Change and influence of contemporary ideals of beauty and self-image through advertising photography.
Advertising photographs or advertising, in general, do not solely bear the responsibility for creating beauty ideals. Instead, society and advertising interact in a self-reinforcing cycle. The aim of this study is to answer, through a qualitative empirical investigation and the associated creation of the photo series ‘un/polished’, to what extent the beauty ideals conveyed in beauty advertising photographs influence the ideals and self-image of young people. Another aspect of this work is to examine the role that advertising photography in the beauty industry plays in the shaping of societal beauty ideals. This includes not only considering the conscious design elements but also the subtle messages and implicit norms embedded in the visual representations. By critically engaging with these factors based on the photo series ‘un/polished’, the work strives to develop a more comprehensive understanding of how beauty ideals are shaped and sustained.
