Sacha Williams 5500 words
An investigation into female underrepresentation and the power of imagery.
GENDER, EQUITY AND FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY.
1 CONTENTS
Executive Summary : 3 The Power Of The Gaze : 20
Introduction : 4 The Consumer : 23
Underrepresentation : 6 Conclusion : 29
Employment Opportunity : 9 Appendices : 30
More Than Just Awareness : 11 Reference List : 36
Progression : 14 Bibliography : 40
A Call For Fairness : 17
2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report investigates the those who have the power to make important underrepresentation of female fashion decisions need to be targeted to change their photographers, the power of imagery behaviour, with addressing the implicit bias and the importance of equity. Research is which we all hold, as a necessity. Moreover, dedicated to uncovering the causes and the level of successfulness of training courses solutions relating to the obstacles that is investigated with the possibility for these women face when seeking employment, being counterproductive being uncovered. awareness and progression opportunities, with specific focus on the fashion industry. The barriers that are in place for women when progressing in the workplace are Exploration into the lack of cover images being analysed, resulting in the recognition for shot by women is proven to not be a pipeline gender norms to be eradicated. Editorials issue, suggesting the underrepresentation printed by magazines, which focus on is based on the grounds of sexism, with eliminating expected gender roles within research supporting this by showcasing society such as domestic work activities are that level of talent is also not the problem. a solution offered due to the power that Further investigation conducted through institutions have on influencing consumer the use of a visual image case study behaviour. In addition, a persuasive rational revealed that there were no significant is given for the negative contribution that commonalities in regard to technical language has on reinforcing gender division. capabilities or aesthetic, produced by one gender when analysing editorial photographs. The ways in which publishing houses can improve on the current situation is debated, Persuasive arguments lay out actions with a key recommendation being the needed for employment processes to inclusion of equity and not equality policies be more inclusive. Discussion is had as to to be implement within business operations, whether a drastic or more subtle approach due to research showing that the application would be effective for change to occur, of equality alone does not assist women with the stronger argument being for photographers needs fully. John Adam’s equity substantial responses to be tested such theory is useful in explaining the outcomes Utilising Schramm’s communication model as hiring only women photographers that a women may choose to take if they allows for an understanding to be gained for cover shoots for a specific period. are not being treated fairly, including either regarding how messages are sent back and a balance redress or cognitive reframing. forth between magazines and the consumer. Acknowledgment is given to the viewpoint that Furthermore, examination of the current more than simply awareness is needed for Careful consideration occurred for the consumer’s path to purchase, using the tangible change to arise. Findings state that subjective nature of viewing imagery. AIDA framework, is compared to a desired the current focus from the fashion industry From discovering that each person future gender inclusive workplace version, regarding spreading the work of female applies their own life experiences to a allowing us to learn of the potential difference photographers on a range of online platforms photograph, it can be assumed that the in the ideology produced by magazines is not equivalating to real representation. From narrative that the photographer desired that is bought into by the consumer. discovering this, it should be encouraged that to tell cannot always be assured.
3 INTRODUCTION
When will we live in a world where how impactful this unjust situation is these words can be removed for the consumer. By talking about Discrimination. from the dictionary? The year is gender inequality within the fashion 2021 and many are living with the industry we are focussing on what assumption that women are equal can be described as a microcosm Underrepresentation. to men. Upsettingly, this is far from issue, meaning we can see a larger the truth. The purpose of this report societal issue working on a smaller is to discuss this critical issue, scale. What this implies is that we Gender inequality. specifically focusing on gender, should be looking at society as equity and fashion photography. a whole for some answers, using top-down approaches that can Underrepresentation is affecting offer a sustainable change. those who identify as women and are pursuing a career within the Enquiry into the causes of this critical fashion photography industry. issue, examination into current action Whilst this is a global problem, being taken, and most importantly for the purpose of this report, the recognising and suggesting vital focus will be on the UK market. It is changes needed for an improved not only crucial that a discussion future are all debated. Arguments is had for the purpose of finding are formulated surrounding tangible solutions to better women’s a number of areas including: experience in the workplace, but also Employment opportunity, awareness so that publication houses, who have and progression, in combination such power in releasing images and with critiquing current solutions narratives to society, acknowledge and proposing new responses.
4 INTRODUCTION
“Photographs and photography have a crucial and pivotal status in societies” (Sattari and Mousavi, 2013, pP73). The initial hypothesis follows that due to underrepresentation with only, “13.7 percent of cover images being shot by women”
(Bauck, 2015),
damage is caused to the consumer as they are mainly receiving a single viewpoint, that being a male perspective. This report aims to uncover the accuracy of this, alongside research dedicated to identifying, through the execution of a visual image analysis, whether aspects of the image change according to the gender of the photographer.
It is important to understand that manipulating history by shining light on great women photographers that have not gained the praise they deserve or blaming males will not alter the problem. Inequality is a human problem and, “what human problems involve is re-interpretation of the nature of the situation, or a radical alteration of stance or program on the part of the problems themselves” (Nochlin, 1971).
