Canva Launches Natural Women Stock Photo Collection
The young, slim, fair-skinned woman cliché isn’t just common on magazine covers and in beauty campaigns – it’s in stock photography too. Canva is changing the future of stock images one photo at a time with their Natural Woman Collection – a digital library that features photos of real women.
The graphic design tool website says that while stock photography of women has improved over the years, there still hasn’t been enough progress. Popular stock photos featuring women have gone from women twirling in cute sundresses to women in full rock climbing gear ascending a mountain.
Yet, according to Canva, “in 2017, the most commonly-seen models were still young, still Caucasian, and still in possession of the most commercially-prized requirements: flawless skin, slim physiques, and long, flowing hair.”
A woman with burn scares smiling and looking off-camera.
Woman with facial blemishes looking into the camera.
Canva’s Natural Women Collection is breaking all of the outdated “rules.” Working with carefully selected photographers from around the world, they have curated an exclusive collection of photos that showcase authentic women. They come from a variety of cultural backgrounds, complete with afros, wrinkles, tattoo and scars. Canva’s new stock photos aren’t excessively photoshopped to the point of perfection, letting their subjects shine in their natural beauty.
These stock photo models are recognizable and relatable – true representations of women we know in everyday life. You’ll find photos of women of different ethnicities, shapes and sizes, abilities and sexual orientations. Committed to true inclusivity, Canva’s new collection includes happy candid photos of differently-abled women with Down Syndrome and Spinal Muscular Atrophy, women getting married, and women who make No Shave November a lifestyle.
Elderly woman blowing bubbles.
Two women laying in the grass and showing armpit hair.
Two women surrounded by well-wishers at their wedding.
A woman with Spinal Muscular Atrophy in a wheelchair smiling.
In essence, “every woman in this collection reflects an important yet underrepresented minority in stock photography.” In a field that has so long excluded them, this is truly a revolutionary moment for women who do not fit the photography stereotype.
The project is only the first step in their mission to build a larger library of truly diverse stock images, and the brand invites photographers to submit their own photos to be included in the Natural Women Collection. For Canva, this is so much more than a campaign; it’s the future of inclusivity in photography and a catalyst for others to include diversity in their photos.
Browse through the Natural Women Collection here.