Comments on: Photo Retouching: the Delicate Balance

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By: Toronto Wedding Photographer

Toronto Wedding Photographer — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:44:04 +0000

Although I switched to wedding photography 2 years ago,I still do some retouching work,once in a while for a few well known fashion photographers.
To tell you the truth, I wish I’ve seen this blog before… this isn’t the best change I’ve seen. I had to do some amazing manipulations to get those celebrities look good
Here’s a link to something similar to what I had to do a few times
Although not to this extent,but still

http://view.break.com/291573

Dmitri

By: Natural Soap

Natural Soap — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:05:49 +0000

Yes, it is unfortunate that the entire body seems to be an airbrush of the original. We are almost to the point of just having virtual models. Why start with anybody in particular if what you want to end up with is a plascticized creation.

By: khali

khali — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:09:55 +0000

they did alot of retouching.. thats so sad.. she was pretty more then after retouch.
http://www.a2a.cc

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:32:04 +0000

Personally I don’t see a problem with it. It’s how people make a living. I love retouching in Photoshop- it’s amazing what can be done. Sorry- but people buy fashion photography and magazines because of the the fantasy- if they want reality they can wlak outside their door. I was a women’s studies, magazine journalism and photo ilustration major in undergrad. Believe me– I’ve weighed the options.

By: gershon

gershon — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 15:12:26 +0000

Airbrushing did not start a decade ago. Our Philadelphia advertising agency was using it routinely 40 years ago, as were most agencies and magazines. Playboy was airbrushing its centerfolds from the first issue with Marilyn Monroe on.

By: Notes on Design » Blog Archive » A “Frankenstein” Tool for Photo Retouchers

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 17:56:52 +0000

[...] Speaking, as I was last week, of photo retouching, BBC news has just reported on a new tool that takes image doctoring much further than a little dodge and burn. Developed by James Hays and Alexei Efros from Carnegie Mellon University, this new algorithm replaces unwanted bits of photos with preferable scenery cherry-picked from other images. [...]

By: Retouching at its worst (and best) « Design . Illustration . Photography

Retouching at its worst (and best) « Design . Illustration . Photography — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 00:10:49 +0000

[...] Take a look at Nomi Altabef’s blog on designsessions. She analyzes the techniques of an unknown photo retoucher who used Photoshop to transform an image of Faith Hill for a Redbook magazine cover. Amazing! What is it about some retouchers and photographers that make them feel like they need to remake their models into something other than what they are? Why can’t they just remove the dust spots and blemishes and leave the model’s likeness intact? Hear what some magazine editors have to say about it on this Today show segment. [...]

By: Nomi Altabef

Nomi Altabef — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:16:40 +0000

Rachel, thanks for posting these examples. The Time cover with O.J. Simpson is incredible. It really illustrates how our prejudice towards something visually “dark” as adding a sense of menace and intrigue plays into racial prejudice and stereoptyping.

You could probably dramatize and add menace to anything by making it darker and more shadowed– an entry or hallway could be made to look ominous, or a landscape more threatening– not necessarily a person. People tend to attribute threatening qualities to something that is mysterious or partly hidden by shadow. The OJ photo really illustrates how our prejudice towards something visually “dark” as adding a sense of menace and intrigue plays into racial prejudice and stereoptyping.

TIME probably would (and did?) argue that they would have darkened a mugshot of any suspected murderer for dramatic effect, regardless of race. But the fact is, race is an explosive subject, and mixing it with the controversial issue of photo doctoring was bound to provoke outrage.

And as for the tennis beefcake on the cover of Men’s Fitness, Andy Roddick was quoted as saying of his digitally pumped-up arms, “Yeah, I wish I had those guns!”

By: Rachel Sokol

Rachel Sokol — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:10:45 +0000

The impact that magazine covers have on general society is much more powerful than most realize. The doctored image of Faith Hill reminds me of three incidents that involved magazine cover controversy. Does anyone remember when TIME magazine darkened a picture of OJ Simpson on placed the darker version of his mugshot on the cover of their magazine? (In contrast, their competition magazine, Newsweek, did not run a doctored photo.)

http://www.authentichistory.com/diversity/african/images/1994_OJ_Simpson_Time_Magazine.html

Recently, tennis pro Andy Roddick complained that a men’s magazine doctored his photo, and made his arms look ridiculously huge on the cover:

http://www.tmz.com/2007/05/18/did-mens-fitness-pump-up-andy-roddick/

A few years ago, Esquire magazine took newbie actress Ali Larter, put her on the cover of their magazine, and called her “Allegra Coleman” saying that “Allegra” was going to be the next Hollywood starlet:

http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/allegracoleman.html

Esquire and “Allegra” were inundated with calls from people wanting to know more about this hot new movie star no one’s ever heard of.

But it was all a sham–One big joke by Esquire, who wanted to show the public how gullible they can be when it comes to fame, fortune, and believing everything you read. There was no Allegra Coleman. It was just a joke asking readers–do you truly believe everything?

Rachel Sokol
Associate Editor
Sessions Online School of Arts and Design