5 UNDERREPRESENTATION
“80% of photography graduates are women — yet women make up only 15% of professional photographers” (Sebag-Montefiore, 2019), evidencing that we are not dealing with a pipeline issue.
This eradicates the possibility for comments attached to stereotypical views about women's technical abilities to hold any strong credibility. “Research shows that women are underrepresented in occupations that are highly competitive, inflexible, and require high levels of physical skill” (Hentschel, Heilman and Peus, 2019), which matches the job requirements of a photographer. Many have argued that women are superior at connecting with subjects, whilst men are stronger at technical camera elements. However, when looking into this further, this does not seem to be the case. Photographers like Petra Collins, show that women can be exceptional at creating distinctly technical productions, such as a Vogue Korea cover story (Appendix A) with Collins not being the only example of this. It can also be argued that males can show exemplary ability in forming close rapports with subjects. Platon addressed the importance of storytelling in the documentary, “Abstract: Art and Design”, whereby he states that, “taking a picture is very technical, but 99.9% is spent on this connection that allows me to reach someone” (Netflix, 2019).
6 UNDERREPRESENTATION
To further evidence the indifference of skill between men and women, a case study was conducted with an interpretative research attitude. This entailed the analysis of ten editorial images taken by both men and women, with the aim being if it were possible to distinguish any major differences in the photo a female and male photographer takes, looking at literal, technical and symbolic aspects of images (reference Appendix B, C, D for further information and full findings). The evidence gathered indicated that there were no significant commonalities produced by one gender, which contradicts the assumption that males and females have a set of different strengths and weaknesses.
The results also showed that the gender of the photographer cannot always be guessed from simply looking at an image, with this outcome supported by a previous experiment, in which participants were, “unable to correctly guess the gender of an artist by looking at a painting” (Adams, Krrussl, Navone and Verwijmeren, 2017). By pointing out the differences in male and female abilities when holding a camera, the labels assigned to the type of photographer an individual can be (such as technical or narrative based) is causing gender disparity.
7 UNDERREPRESENTATION
“Not as a public pat on the back, not as an apologetic gesture, not as a way to sell feminism.” (Kelia Anne MacCluskey, 2021). Listening to the thoughts of 30 female fashion photographers (collected by Refinery29, “ For me, it’s not so much about male vs female but 2021) allows for opinions to be heard from those who are directly affected by gender giving everyone an equal voice.” imbalance, informing us on why it is crucial that more women are given opportunities (Daria Kobayashi Ritch, 2021). and what they would like the path going forward to look like. The key findings inform us that women would appreciate being “ The issue is not the lack of choice or talent; it is the recognised not as a female photographer, but instead simply as a photographer. people who make these choices.” However, a convincing perspective conflicts this; “the denial of difference is the denial (Ophélie Rondeau, 2021). of inequality” (King, Anderson and Nadal, 2020). There is an overarching consensus that women do not want to be hired as a tokenistic gesture to increase a positive brand perception and it is fundamental that women shouldn’t be receiving opportunities based on fashion publications striving to tick a diversity box. Instead, aiming for inclusivity whereby women are praised, rewarded and most importantly truly appreciated for their work, but with this being achieved by individual needs being accounted for would be the rational route forward. Once this occurs, authentic change will appear.
8 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Whilst this may be true, this should not be the reason and incentive by which we look to improve on the current situation as this is not morally correct. If we are “Organizations with changing views based on ulterior motives, then long-lasting changes are less likely to occur. “Many creative directors and inclusive business cultures producers will simply go back to the same photographers they’ve already worked with time and time again, who are more often and practices are 57.8% than not male” (Sebag-Montefiore, 2019). They do this to feel comfortable, but for change we need to allow ourselves to feel more likely to improve uncomfortable and we require a change in habit. How can we change a habit?
Magazines could take a drastic approach their reputations.” and force themselves to use only women (Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter, 2020). photographers for a whole month. When hearing this idea, it is anticipated that two responses would happen. Firstly, the idea is welcomed and used in support of a specific date such as international women’s month. To that the answer is no. The action cannot be performative. Companies need to allocate time and effort into planning processes, arranging meetings to address the complicated issue, including without question those who are affected within these discussions. The second reaction by some would be the concern that the action is unfair towards men, but perhaps an intense statement needs to happen for real change to materialise. Arguably a more appropriate stance would be for those in hiring positions to judge individuals based on the quality of the photo and no other reason. From this, we could develop the idea of enforcing a type of business model in which photographers could be selected to work for magazines on a blind recruitment basis. It is important to bear in mind complications that would come with this such as the portfolio of work that would need to be given to the employer potentially containing previously published images, but the judgement should still be made on the quality of said images. 9 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The Cultural Continuum Recommended Display Certain behaviours that publishing houses such as Conde Nast and Hearst exhibit can be explained, to some degree, by analysing the type of culture that the businesses operate in. A framework that is utilised consistency internally which helps leaders to predict responses to situations, contributing to attitudes towards which photographer is creative freedom hired, is The Cultural Continuum. However, this reward for excellence is somewhat outdated as it is being assumed that the values at either end are competing (reference Appendix E), resulting in a lack of consensus Control encouragement for opposite values to be used in unison, which is ideally what needs productivity to happen for a workplace that is striving Collaborative for inclusivity, innovation and success. financial results We cannot ignore cost control and planning Nurturing procedures, we cannot ignore hiring experts in the field of fashion and photography, and individual expression we cannot ignore customer preference teamwork aligned with the needs of the employees (Thind, 2018), therefore proposing an altered version of the traditional linear framework collective decision-making in terms of the way it is presented on a page will help brands in realising that they do not need to fit into, or desire to achieve, just one position on the scale.
