The Invisible Bias in Your Photos: What ‘The Alchemy of Us’ Reveals About Technology and Representation

Why Your Family Album Might Not Tell the Whole Truth

Have you ever wondered why old family photos sometimes fail to capture the true skin tones of your loved ones? Ainissa Ramirez’s The Alchemy of Us reveals a sobering truth: for much of the 20th century, photographic film was calibrated to best capture white skin, leaving people of color literally in the shadows. This wasn’t an accident—it was the result of industry standards like the 'Shirley card,' a reference photo of a white woman used to set color balance for film. The result? Millions of people were rendered invisible in the collective memory, their features lost or distorted in the chemistry of the medium.

This hidden bias had far-reaching consequences. School photos, family albums, advertisements, and even news coverage reinforced a narrow vision of who mattered. Ramirez’s book details how this technical flaw became a social one, shaping perceptions and reinforcing exclusion. But the story is also one of resistance. Activists, artists, and communities fought back, using photography as a weapon for justice. They created positive portraits, documented injustice, and demanded better materials from manufacturers.

Ramirez’s storytelling is a reminder that technology is not neutral. Every choice in design, every standard set, carries values—sometimes conscious, sometimes not. The fight for visibility in photography mirrors larger struggles for recognition and justice in society. As Ramirez argues, the inventions we make shape not only what we see, but what we remember and who we value.

Today, advances in digital imaging have made it easier to capture true diversity, but the lessons of the past remain urgent. Who is being seen, and who is still left out? Ramirez’s book is a call to action for engineers, designers, and everyday users to demand technology that includes everyone. It’s a reminder that every photo is a choice—and that we all have a role in shaping the visual record of our time.

Sources: Forbes, Kirkus Reviews, Undark