CR Blog
Women + Laughing + Alone + With Salad
Posted by Mark Sinclair, 7 January 2011, 13:05 Permalink Comments (33)
Few things are as evocative of fresh and fun good times as a woman clearly enjoying a decent salad. The excellent Hairpin recently posted a range of similarly-themed stock photos, partly as an ironic reminder of the resolutions we make in early January, but also as a nod to some of the more amusing fictions inherent within image libraries...
The photographs on Women Laughing Alone With Salad are weird enough on their own yet take on a more maniacal dimension when these vaguely sporty fork-wielders are shown as a large group. The chirpy enthusiasm for veg is relentless. Delighted with their plates of greens – dining alone also presents no problem – can you imagine actually sitting opposite someone like this in a restaurant? Not that the image libraries themselves are to blame at all – these images are only available because there is a demand for them from art directors and designers.
Hairpin's collection has inspired some other groupings, too. A suggestion to Google "Women Drinking Coffee Alone" seems to reveal a bit more introspection, while a meme suggested by 'Becca' in the comments acknowledges the concept of "Happy Black Women Shopping" (see below).
In the interests of archetypal and gender balance, Hairpin also added a link to a healthy selection of Men Laughing Alone With Fruit Salad. If only my regular lunchtime medley had that effect.
33 Comments
There tends to be a great number of 'parents laughing with happy children in suspiciously minimalist rooms' on stock image sites too. And 'smug men in suits' is possibly another category.
2011-01-07 13:35:41
If years of scouring stock libraries has taught me anything, it's that all university students do their studying whilst sat on the floor (preferably on some steps). And apparently it's impossible to use a computer without having somebody standing behind you, peering over your should and pointing to something on the screen.
2011-01-07 14:12:55
How about the classic 'Men pointing at maps'?
2011-01-07 14:16:39
And everyone's so damned HAPPY!
2011-01-07 14:18:06
My personal favourites are 'Pen next to important looking document' and 'Smiling business people shaking hands'.
2011-01-07 14:23:15
Trust me, you haven't seen anything until you've seen the business people running in a field with boxes on their heads.
http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-12264871-world-cup-fever.php
2011-01-07 14:49:44
stock pictures - such a good way to make a killing! i dream of owning an e-shop every time i spend a small fortune on smiles and over exposed happiness for brochures.
2011-01-07 15:04:29
brilliant – this has brightened up my day.
2011-01-07 15:06:40
My favourite category is always 'surfing dog in business suit'. Honestly, the number of times I've had to pull that one out of the bag!
2011-01-07 15:06:54
Frustrated with the appalling (and just plain weird)standard of images that our Shutterstock account provides we thought we'd start our own blog: http://shitterstock.tumblr.com/
2011-01-07 15:08:00
Ah yes the femme-salad combo!
Who needs friends when you can have a salad?
2011-01-07 15:57:17
I remember seeing this site a while ago: http://awkwardstockphotos.com/
Some of them are just pure genius. I love 'happy business man jumping hurdles with a briefcase'.
Brilliant.
2011-01-07 16:42:27
Brilliant just the images I was looking for
2011-01-07 16:57:11
The one we used at work existed in a world where there was an unnervingly high number of unsavory looking clowns, and where nobody owned a computer made after 1995.
2011-01-07 20:38:48
Very funny! (coming from someone who shoots stock!)
2011-01-07 21:41:40
I haven't laughed at a CR Blog post like this before. I completely agree with everything everyone has said. Many stock images are frankly sh*t - there's no other way to describe them. The shitterstock website is GENIUS.
If women are that happy eating salad, then my name is Harry Potter.
2011-01-07 22:28:16
Superb! Some findings on the topic in "There's no business like business to business business" blog. Enjoy!
2011-01-08 10:09:49
And big teeth!
2011-01-08 11:51:14
Ha brilliant! If your feeling down then just read this post! So fake, it's funny.
2011-01-08 20:13:42
similar but wit B Roll video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SItFvB0Upb8
2011-01-09 11:09:13
The men with fruit salads link is great. haha
2011-01-09 16:25:41
But nothing beats: http://kimjongillookingatthings.tumblr.com
2011-01-10 08:05:17
Haha love the Kim Jong-il looking at things link. Matt & Neil some very strange images on that site!
2011-01-10 11:38:50
What about smiling and hand shaking group of professionals, classic. Great.
2011-01-10 14:57:10
Making sausages
http://matthewthehorse.blogspot.com/2010/04/blog-post.html
Sexy Pirates
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aIDl8_-TBpI/TDcfKRC9XhI/AAAAAAAAAI8/LerKvBeaJ1U/s1600/sexy-pirates.jpg
Being patient
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aIDl8_-TBpI/TDce-Uf_uvI/AAAAAAAAAI0/xxP_ecKB68M/s1600/fishing.jpg
2011-01-11 14:56:03
on a similar vein, when i was Studio Manager at a large regional newspaper in the NE England, pre internet days, we used to subscribe to a well known American CD-Rom clip art service, and every month we would look for the worst/ most useless/ inappropriate for our regional use / surreal clip art and then attempt to get it in on an advert / advertorial feature / specialist publication... etc etc
so 'Man in a wheelchair playing a trombone' could often be found in the background of many an advert along with a great many Religious festivals from around the world in our Xmas classified ad campaigns
2011-01-11 16:10:19
'Even happier woman nicking partners chips' should be the follow-up image.
2011-01-11 16:41:25
'Even happier woman nicking partners chips' should be the follow-up image.
2011-01-11 17:34:17
The serious looking businessman with a touch of graying hair, hand to his chin, sitting, with very young, very hot woman, in a tight suit (glasses of course, she's no bimbo) standing taking notes.
2011-01-11 19:11:50
women nicking my chips is the bane of my life! :O
2011-01-12 12:06:01
My favourite: search for "couple" and get endless results of girls on the backs of their boyfriends.
2011-01-12 20:43:43
Why is it in Creative Review (and other publications of a naturally, lower standard) that stock photo companies always put a photo you would never, ever need? "Man riding a camel through the desert wearing a suit he bought in the 80s carrying a laptop..." just never suited my briefs.
2011-01-13 17:42:48
We definitely need more women frowning on a cloudy day! Sales will definitely increase with more gloomy and gritty realism!
2011-11-08 11:55:16
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