Figure 1: Authors Own, Cultural Continuum, adapted from (Thind, 2018, p125) 10 MORE THAN JUST AWARENESS
There are many photo agencies, platforms and initiative sites, such as “Girlgaze”, “Alreadymade.org” and “Female In Focus” whose aim is to increase visibility as a way of responding to under-representation. There is no denying that this helps in terms of getting more women in the field noticed and offers hiring editors a place to go to discover new talent, but alone, this is not enough for significant change. Exposure is not equivalent to representation,
due to those making recruitment decisions lacking interest in these platforms. Thus there is concern that these sites are not as useful as they may initially seem. The best exposure ultimately is gaining the front cover spots and editorial spreads of worldwide leading publications, which will only occur if women are employed in the first place.
11 MORE THAN JUST AWARENESS
Research of countless titles of reports, books, and articles under the semantic field of “how to overcome the glass ceiling”, has led to the realisation that this does not actually tackle the root cause. The metaphor is often used to start conversations about the hidden barrier that prevents women’s advancement; yet by following this concept, it can be forgotten that it is not only a single piece of glass that women need to break through. The glass is approached by women at different times and has an individual thickness for every person.
Since Mulveys term first drew attention in the 1980’s, many factors towards work have changed. We must be thankful that the term was successful in raising awareness, but now it is imperative that the “cumulative effect of the micro-issues that women face day after day that slows their journey” (Martin, 2015), is analysed, one of which is the unconscious bias.
12 MORE THAN JUST AWARENESS
Using assumptions, whilst holding an unconscious bias, as a way of taking mental short cuts is harmful in relation to women’s visibility as those who are scouting for photographers experience systematic errors in their decision-making (Sandhu et al., 2020, p8). We must acknowledge the misconception that it is only men contributing to sexism (Walker, 2017) and address the implicit bias that everyone
Training courses are being utilised by holds. companies as the answer (Robson, 2021), however the extent to which these, often very short, courses succeed in fully eradicating bias is weak and, in some cases, can even be argued to be counterproductive. “studies find that asking people to suppress stereotypes tends to reinforce them — making them more cognitively accessible to people” (Dobbin and Kalev, 2018, p50).
Building on the concept of awareness as the focal point, where the aim is for individuals to realise how their behaviour is affecting others, allows for the existence of moral licensing to persist. Companies use this psychological bargaining (Dodgson, 2017) as an excuse for making a morally bad decision acceptable, due to the notion that having already completed a good action will cancel out the bad. In order to combat this, a continuous program which educates and changes behaviour over time should be implemented.
13 PROGRESSION The motherhood penalty, explained by J. Ely and Padavic, (2020) stated that “high-level jobs require extremely long hours, women’s devotion to family makes it impossible for them to put in those hours, and their careers suffer as a result”. Society viewing maternity as an obstacle for sustaining a job (Mellery-Pratt and Soar, 2020) along with gender norms which are put in place from the age of birth through sex-role socialization, are deep rooted societal problems that indirectly act as obstacles. A study revealed that most children by the age of three, associate “driving a truck as masculine and cooking and cleaning as feminine” (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009, p410), with these values that children learn materialising as, “women continue to perform a disproportionate amount of domestic work” (Hentschel, Heilman and Peus, 2019, p3). Magazines have the platform and responsibility to influence change, using fashion and photography as the tool.
Prior to the goal of breaking down gender norm stereotypes, we must at least accommodate women who are performing these role expectations. “Only 45 percent of women reported that their companies had paid maternity leave, and just 24 percent said they offered work-flexibility programs” (Brown, Haas, Marchessou and Villepelet, 2018). This work-family problem is complex, “Women do two and a half but following the examples of countries like Denmark, who encourage males to spend more time bringing up children through times as much unpaid the incentive of paid paternity leave (The Economist, 2015), is a good place to start, as this can allow equal workplace progression household and child care for parents. Following on from this, although the gender pay gap is continuing to shrink; attention should be brought to the argument work as men” that some women find themselves having to work longer hours to earn comparative (Adrian Hodges Advisory Ltd, 2017, p8). pay, for photographers specifically, “the pay gap in 2020 was 13%” (Gender pay gap in the UK - Office for National Statistics, 2020). 14 PROGRESSION
Stix (2020) suggested there’s a powerful connection between words relating a man and a career, alongside words associated with women and family. The profound impact of language,, especially during primary socialisation, is a contributor for reinforcing gender division.
