Fatherhood has changed, and so have the stock photos

A father leans in, watching his daughter as she paints his nails. He’s sporting a feather boa, she’s wearing a tiara. Another man smiles as he listens to his kid sitting on the kitchen counter next to a rolling pin, measuring cups, and a laptop. She’s stirring ingredients as he steadies the bowl

These are the scenes depicted in two of Getty Images’ most-downloaded photos of fathers from 2016 and 2017, respectively. The tender moments are a world away from a popular shot from a decade ago: a father roughhousing with his son, diving for the ol’ pigskin in the yard.

The shift is an important one. Stock photos represent the broadest brush strokes of how we see ourselves. They’re the images used in commercials, on billboards, on websites, on social media, even in textbooks. As dads, statistically, become more involved in child-rearing and home care, Getty, a leader in the stock photo world, is striving to show that. Read more...