If Everything Can Be Faked, What’s Left to Trust?
Why Corporate Photography Needs a Gut Check
Last time, I talked about the value of real photographs in an AI-heavy world. Bottom line? Real still matters. Not because it’s a throwback, but because it hits differently. It’s human. Since then, I’ve been digging deeper. I’ve been looking at how companies, especially here in Calgary and Alberta, are telling their ESG / Sustainability stories through photography in corporate and sustainability reports.
Here’s the honest take: most of them look great on the surface. But some fall short when it comes to connection.
Style Is Winning. Substance? Not So Much.
There’s no shortage of polish:
Clean layouts
High-res imagery
On-brand colours
But also:
Stock photos with zero connection to the business
Generic filler images
Visuals that feel more like decoration than storytelling
If your report says you care about people, but the only photo is a handshake in a boardroom or a skyline with no humans in sight, the message gets lost. That disconnect hurts trust.
The Emotional Flatline
Photography in these reports shouldn’t just be about filling space. It should show truth.
That means:
Real employees doing real work
The actual communities your work impacts
Processes and change, not just posed smiles
But what I’m seeing too often is this:
“We believe in X” — followed by a third-party stock image that any company could buy, and sadly, many have.
It’s not storytelling — it’s wallpaper pretending to be. And, more importantly, it’s a missed opportunity to tell your story which is s gentle nudge to the CSOs, Sustainability and ESG leads in the network.
The Trite Photograph
You’ve seen them. You might’ve even used one. The trite photograph is the image equivalent of corporate jargon , technically correct, emotionally empty, and wildly overused.
We’re talking about:
The handshake
The staged boardroom
The hardhat + clipboard combo
The smiling executive looking out a window
The close-up of two hands planting a sapling (that is my favourite for sure. )
The polished-but-generic aerial shot of “a community”
Oh How We Laughed.
Just for a laugh… here’s an AI-generated image based on that prompt from above. It’s a classic. Made me laugh. Apparently, I should get out more.
One executive has clearly clocked that the worker in the hard hat has been sliced clean in half by the table. The worker’s noticed too, but he’s doing his best to hide it. No one wants to deal with the HSE paperwork today.
These aren’t bad photos because they’re poorly shot; they’re bad because they don’t say anything new. Honestly, I’m jealous of the photographer who licensed it to stock and is earning a crust off it. Fair play. But in a report? It’s a placeholder, it’s just a filler to break up text, harmless but yet damaging at the same time. Clean visuals that tell us nothing about your people, your work, or your impact.
Worse, they show up across multiple reports from completely unrelated organisations. Same photo. Different logo in the corner.
That’s not storytelling. That’s camouflage. We can do better — and the audience deserves it.
Enter Project Authenticity
That’s exactly why I started Project Authenticity.
It’s a structured review of how companies are using photography in their ESG and sustainability reports, where it works, where it falls flat, and where there’s real room to improve. I am using my consulting skills to good effect here
I’m here to help tell the story of sustainability. To show that progress is happening. To move past generic filler and focus on real stories, real people, real impact.
CSOs and Sustainability leads — you’ve done the hard work. Now let’s get the visuals right and build the momentum. Work with your communications leaders to tell your story.
We look at five key areas:
Authenticity – Are the people and places real, or just actors and templates?
Narrative Coherence – Do the images support the story being told?
Emotional Connection – Do they make you feel something?
Diversity Representation – Does the photo actually show inclusion?
Action Documentation – Can we see the work in motion, not just the outcome?
It’s more than a rating, quadrant placing system (think Gartner style). It helps tell a deeper story — not just how a company wants to be seen, but whether it’s ready to show who it really is. May be there is a disconnect that needs highlighting and correcting.
So What’s Missing? Easy. Photo Essays.
One of the most underused tools in corporate comms right now is the photo essay.
Instead of just dropping in one static hero shot, what if you:
Told the story of a project rollout in three visual stages
Walked us through a day on site, not just the finished result
Showed the real people behind the operation
Had continuity in the images.
That’s not just marketing. That’s evidence. And it’s powerful.
You Can’t Fake the Gut Check
AI isn’t slowing down. Design tools are only getting slicker. But none of that can fake what people actually connect with. When you see a photo that feels lived in — an expression that isn’t posed, light that falls naturally, a setting that tells a story; you know it. That’s the gut check.
That’s what builds trust. Not perfection, but presence.
So, What’s the Move?
If you’re in charge of comms, branding, ESG, or reporting, do this:
Pull up your last annual or impact report.
Now ask yourself:
How many images show your people and your work?
How many could be swapped into someone else’s report and still make sense?
If that gives you pause — good. That’s where meaningful change starts. You don’t need more polish. You need more presence. I am hear to help.
This post kicked off the why of my Project Authenticity, the need for more honest, human storytelling in ESG and sustainability (an annual) reports. But that’s just the start. In the next few posts, I’ll break down the five dimensions of Project Authenticity in detail, with real examples from Calgary-based companies. You’ll see what good looks like, where things go sideways, and how to build visual narratives that actually back up your impact claims.
If you’re already pushing for stronger visuals but need a way to show what “good” looks like — use this post. Share it with your team, your agency, your leadership. It’s designed to start the right conversation. If you’re curious how your last report might score in Project Authenticity, drop me a note. I’m happy to do a quick informal review or show you the framework — no pitch, just perspective. Let’s raise the bar together.
You know it makes sense.
