Photoshopping and airbrushing?

By Mischa. 25/03/11, 03:11 am

I think at a certain level* it's insulting- it basically says "I don't like how you are so I'm going to change you"

I talked to a bride once who was really quite hurt that her friend had altered wedding pictures to make her skinnier (note: this woman was a knock out) and posted them in her facebook.

I've had my teeth altered and eyecolour changed by con photographers and I think it's creepy. Who is someone else to decide what my flaws are?

*Pimples, stray hairs, colour adjustment all good, not cosmetic surgery

**Guest** Guest

I agree with Misha.

Eyecolour I wouldn't mind if it was to match the character, or to do something thats not physically possible, like glowy eyes. I just don't do contacts, so having someone else do that little bit of the work would be nice Very Happy

Just 'coz you don't like the brown though, no.

Cropping the photo and tweaking colour/lighting/etc, and playing with the background (like those amazing helicopters in the background of one of yours Misha!) is all good Very Happy

PLEASE fuzzy out the photobomber.

By Selphiroth. 25/03/11, 05:48 am

I've had my teeth altered and eyecolour changed by con photographers and I think it's creepy.

Rude. sad

By neimhaille. 25/03/11, 06:34 am

Unfortunately people gets these mixed up all the time: photography, model and cosplay are three distict things.

I see so often someone post a photo and accept kudos for their cosplay when the art is actually all in the photographer and post production manipulation.

So ask yourself why you are modding the photo? As already said correcting things that are an artifact of photography is fine. That includes flyaways, red eye, colour imbalance, shine on the face (usually due to lighting and angles etc.). Photobombers too...

Once you start manipulating the body shape and proportions you have to ask yourself is the photo worth salvaging if you have to do that much work? I'd rather not have a photo uploaded if I need that much work to be 'acceptable'. It's dishonest and once people see you in person they really notice and wonder what else you could be faking.

Heavy photoshopping usually is down to making the people look like an artificial ideal or because the photo is not good to begin with. I don't think we should celebrate either. Not unless we are photo-manip artists who do crazy things with some sort of commentary attached (art is supposed to have meaning, not just be pretty).

**Guest** Guest

Depends on what for, and who's editing it.. Personally I wouldn't appreciate someone else editing a picture of me, editing teeth, etc. I think that down-right creepy. Shocked

But if it is for things like changing eye-colour, brightening things up, removing pimples and such, I don't think it's a bad thing. I'd probably get quite offended if a stranger edited the heck out of one of my pictures. D:

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