment. Warm amber tones, low saturation, film grain. No text. 4:5 ratio."
Prompt 03
Group Bible study · 4:3 format
"Documentary photograph of a small Adventist Bible study group of 3-4 people gathered around an open Bible in a simple home. Evening lamp light, intimate setting. Women in long skirts and long sleeves, no jewelry. Men in casual but modest clothing. Genuine conversation, real expressions. Low saturation, film grain, shallow depth of field. No text. 4:3 ratio."
Prompt 04
Shared community meal · 16:9 format
"Cinematic documentary of an Adventist community potluck meal after Sabbath service. Long table with vegetarian food, multiple people serving and eating together, diverse ages and ethnicities. Women in long modest dresses and skirts, no jewelry. Warm ambient light, steam from food, genuine laughter. Low saturation, film grain. No text visible. 16:9 ratio."
Prompt 05
Welcoming a visitor · 4:5 format
"Documentary photograph of an Adventist church member warmly welcoming a new visitor at the church entrance after Sabbath service. Genuine handshake or gentle greeting. Women in long modest skirts and long sleeves, no jewelry. Warm afternoon light. Real expressions — not posed. Low saturation, film grain, slight bokeh. No text. 4:5 ratio."
Prompt 06
Empty church interior · 16:9 format
"Cinematic wide-angle photograph of an empty Adventist church interior. Wooden pews, warm afternoon light through tall windows, dust particles visible in light beams. Deep amber tones, low saturation, film grain, vignette. No people. No text or signage visible. Sense of quiet reverence. 16:9 ratio."
Section 6.5 · AI prompts · Expected result
Use one of the six prompts above in ChatGPT, DALL·E 3 or Midjourney. The result must be assessed against the dress and color-grading parameters before use.
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