A new report has caused serious concern in the stock photo community. Apparently, the previously full pool of candidates who model for stock photos that can be ripped from google and reused for free has been thinning considerably in recent years. The report details a variety of reasons for this, including new alternatives to stock photo modeling, COVID-19, and memes.
One of the reports’ questions asked those who had considered stock photo modeling, but decided against it as a lifestyle choice, why they made that decision. A common answer seemingly was that they are only fans of stock photography, but do not wish to participate in it.
“Since I made my OnlyFans, I haven’t really felt the need to be a stock photo model; I have other ways of getting paid,” one respondent said.
Another said, “I didn’t even mean to type in stock photos? It was a typo. Is this a real survey?”
COVID-19 has led to a drop in the number of models for several reasons, some more surprising than others. Firstly, many people wish to avoid close contact with photographers. Some photographers have adapted to this by using zoom lenses and photographing from 70 yards away, while communicating instructions to their models using walkie talkies.
A UR professor, Timothy T. Earnur, who teaches SA 115: Generic Looking Portraiture, had a different issue. “We really need to be able to see the faces of models when we photograph them, but people aren’t willing to be photographed without masks these days. Too nervous. Cowards.”
His students, who also work as models for their classmates, said that this was not the issue. “I’m just taking this class for an easy A, I’m not looking to become a meme,” junior Jen Erica Photo said. The fear of becoming an internet sensation known as a meme was a frequent result in the study. The meteoric rise of memes as a mode of communication has often featured images of people in interesting poses. Many of these people are instantly recognizable to an entire generation. It seems that people are concerned for their privacy.
“I’m not really sure I want to follow in the footsteps of a success kid,” sophomore Cindy Louise Who said. “I mean, there’s a guy out there who is famous for cheating on his girlfriend and it isn’t even his girlfriend! They’re just stock photo models. And they didn’t even get paid for it!”
Some people have security concerns beyond being made into memes. “The fake birds are already photographing me for the government; I don’t need to help them out any further!” Rochester resident Steven Katz said. “Kodak is gone, who do you think is taking pictures now?”
Regardless of their reasons, the decrease in stock photo models may have serious consequences for the meme community. Meme producers will be forced to use old stock, or rely on drawn images.
Look, what I’m saying is that we either start posing or get ready for some anime memes, and I’m not ready for that in my life, okay?