Systemic functional linguistics theory is successful in showing that by taking this functional approach of a social semiotic system, it can be said that language has usally discovered leaves people to feel evolved in response to the pressure of extremely guilty, alongside not knowing needing to meet the functions that the how they can contribute to overcoming system is upholding. In relation to women, it such widespread problems. To combat has been argued that the written word is an this, it could be beneficial for businesses to “invention of technology that was meant to instead incorporate the idea of politeness be specifically problematic” (Soloway, 2016). within day-to-day operations, as this For example, there are numerous words that stance includes lots of the same objectives include the word “man” like “man-made”, as political correctness; but can be seen “manpower” and “mankind” which have as an easier approach to take within the alternatives which are gender neutral. In workplace due to focus on action rather this case the replacements are “artificial”, than thought and acting polite being not “workforce” and “humankind” (Prior, 2017). a legal requirement but an aspiration For some, this discussion can be seen as of which the outcome is much more political correctness gone too far, as it has satisfying (TheSchoolOfLife, 2017) and been argued that the oppression that is hopefully more likely for change to occur.
15 PROGRESSION
“Women systematically underestimate their own abilities”
(Sandberg, 2010). Imposter syndrome puts forward designed for men, by men, and that woman may be lacking in has not drastically changed in confidence due to being worried its ways, hence women are at a about outshining others or gaining disadvantage (King, Anderson and attention (Zenger, 2020). It has Nadal, 2020,). Corporations did been argued that this creates not design the nine to five working a requirement to be perfect, day, with the unignorable fact of therefore a growth mindset can needing to breastfeed a baby, or be tricky (Kay, Shipman and Rosin, the fact that women carry a triple 2017), ultimately suggesting the shift, in mind. “We are trying to fix hindering of progression for female something that isn’t broken” (King, photographers. However, this Anderson and Nadal, 2020, p9), is the mentality is questioned by global key takeaway from King’s argument gender equality expert, Michelle and by continuing to focus on the King who offers a compelling idea that this underrepresentation argument as to why women is a women’s problem we are may feel unconfident, but this is aiming to improve only the due to the workplace that was elements which women control.
16 A CALL FOR FAIRNESS
It is imperative for magazine managerial teams to understand the difference between the end goal and the means of getting to the said goal when applied to the employment of women photographers. The recognition that everyone has separate levels of required needs for equal access to succeed at a job compared to everyone having the same type and amount of support seems like a much more considerate and logical approach to take, yet this belief does not exist without dispute. For some, the concern lies in how the focus on supporting a woman will affect her male counterpart. But when these opinions are voiced let us not forgot that many women are disadvantaged. Women are not seeking a fastrack ticket, or aiming to overtake males, they simply want to be equal.
When we focus on practices based on equality, those who do not require as much help move higher up the ladder, increasing the disadvantaged gap. The problem lies in the fact that the current system does work in the favour of many, and these are the people who hold the power for changing the system, explaining why solutions are not straightforward.
17 A CALL FOR FAIRNESS
Psychologist, John Adams offers an explanation as to what encourages people to work, by focusing on input versus output within his equity theory. The belief is that “motivation is affected by the individual perception of being treated fairly in comparison to others” (Al- Zawahreh and Al-Madi, 2012, p159). The key principles are helpful in clearly showcasing the unfair treatment that women receive. It is sensible to agree that people expect to receive a fair reward for effort (equity norm) and that people do evaluate rewards against others (social comparison). From this, those who are not satisfied with the ratioof activity to desired outcome will take part in two possible scenarios: either undergoing a balance redress by changing the amount of effort to suit the reward (such as working less hours) or performing cognitive reframing, whereby perception of the situation is mentally distorted, for example, women through no fault of their own accepting that their photographs are not worthy of print front covers. The amount of effort put in by women is not equal to outcomes. Professional women photographers have the input of education, however the outcomes of rewards such as gaining the key shoot are not being met, whilst men are being over-benefited. Acceptance for this cannot continue.
As previously mentioned, if women and men did take on the same amount of domestic work, then it would be a step easier to apply the principle of equality and not equity within the workplace. The theory does have the limitations of being based on perceived and not actual value whilst also failing to consider that rewards hold different values dependent on the individual, but overall is highly beneficial in delivering the importance of considering the impact of not all women and men running the race in the same lane.
Hiring managers knowing the strengths, challenges and interests of women could result in implementing a strategy that is used within education systems known as differentiating instruction. Bringing this process of thinking into the workplace would be hugely helpful for noticing when somebody requires assistance, therefore helping in working towards the goal of fairness using equity.
18 A CALL FOR FAIRNESS
During attendance of a recent fashion talk with brand and visual director of Vogue Italia, Alessia Glaviano, it was comforting to hear that Glaviano acknowledges and admitted that Vogue, “should do much better”
in regard to gender inequality within the company, whilst encouraging the use of fashion imagery to speak about societal issues (Glaviano 2021) however; it will be interesting to see if actions are taken in response to this going forward.
