I’m pretty much apathetic in the face of Photoshop. It’s an annoying (and undeniably rampant) practice for sure, but at this point I’m just like, “duh, nobody looks like that.” It’s ridiculous! But if there’s one variety of photo-altering that really, truly baffles me, it’s in the case of beauty advertisements. Are we seriously supposed to look at an ad and say, “Wow, that foundation looks great, I want to try it,” when the model has not only been subjected to hours of professional hair and makeup but has also been Photoshopped to the point of no recognizable human features? Keep reading »
Tag Archives: photoshopping
Ann Taylor Caught Photoshopping Skinny Model Even Skinnier
Ann Taylor knows what sells clothes: thin. Yesterday afternoon, Jezebel noticed that an item on AnnTaylor.com was originally depicted by a skinny model in a tank top, but three seconds later, the page re-boots and the skinny model has magically dropped 20 lbs. around her midsection. Some might say the image was airbrushed beyond looking like a proportional human being. But what a bunch of whiners! Seriously, how could that fat cow sell a Chiffon Trim Tank looking that huge? Next you’re going to tell me something crazy like we should have models who are actually the size of the average American woman. [Jezebel.com and AnnTaylor.com] Keep reading »
Does Photoshop Retouching Really Deserve Its Bad Image?
Retouching is getting a very bad name in the media these days, and photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino is fighting back against a possible law in France that would require any Photoshop image to clearly mention its changes via a warning label. While instances of bad airbrushing and tampering have become extremely apparent as of late, he’s out to show that not all alterations are bad. In fact, he wants to prove that they’re more commonplace than anyone realizes. This weekend, he published a photo of a woman Photoshopped in Libération’s Next magazine, but instead of giving her skinnier hips, he enhanced her curves (reminiscent of Beth Dittos’ Love cover). Keep reading »
Is Photoshopping OK When It Makes Someone’s Body Bigger?
I think we all agree that magazines have gone a little overboard with Photoshopping photos in a quest for perfection on their beautiful, glossy pages. It can be detrimental to women’s attitudes about our own bodies when we see models with pencil-like legs and whittled-down waists. But what about when photo retouching makes women larger than they are in real life? Is that also bad for us “real” women? Keep reading »
Australian Teen Magazine Goes Retouch-Free For An Issue
On the heels of French Elle‘s no-makeup or retouching issue, Australian teen magazine Dolly is highlighting more natural photographs, as well. Most of the June “airbrush-free” issue’s photographs are un-retouched and labeled a “Retouch Free Zone” stamp.
We’re all for more reality in magazines, especially those geared toward girls. When I was devouring teen and women’s magazines at a younger age, I had no idea that retouching existed, and I thought I was the only person in the world who had visible pores on my face. While it’s great that this issue is happening (and will likely be repeated due to the response its getting, according to Dolly editor-in-chief Gemma Crisp), there might be some unfortunate effects. Keep reading »
