Award-winning photojournalist and documentary filmmaker David Binder teamed up with former model Niki Antil of Bedford, MA to produce Disability Inclusive Stock Images for PhotoAbility.net. Together they produced an epic photoshoot highlighting the strength, beauty, and determination of a woman with a disability who has lived through a life altering injury.
Niki was a former model who just started her career when an injury from a car accident caused her to become paralyzed. She has since graduated from the Art Institute of Atlanta and is now a graphic designer.
The images will be added exclusively to the PhotoAbility.net library. The aim of the Niche Stock image gallery, which only features people with disabilities, is to create lifestyle, leisure, travel, sport and creative images that focus on a non-medically oriented view of their day to day lives.
It took over a year to make this shoot happen due to scheduling. The timing couldn’t have been better, however as David became available shortly after Niki applied for a photo shoot via the PhotoAbility Model entry page. The match was meant to be and produced a gallery of stunning and artful images that everyone is very proud of being a part of creating.
Niki wrote on her photoshoot entry bio:
“Before my injury happened, I was just starting out as a model in the Boston area. It had always been a dream of mine growing up. Becoming part of this project would allow me to continue the pursuit of that dream. I am a lover of music, movies, animals, and staying healthy!”
The PhotoAbility gallery only features models with actual disabilities. In doing so, it is creating a commercial opportunity for people who may not have had the opportunity to model professionally before. PhotoAbility is encouraging photographers, advertiser and business to take a more inclusive view of the models they choose and widen their perspective on the types of activities people with a disability undertake. Both the models and photographers share in the proceeds of the sale of the images and also have the opportunity to donate some or the entire commission to support organizations of their choice.
By creating and investing in a commercial library system, PhotoAbility has made it simple for media buyers, editorial staff or advertising agencies to find disability inclusive imagery. They can easily review images, make selections, create lightboxes, download comping images, purchase and download online. Buyers have the opportunity to request quotes on the purchase of multiple images to form a theme. PhotoAbility will also undertake photoshoots to fulfill specific client needs or help source suitable models via the Model Casting Page.
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PhotoAbility was established in March 2012 by Deborah Davis, of Fort Lauderdale, FL (a wheelchair user from C-6-7 Spinal Cord injury at 18) and Bill Forrester of Melbourne, Australia. The goal of the library is to provide high quality, unique, non-medically oriented imagery of persons with disabilities for the purchase by the advertising, marketing and media sectors. The Commercial Stock Image Library specializes in positive and “Inclusive” images of people with a disability in leisure, lifestyle and travel settings.
It is the aim of our image gallery, to increase awareness of the value in maintaining and making structural and attitudinal changes, and to encourage the participation of those with differing abilities around the world.
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