From the BBC, a place not adverse to using images that are of the poorest quality simply because they were taken by someone “there” (as in are you there, send us your pictures) doesn’t matter how bad they are!
There is a place where no emotion is understated. A place that pioneered “post-truth” before it was discovered by politicians. A place where both triumph and disaster are met with… perfect dentistry.
This is the land of stock pictures.
Even if you wanted to avoid it, you’ll have been there. News websites and social media have spread the air-brushed nirvana of stock pictures further than ever before.
They are part of the click-bait culture, exaggerated and attention-seeking.
But what kind of messages are they sending? Are they reinforcing stereotypes? Or do they do the opposite and create a fake utopia of gender and racial equality?
So it’s all over then. I thought things were looking bad for our relationship when you walked into the living room in a business suit and carrying half of a broken heart and a portable partition. We’ve all been there. Be strong. Thinkstock
Technology is always fake in stock images. Just as stock image people often live in empty rooms, the gadgets they use are blanks. This image showing “good news” is baffling on every level. If this is good news – what does tragedy look like? Thinkstock
“Business meeting, diverse.” Diverse, maybe. But completely bonkers. Imagine going to an away day with these smiling zealots. And any real meeting has at least half the participants surreptitiously checking their mobiles. This is a glimpse of the end-times, with flipcharts. Thinkstock
So next time you see a picture on the web, in a sales document, in fact almost anywhere that is not real think of stock photographers slaving away to bring you fake images.
See the rest of this article and examples on the BBC website here
Oxford School of Photography 