I don't know how much the sort of pictures they're collecting in this project will help us.
Some of them are clearly inappropriate (more appropriate for art exhibitions and would be baffling out of context) - and if people are sending in photos of themselves, a lot aren't going to be photographed suitably for media use (bad lighting, poor composition, unattractive clutter in the background, etc.) - no criticism of the PWME doing them but if we're going to have photos of PWME (or models representing them) I think this is a job for a professional. If it's not professional-level photography in the normal style of stock photography, it's not going to be used.
I'm sorry if I'm sounding critical but we're trying to solve a problem and it's important that we get appropriate images.
eafw said:
Can we not be represented the way other serious chronic diseases are - eg MS/HIV have images of brain scans, virus particles, laboratory equipment ?
Actually, that's a great idea - but, having just looked at a few articles on MS, it seems to be only the science-focused articles that must be getting those sorts of images. The patient-centred ones get photos of the particular patients being looked at. It would be interesting to do a proper comparative survey (there's a nice little research paper for someone that could get into the media!).
Globally changing "yawning executive" to someone flopping about looking dramatic is just replacing one stereotype with another, I don't know that it will really further our cause for the bio-med basis and the need for more research and better treatment to be taken seriously.
I think it would help change the narrative from 'trivial fatigue and sleepiness like we all feel at work' to 'serious disease'.