Simona Supekar's 'Stock Photo' Examines Racism in Stock Imagery
Simona Supekar's first book, 'Stock Photo' (2026), part of Bloomsbury's Object Lessons series, investigates how stock photography perpetuates racial hierarchies. Supekar, a professor of English at Pasadena City College and former stock image keyworder, argues that these images shape societal expectations and influence AI-generated representations. She cites examples like over-representation of light-skinned Indians on Getty Images and disturbing results for 'Black businessman' searches. The book blends research with personal history, including her own appearance in a Yahoo homepage stock photo. Supekar draws on Lisa Nakamura's concept of 'cybertypes' and questions her role in creating stereotypes. The book concludes with a portrait of a Palestinian child, prompting reflection on future visual legacies.
Key facts
- Simona Supekar's first book 'Stock Photo' published in 2026 by Bloomsbury Academic.
- Part of Bloomsbury's Object Lessons series.
- Supekar is a professor of English at Pasadena City College.
- She previously worked keywording stock images in the 2000s.
- The book examines how stock photography perpetuates racial stereotypes.
- Cites Lisa Nakamura's theory of 'cybertypes'.
- Notes that searches for 'maternity' and 'Indian' yield mostly AI-generated results.
- A search for 'Black businessman' once showed a man with cocaine.
- Supekar appears in a Yahoo homepage stock photo captioned 'New Hotspots for Highly Educated Twenty-Somethings'.
- The book closes with a stock portrait of a Palestinian child.
Entities
Artists
- Simona Supekar
- Lisa Nakamura
Institutions
- Bloomsbury Academic
- Pasadena City College
- Getty Images
- Yahoo
- Unsplash
- Hyperallergic
Locations
- Pasadena
- United States