19 THE POWER OF THE GAZE
Each person who is a part of the process in producing and viewing editorials is visiting the images with a unique set of interests, beliefs This should not be ignored when aiming and backgrounds. to uncover the consumers role in viewing photos as, “our perception or appreciation of an image depends also upon our own way of seeing.” (Berger, 2008, P7). When discussing viewpoints there are three areas to consider (Lutz and Collins, 1991, P137):
The photographers gaze comes from the only person who looks directly through the viewfinder.
The institutional magazine gaze, which has the ability to alter the photographers desired message due to an Art Directors’ control over image selection, cropping and text.
The readers gaze, in which we must question environment and time in relation to the image. Is the consumer flicking through the magazine whilst waiting for the dentist, or did they purchase a subscription and spend time carefully reading every page in the comfort of their home? The longer somebody views the image, they are more likely to notice details and ultimately form their own opinions and judgements.
20 THE POWER OF THE GAZE
Even if the story that is being told seems to be clear by both the photographer and magazine, the narrative that is being portrayed can never be fully guaranteed. This is, in one sense, the beauty of photography, every person’s reaction to imagery is subjective.
What is interesting is the fact that, “when viewing a human figure, females usually looked at the face whereas males glanced at the face and also at the sexual parts of the body” (Mitchell, 2009). This can be applied to both the photographer looking at a model, but also the perception that the consumer holds,
evidencing the sometimes-forgotten power that the consumer has on looking and taking away what they desire from the images. The consumer approaches images with their own set of stereotypes, such as assuming that an image which shows a model sexualised was taken by a man. These preconceptions need to be overcome by the consumer as this results in viewing fashion photographs and the stories that they tell being sometimes misunderstood.
21 THE POWER OF THE GAZE
“Every photograph is a certificate of the presence” “The patterns of visualising femininity cannot be (Barthes and Howard, 2020, P105) and published broken by simply letting a female photographer fashion imagery can fulfil several social purposes control the camera” (Vitova, 2019), instead the (Davis, 1992). Magazines, such as Vogue, can be female gaze should best be described as a considered as what sociologist, Althusser, described as an ideological state apparatus, meaning that photographs have a strong power in culturally “socio political justice demanding recognisable meanings being spread (Shinkle, 2012). Publishing houses can be categorised as a cultural institution and should be taking responsibility for way of art making”(Soloway, 2016), narratives that they release to society, and whilst the primary focus of Althusser’s argument is on class and must be about creating empathy by those being division, it can be useful to adapt the concept for the present at the photoshoot, taking a holistic stance in purpose of the initial hypothesis that the consumer is which, it has been suggested that the focus should being fed from mostly the male viewpoint. Ideologies be on artists creating not from a female gaze, but that are released to the consumer can be subtle “another gaze” (Soloway, 2016). It is possible that until and even sent in a symbolic format (Althusser, the day when women are equal to men in wider 1970) of which images are the perfect method of society and in all aspects of life, we will not truly see delivery. The creation of fashion editorials is not what a woman’s viewpoint is. Photographers are exempt from working with the notion of the male innovative, artistic individuals, but newness often and female gaze, which feeds heavily into the does come from the influences of others. Perhaps, ideological beliefs that are passed to the consumer. we as women, do not know the type of editorials that have the potential to be created due to the Visual arts throughout history and still today, depict publishing houses, consumers and society having women from a masculine point of view, presenting in place an expectation to produce the same women hypersexualised as objects of male pleasure. form of imagery that has always been the norm. The solution is not as easy as proposing a reversal, whereby images are photographed by women, of women, for women.
22 THE CONSUMER
Google learned that “Consumers expect brands to be inclusive and reflect the reality of their lives in advertising” (Zalis, 2019). However, the problem with this statement is that according to Barthes, “the world appears as a theatre in fashion photography” (Barnard, 2014, p18), suggesting that the society in which the consumer lives in acts as a stage, influencing fashion content. Thus, fashion reflects consumers and consumers reflect fashion resulting in an endless cycle. To understand this further, a transactional model of communication whereby both parties are senders and receivers can explain the process of the message being sent between the magazine and consumer.
23 THE CONSUMER
With the goal of encouraging companies to move forward with purpose (with regards to equity), we can suggest the inclusion of strategic communication within the adapted version of Wilbur Schramm (Kuzna and Yager, 2020) model to improve on current operations. Sender Encoder Signal Decoder Receiver Instead of looking at communication as, “a peripheral epiphenomenon of human actions” (van Ruler, 2018), by which the process is between just two actors (such as Shannon- Weaver's linear sender/receiver framework), figure 2 encourages an omnidirectional diachronic view to be more beneficial, as magazines would be more aware of the fact that communication is ongoing and requires development, in addition paying attention to the conveyance between the sender and Noise: receiver. Instead of looking towards a series of events, there should be a need to look at ever Schramm communication model applied to the case study of Kamala Harris’ cover image (reference changing variables that affect one another. Appendix F) backlash as an example of the influence that the consumer has on magazines. Figure 2: (Authors Own, Sender / receiver model, adapted from Kuzna and Yager, 2020, p5)
Sender: Vogue, as a form of mass media, influences the meanings which areeventually picked up by the consumer. Vogue will encode messages, having planned the codes that they want to transmit. The information (being the front cover image) was chosen to be used due to, “its accessibility and approachability” (Elan, 2021).
