Your Guide to Authentic and Inclusive Photography: Tips and Resources

While there is increased pressure on DEI initiatives at many organizations, focusing on inclusive photography in your employee communications is one way to support a central tenet of DEI—inclusion! 

Many of our clients have photo libraries featuring their employees and office spaces. Yet, there are occasions when costs prohibit a custom photoshoot, or there are concerns about the longevity of photos showing current employees. Therefore stock photography plays a key role in employer branding and employee communications, making it important to use inclusive images that reflect your workforce and future talent.

Ingenuity’s Guide to Inclusive Stock Photography

Why Inclusive Stock Photography Matters

Inclusive stock photography isn’t about aesthetics but about creating connections and fostering a sense of belonging. When employees see a true reflection of themselves in your communications, it sends a powerful message: you belong here. Inclusive imagery helps bridge gaps, reduce bias, and encourage empathy, laying the foundation for a more inclusive workplace culture.

How We Approach Inclusive Photography

When we tell stories through photography, we start with intention. We use thoughtful prompts in our stock photo search to include a wide range of diversity. By using inclusive language, we ensure the photography we use reflects all people authentically.

This means thinking beyond the obvious. Diversity in our photos isn’t limited to ethnicity; it extends to body types, age ranges, abilities, gender identities, and more. We focus on details like clothing, accessories, and settings, to ensure that what’s represented feels natural and inclusive, not staged.

Partnering with Clients to Prioritize Inclusivity

Helping our clients understand the value of inclusive photography is a critical part of what we do. We guide them through its benefits—inclusive photography reflects their values and is a tool to connect with employees on a deeper level.

We use examples of inclusive imagery in action to show its impact—building trust, strengthening community, and making everyone feel valued. Representing everyone fairly isn’t just the right thing to do—it helps reduce bias and makes everyone feel important.

Checklist for Inclusive Stock Photography

Here’s our simple guide to ensure your imagery authentically reflects the diversity of your workforce and community:

• Body Inclusivity: Represent different body shapes, sizes, and proportions
• Age Range: Feature a wide age range, from early career professionals to experienced leaders. Emphasize intergenerational collaboration 
• Abilities: Include those with visible and invisible disabilities. This includes those using assistive devices or accommodations in work, social, and remote settings 
• Ethnic and Cultural Diversity: Show a wide range of cultural backgrounds and ethnic identities that reflect the diversity of your organization
• Gender Identity and Expression: Represent people of all genders, celebrating individuality and avoiding stereotypes
• Details Matter: Don’t overlook the small elements—clothing, hairstyles, accessories, and settings should reflect a range of different backgrounds, styles, and lived experiences in a real and relatable way

Our Go-To Sources For Inclusive Photography

Many stock photography sources are available, not to mention AI photography creation. In addition to the major stock photo sources, we also like the following (mostly) free sources for useful inclusive images: 

• https://unsplash.com/@canweallgo
• https://affecttheverb.com/collection/3/
• https://nappy.co/
• https://genderspectrum.vice.com/
• https://tonl.co/

Doing Your Part

Using diverse, inclusive photography in employee communications isn’t just about checking boxes—it’s about building trust, fostering connection, and showing your employees that they matter. When done thoughtfully, it helps create a workplace where everyone feels seen, valued, and respected.