Ordinary and Extraordinary Images: Making Visible the Operations of Stock Photography in Posters Against the Repeal of the 8th Amendment

The operations of stock photographs, as utilised by the Irish anti-abortion lobby, have not been examined before. Many ‘Vote No’ posters in 2018 referendum campaign on 8th amendment maintained a visual and textual focus foetal personhood: asking electorate to ‘love both,’ while deploying range photographs. In this article, I trace specific images used against Repeal back their online image bank sources. make visible role generic or stereotypical photographs messaging, knowledge that often function best when masking ideologies ‘natural’ systems belief. As global campaigns increasingly co-opt arguments look ‘progressive’ campaigns, using ordinary rather than extraordinary banks seek new markets producing feminist gender rights-oriented Meanwhile, versions ‘classical’ repertoire long-favoured continue be remediated. Image also de facto archives editorial both pro-choice pro-life activism - yet another facet photography economy abortion.