Noise: Interreference occurred from people who disagreed with the chosen cover and the message that was widely interpreted from viewing the image, this being that the styling was too informal, as well as concerns for the lighting used, which disrupted the signal.
Receiver: The message collected is influenced by “interpersonal communication between members of one’s own social environment (van Ruler, 2018). The set of beliefs and values that the viewer approaches the image with in order to decode the message constantly changes. The consumer forms new opinions due to aspects of society which are influencing their behaviour at that moment in time, as well as distortinginformation, “based on the synapse developed over their lifetime” (Stakeholder Management, n.d, p3).
Feedback: The consumers critical feedback was noticed by Vogue and the outcome was for a new cover to be released.
24 THE CONSUMER
Images, “revolve around interests or themes reflective of the philosophy of their creator and contributors” (Cope and Maloney, 2016, P183). If we consider the fashion consumer as a contributor, Vogue for instance publishes editorials which have been planned to suit the needs and desires of that consumer. Not only is the consumer encouraged through editorial imagery to begin a journey to buy product, but is also being pushed whether knowingly or not, into the sale of an idea, an ideology and
ultimately fitting into a societal framework. We all, as consumers of published fashion photography, “are now so accustomed to being addressed by these images that we scarcely notice their total impact” (Berger, 2008, p165). Utilising the AIDA model (Cope and Maloney, 2016, P15), we can analyse what the differences would be on the consumers path to purchase if women photographers were no longer underrepresented. It should be recognised that this framework does have a downfall of being very linear in terms of the process that the consumer experiences, and not every consumer will go through each stage in the same way.
(Cope and Maloney, 2016, P183). 25 THE CONSUMER
The path to purchase AIDA model within current magazine operations.
A: Raise awareness. Attracting the consumer by feeding them images which are only from a certain group of people, decreases the opportunity for new messages that can attract the consumer (especially potential new consumers).
I: To stimulate interest. The storytelling within editorial images and emotions expressed are valued much higher compared to campaigns. Consumers buy into these narratives on display, being intrigued by the photos, yet due to being a part of the system they are unable to realise that magazines are representing the zigest, which is an unequal society.
D: To generate desire. At this stage in the funnel, consumers are led to believe that viewing editorials will supply their needs. They will feel a certain way and discuss what they have seen with others, spreading messages.
A: To prompt the consumer to take action. Arguably this is the most dangerous step as the consumer buys into the idea that the way the magazine is run is all inclusive, fair and just, resulting in a continuation of the current way.
Figure 3: Authors Own, AIDA model within current magazine operations, adapted from (Hanlon, 2021).
26 THE CONSUMER
The path to purchase AIDA model within future gender inclusive magazine operations
A: Raise awareness. Innovative messages are delivered by magazines, allowing for a variety of stories to be told. Magazines overtly publish editorials which inform the audience that a change in behaviour is needed.
I: To stimulate interest. Focusing on concepts that are based around overcoming macro problems that affect a large proportion of society like the negative impacts of gender norms will generate new viewers to become interested in activities that the magazines are involved in.
D: To generate desire. After appreciating and enjoying an array of viewpoints and interesting stories, the consumer now actually wants what they see.
A: To prompt the consumer to take action. The consumer reacts, shares and behaves in accordance with the ideologies that the magazine promotes, which will show that women cannot be underrepresented, indicating that this should be replicated within the bigger picture. Consumers will implement the delivered messages into their life, resulting in tangible change.
Figure 4: Authors Own, AIDA model within future gender inclusive magazine operations, adapted from (Hanlon, 2021).
27 CONCLUSION
At the start of this report, it was stated Men can indeed form extremely that most front covers are shot by close rapports with their subjects and men, from a male’s perspective, produce deep narratives for editorial implying that this is damaging for purposes, and women are most the consumer who is missing a definitely capable of being experts female viewpoint. This still stands true. technically. The consumer’s individual Consumers are indeed being fed perception which they bring when narratives from male photographers, viewing imagery has a stronger impact however now the more important than initially realised, as individuals realisation is that the evidence proves approach images with their own beliefs. that it’s not a talent problem, An implication of this is the possibility for the consumer having the power to change and add meanings to fashion women and men don’t take photographs. There is, therefore, a definite need for the consumer to realise the impact that bringing stereotypical different photos, instead every views to viewing an image can cause.
There are several important changes that must occur in response to the human takes a different photo. findings surrounding exposure not equivalating to representation. It is Going forward, we should be focusing suggested that a more inclusive view is on this point, promoting the fact applied to the culture that businesses that so many stories created with operate in, considering the importance a camera are being untold. of needing a work environment which is nurturing, provides collaboration between team members and still has a controlling attitude. Furthermore, targeting those who oversee making hiring decisions must be a priority moving forward as there are currently many online platforms which promote women, yet managers are not directing themselves to these intended awareness spreading sites due to being nervous for change and also having an implicit bias.
