How do you feel about Photoshopping/Retouching?

[aziajs]

I have touched on retouching in a few of my posts but I really want to address it to get an idea of how people feel. So what do you think of the retouching that you see in ads, photos in magazines, posters, cd covers, etc.

Here is a good example of what I mean. Wait for it to load and click the red button to see the before pic OR click "what is real and what is not" to go step by step and see what has been retouched.

 

[GODDESS]

hey,

Great site btw~!!! It's amazing what "retouching" can do! It can make you look like a completely different person!

I personally feel that retouching is okie to a certain extent. Like for graduation photos, some photographers offer acne removal for an extra cost. In that sense i think that retouching is okie, because you don't want to look back at your self with acne all over your face!!

Yet, to change and "erase" things on your face or body is not ok, because that is not really "you". If you slimming your waist line, or making your breasts bigger, or taking away your natural facial lines, then that is changing who you really are.

Yet, obviously the media goes for perfection, and anything less is labeled "ugly" or "fat". Yet, we as consumers also want perfection. We expect our movie actors and tv actors to be "perfect", so they in turn strive to be what we think they should be. It's a cycle!

Like most things, moderation is key!

 

[Raerae]

I like it because I dont want celebs and stuff to look like normal people. Same side though it can really make you go crazy chasing these ideals.

 

[Jaim]

GODDESS took the words right out of my mouth!

 

[aziajs]

Hmmmm...interesting, interesting points.

 

[mzcelaneous]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GODDESS hey, Great site btw~!!! It's amazing what "retouching" can do! It can make you look like a completely different person! I personally feel that retouching is okie to a certain extent. Like for graduation photos, some photographers offer acne removal for an extra cost. In that sense i think that retouching is okie, because you don't want to look back at your self with acne all over your face!! Yet, to change and "erase" things on your face or body is not ok, because that is not really "you". If you slimming your waist line, or making your breasts bigger, or taking away your natural facial lines, then that is changing who you really are. Yet, obviously the media goes for perfection, and anything less is labeled "ugly" or "fat". Yet, we as consumers also want perfection. We expect our movie actors and tv actors to be "perfect", so they in turn strive to be what we think they should be. It's a cycle! Like most things, moderation is key!

So, so, so, SO

Photoshopped photos shouldn't purposely decieve the viewer either. If you're trying to portray the reality of a certain person, scene, product, etc it shouldn't be 'shopped IMO. Like with food ads, there's always a note: "Photo enlarged to show detail" or something along those lines. I've seen some photos that were taken at a portrait studio that claimed "No photoshop involved, we just have great technique, cameras, and lighting!". Uh..hello. I've seen the girls who had their portraits done IRL and their skin isn't that flawless, their hair isn't that put together, their teeth aren't that white. In their photos, they looked way too perfect to be "unshopped".

 

[-x-buttercup-x-]

I'm not really bothered by it, I mean, we know most things in magazine etc are photoshopped, so it's not like we're being decieved. Plus it's always interesting seeing the befores!!

I found a couple of sites a while back, I go on them sometimes when I need a pick me up
http://www.tomlangford.net/page120.html
http://www.sizecreative.com/?gclid=C...FTtWMAodyQb94A
http://www.wendytowle.com/detected.php?page=&pass=
http://homepage.mac.com/gapodaca/digital/digital.html
http://glennferon.com/portfolio1/index.html

 

[Willa]

I feel that its ok to enhance the beauty of things, persons, but when a girl is already beautiful, why would we want to see her without imperfections?

Im active on internet since 1996, Ive met many people in ''gt's'', some of them we totaly different from their pictures! Im thinking about this girl, she used to show pictures of her, portraits, all photoshopped. When we met her in group, we barely recognized her because of the huge difference (skin whiter, hair messier, acne, fatter [sorry] etc...)

I feel the same about people who dont show their whole body on their pics, like they were hidding something...
If I like the way you write, you speak, why would I judge you in person?!

 

[Shimmer]

I don't care about photoshopping usually as long at it's honest (as in yep, I shopped out my pimples and under eye bags or i whitened my teeth because they looked kind of dingy...) but I've seen the pics and had people say "OH it wasn't shopped at alllll"....that's when I get all bleh at it.