Stock photography is often comical, occasionally expensive, but seldom do we give it credit for being detrimental to society. That is probably a mistake. It’s one that Getty Images is trying to rectify now as it partners with LeanIn.org to produce the Lean In Collection: more than 2,500 images that, according to PSFK, include women
“in various professions, working women in contemporary clothes, women at home, and women doing activities like lifting weights and climbing mountains. There are also photos of young girls on computers or skateboards and fathers helping out with home duties or housework.”
The idea is to overcome the female stereotypes usually found in stock photos, and by extension, in society at large. A portion of proceeds will go toward supporting the mission of LeanIn.org and funding grants for photography demonstrating women’s empowerment. Getty plans to add to its list of LeanIn images monthly.
While this may at first strike some as oversimplified nonsense, a cursory look at the images that dominate magazine ads, billboards and direct-mail pieces – to say nothing of the Web – suggests they might be on to something.