28 CONCLUSION
The argument for publishing houses to take responsibility and the ways in which to improve moving forward is clear. Long term strategies must be implemented, women need to be hired based on talent and not for economic or perceived value gains, and the principle of equity should be seen to be in use. The rooted societal issues can no longer be ignored as a contributing factor towards the barriers women face when aiming for progression in the workplace, with these related findings sparking the inspiration to produce a creative response to the critical issue by developing a photographic series focusing on the impact that gender roles endure for women.
To conclude, women should simply be given more opportunities in all areas which this report discussed, for the simple reason of equality. There is no reason found, other than the fact that a woman is a woman, and the obstacles that this involves, that there is underrepresentation and the hope for this to change will continue.
29 APPENDICES Appendix A: Blackpink Vogue Korea March 2020 Cover Issue (Collins, 2020).
30 APPENDICES
Appendix B: Authors own, Research Information, 2021.
Visual Research information
The literal, technical and symbolic aspects of the images were analysed without knowing the gender so that I reduce bias in the research.
I have ensured that my choice of individuals who will be supplying me with the images include a range of ages, ethnicities and genders (acknowledgement that these people are not representative for society as a whole has been undertaken) and those selected have been made fully aware of a set of perimeters to which they are to stick to in order for my analysis process to commence as desired so that a biased viewpoint doesn’t occur. These include participants not informing me of the gender of photographer, choosing from the set website, choosing images at random, not disclosing the aims of this research so that those assisting do not consciously or unconsciously select images to fit in line with stereotypes, and for no discussions to occur between I and the participants about this research until the findings are concluded.
The hypothesis are as follows: Males focus much more on the technical aspect and so photos taken by men will evidence clearer consideration for geometry, lines and camera angles. The storytelling of females is deeper. Females have a natural ability to connect with their subjects much more, and so more emotions are captured. It will be possible to assume the gender of photographer based on simply viewing a photo.
31 APPENDICES
Appendix C: Visual Research images, fashioneditorials.com, 2021/2020. 1 3 5 7 9
2 4 6 8 10
32 Appendix D: Authors Own, Visual Research findings, 2021. VISUAL COMPARISON ANALYSIS
Image 1 and 2 Image 5 and 6 Image 9 and 10
objects, environments, styling, interactions, colour, texture. objects, environments, styling, interactions, colour, texture. objects, environments, styling, interactions, colour, texture. Literal Similarities Literal Differences Literal Similarities Literal Differences Literal Similarities Literal Differences
• • • Props used • Image 1 was shot on location, whilst image 2 was in the Both women Contrasting locations • Use of accessories • Ethnicities • Both models are in static poses. • Models have different hair colours • Women models studio. • Both models eyes looking down the camera lens. • Messy hair vs slick back hair • The photographer of both images is trying to make the • Countryside / maybe a beach compared to a snowy • • Both models are white Slight age gap in models. viewer focus on the model. forest. • Models interacting with accessories, making these the • Cannot see any clothing in image 10 • Cannot see clothing in image 2. • The use of the colour white • One model wears a hat focus. • Natural make up vs full glam • White summer dress vs knitwear • Both in a studio • Image 5 has warm tones and natural light hitting the • Hands act as key element of the image. Composition, framing, lines, focus, spaces, lighting, camera setting assumptions. models face. Image 6 is cold, blue tones. • Model in image 6 has freckles Technical Similarities Technical Differences • Image 6 is more focused on the face. Composition, framing, lines, focus, spaces, lighting, camera setting assumptions. • Shot in colour • More retouching in image 2. • The wind (fake or real) is causing movement of hair on Technical Similarities Technical Differences • Models are in focus • Image 1 is an upper body, image 2 is a head shot. the model in image 5.
• Backgrounds are unclear / out of focus • Image 1 contains shadows Composition, framing, lines, focus, spaces, lighting, camera setting assumptions. • Head shots • Very few clear technical differences between these • Both include repetition of shapes. The net in image 1 fill • Image 2 brighter lighting Technical Similarities Technical Differences • Shadows appearing on the face of both models. photos. the majority of the frame. Image 2 the model is wearing • Natural vs studio light • Similar amount of negative space around the model’s what looks like a medical dressing and this creates the • Model in image 2 takes up a bigger portion of the frame. • Both shot in colour • Image 5 perhaps used a higher aperture as the repletion of lines framing the models face. Does this mean the photographer wants us to feel • Both on location background is clearer compared to image 6 which has a heads. physically close and thus gain a deeper connection with • Both used natural, sunlight blurred background. • The top of both models’ heads have been cropped out of the subject? • There is a straight line in the background of image 5. the frame, whether or not this was done in post- • All elements of the subjects face in image 2 are clear and This goes across the centre of the frame. There are no production of the photographers decided to frame the consistent lines in image 6. in focus. shot like this whilst shooting is unknown. • I prefer the composition of image 5 as the model is standing directly in the middle of the frame. Feelings, emotions, figurative. Feelings, emotions, figurative.
