Everybody knows that every magazine cover photo is retouched - right? It's a never-ending quest to make the model perfectly pleasing to the eye - at least according to the editor or art director. "Photo manipulation" is the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion or deception (in contrast to mere enhancement or correction), through analog or digital means. Photo manipulation is as old as photography itself; contrary to the idea of a photo having inherent verisimilitude ( which is likeness or resemblance of the truth, reality or a fact's probability, gotta throw in some SAT words once in a while).
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| Photoshop circa 1940 |
Photo manipulation has been regularly used to deceive or persuade viewers, or for improved story-telling and self-expression. Oftenly even subtle and discrete changes can have profound impacts on how we interpret or judge a photograph which is why learning when manipulation has occurred is important. As early as the American Civil War, photographs were published as engravings based on more than one negative.
We may be aware of retouching, but that doesn't mean we are immune to the subtle feeling of self-loathing that may result from seeing these images every day of our lives. It's time to stop thinking "I wish I looked like that". It's time to start saying "Gee that retouch job is a bit overdone" - and then getting on with a life that runs deeper than a piece of celebrity skin. Here is an eclectic and bemusing collection of images that demonstrate the phony art of retouch. You'll see stomachs flattened, skin blemishes removed, breasts made fuller, navels made 'perfect', limbs made skinny, and waistlines lose inches. Even a 12 year old boy can download a copy of Photoshop, grab a retouching tutorial, and create whatever they want.
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| 12yr olds tend to be more creative |
This has strong affects on Body Image, which can be described as how individuals see themselves when looking in a mirror, or when picturing themselves in their mind, and their ideas about their body, such as height, shape, weight and age. Essentially, body image describes how one perceives one's appearance to be in relation to others, which in many cases may be dramatically different from one's objective physical condition or how one is actually perceived by others.
A 2007 report by the American Psychological Association found that a culture-wide sexualization of girls (and women) was contributing to increased female anxiety associated with body image. Similar findings associated with body image were found by an Australian government Senate Standing Committee report on the sexualization of children in the media.
These examples are not extreme, practically every magazine on display on News stands and Shops features retouching that is not only disproportionate, but is expected and considered the norm (unfortunately, I could not find all the information on the retouched images):
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| Repositioned her head, eyes, and hair strands, Thinned waist, thighs and knees, Raised and enhanced chest/cleavage. |
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| Removed bags from under eyes, Removed wrinkles, Brightened eyes, hair, and skin tone. |
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| Thinned stomach, hips, and calf muscle, Removed bags from under eyes, repositioned eye lids, Defrizzed and repositioned hair strands. |
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| Enlarged chest, Added volume to hair, Softened eyes and eye brows. |
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| (on set for photo shoot, and final published photo) Smoothed and thinned stomach, shrunk belly button, Raised chest, altered swimsuit top, Evened skin tone, removed tan lines. |
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