new photos on the front page of Mothering.com are awful! where's the old Mothering?

[indigosky]

[Moderator: I'm not sure where this kind of "feedback" post belongs, so feel free to move this.]

I haven't been at MDC in a few weeks, but I just went to the homepage and the new photos are awful! The first four show only white people/bodies. Overly tweezed eyebrows, pearl earrings, photoshopped light blue eyes -- where are the "real," imperfect but beautiful photos that used to make this site different than mainstream white bread representations of families? Please bring back the old style that had heart and soul!

[Cynthia Mosher]

I think you'll see some different photos up every few days. Sometimes it is a challenge to find a suitable photo for the topic and we have restrictions on the use of some of the photos we have available. 

I'll forward your comments on to our web editor. Thanks for the input. :)

[indigosky]

The ones I see there today do look a little better overall, but it still looks to me like there's been a fundamental shift. The photos all look like stock images rather than "real people." I'm guessing there's been some behind-the-scenes change -- maybe the previous images were also stock images, but from a different company, different photographer, different person selecting them... the "feel" is extremely different!

[Viola]

I assume they are stock images.  At one point members could contribute photos.  I know they used some of mine.

[Cynthia Mosher]

We use mostly stock photos but place some community submitted photos from time to time. But for the most part I'd say 80-90% of our web photos have always been from stock photos. Photos submitted with articles that were published in the magazine are only for use in relation to the specific article.  

[Cynthia Mosher]

Originally Posted by Viola 

I assume they are stock images.  At one point members could contribute photos.  I know they used some of mine.

You can still contribute photos too! Just send them to me [e-mail] :)

[indigosky]

Originally Posted by Cynthia Mosher 

You can still contribute photos too! Just send them to me [e-mail]

It would be cool if you or a Mothering editor could put out calls for photos from time to time. Maybe in specific forums where they're most likely to find what you're looking for? We all have adorable photos of our diverse kids and families, freckles, skinned knees, and all, and I bet many people would be proud to have their photos on the Mothering homepage.

But more specific calls for photos might be useful, as in "We need photos of babies / kids doing schoolwork / moms nursing toddlers / multiracial families / kids in nature in the fall / etc." Otherwise it's hard to know what would be useful.

[Cynthia Mosher]

I'll pass your suggestion on to our web editor. :)