Symbolic Similarities Symbolic Differences Feelings, emotions, figurative. Symbolic Similarities Symbolic Differences Symbolic Similarities Symbolic Differences • Both use the concept of restrictions. The women are held • Model in image 1 looks almost straight down the camera • The photographer is trying to make the viewer focus on • If I could touch the surface of the photographs, image 9 back both by netting. lens. Model in image 2 looks away from camera. Does the • Both young women placed in what look like quite • The model in image 6 is really cold. Her eyelashes are the models face. would feel smooth due to the piece of ribbon, image 10 • Both models neither look happy or sad. Their facial photographer want the viewer to concentrate less on the deserted locations. Is the photographer trying to show frozen I assume created with the use of makeup). Does • Due to the netting mesh material and ribbon in image 9 would be sharper due to the metal head piece. freedom? this represent the model being cold as a person, or does expressions are quite neutral and emotional do not model as a person but on what the model is doing? and the jewellery in image 9, I am drawn to thinking • The colour white represents purity or innocence. the photographer want to simply show that the emphasise a certain feeling. • I find image 2 more intriguing, perhaps as without any about dance. context behind the image, I am less clear as to what is • environment is cold? • Image 5 focuses more on the outfit as a whole. going on in the image compared to image 1 and so am • If I could touch both images image 5 would feel soft interested in finding out more. whilst image 6 would feel prickly. • Feel more connected with image 2, as face is closer to • There is more textures in image 6 due to the knitwear
camera and the hat. Guess: Image 9 = male , Image 10 = female
Guess: Image 1 = male, Image 2 = female Answer: Image 9 = female , Image 10 = male Guess: Image 5 = Female, Image 6 = Male Answer Image 1 = male , Image 2 = female Answer: Image 5 = male, Image 6 = female
Image 3 and 4 Image 7 and 8
objects, environments, styling, interactions, colour, texture. objects, environments, styling, interactions, colour, texture.
Literal Similarities Literal Differences Literal Similarities Literal Differences
• • • Both women • Different ages Women, Similar in age Natural vs emphasised makeup • Both models’ eyes look away from the camera. • Colour • Similar styling options, both models styled in what looks • Indoors vs outdoors • Both models wear a fashion items that sparkle. • Different skin colour like soft, felt like material? • Model in image 7 hold her arm above her head compared • • Both shot in what look like indoor locations (although this • Model in image 4 wears a head piece Both of the image’s backgrounds have been considered in to model in image 8 who has both arms by her side. line with the fashion styling choice as the foreground • It looks like the pose held by the model in image 7 is cannot be known for sure). • Much more skin is on show on the model in image 3. (both being the women) match in regard to colour. staged, whilst more movement such as the model’s hair • There is only one model in both image. • A low cut mini dress compared to a high neck frilly style. • Both models look down the camera. can be seen in image 8, indicating the model was moving
• as the shot was taken.
Composition, framing, lines, focus, spaces, lighting, camera setting assumptions. Composition, framing, lines, focus, spaces, lighting, camera setting assumptions. Technical Similarities Technical Differences Technical Similarities Technical Differences
• When applying the rule of thirds both models are • Image 3 is a half body, image 4 is a head shot. • There is a shadow on the side of the models face in image • Image 8 in terms of framing could be more appealing by appealing composition wise and the key points of an • Image 4 has softer lighting, more natural. 7. ensuring that the top of the head is not cut off. image that has scientifically been proven that we look at • Image 3 is unnatural, looks like gels have been used • A narrow depth of field suggests a wide aperture has • Close up vs half body has been filled with the key content of the image. creating a more artificial outcome. been used. • There is more space around the model in image 8. • • Image 4 has used a wide aperture due to the background being blurred and out of focus
• Feelings, emotions, figurative. Symbolic Similarities Symbolic Differences
Feelings, emotions, figurative. • Both models’ chests are somewhat exposed, showing the • When applying the rule of thirds and considering where Symbolic Similarities Symbolic Differences female body. our eyes are naturally drawn in images, the models breasts in image 8 have been framed to be in the centre • Both models have serious expressions. • The model in image 3 looks trapped, whilst the model in of the image. • The glittery textures appearing in both images indicates image 4 looks more relaxed. • Model in image 7 seems more relaxed and connected with fun and gives me the feeling that the photographer • Image 3 emphasises on the colour green which has the camera. The face of the model in image 8 seem just aimed for the viewer to think that the time of day is the connotations to good luck, health, and jealousy. slightly tense (this could be due to the scene and the evening within the narrative. • Due to the design of the dress in image model needing to look lost and out of place with the location). • I feel more relaxed when looking at image 4.
• The texture I think of when looking at image 3 is what
plastic feels like due to myself thinking of gels. • Guess: Image 7 = female, Image 8 = male
Guess: Image 7 = Male, Image 8 = female
Guess: Image 3 = Male, Image 4 = female
Answer: Image 3 = Male, Image 4 = female
33
APPENDICES
Appendix E: Authors Own, Cultural Continuum, adapted from (Thind, 2018, p125).
Control Nurturing Collaborative
consistency individual expression teamwork productivity reward for excellence consensus financial results creative freedom collective decision-making
34 APPENDICES Appendix F: (Mitchell, 2021).
35 REFERENCE LIST
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