Difference between revisions of "Photo Editing"

From SI410
Jump to: navigation, search
(University of Wisconsin at Madison)
Line 39: Line 39:
  
 
====Liquify====
 
====Liquify====
The liquify tool is a tool in Adobe Photoshop. It allows user to distort pixels without losing their quality. This filter allows us to push, pull, rotate, reflect, pucker, and bloat the pixels of any image. Changeable properties with the liquify filter are Forward Warp, Reconstruct, Twirl, Pucker, Bloat, Push, Mirror, Turbulence, Freeze / Thaw Mask, Hand and Zoom. <ref>Guzman, Alvaro. [https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/a-comprehensive-guide-to-photoshops-liquify-tool--psd-8094 "A Comprehensive Guide to Photoshop's Liquify Tool"], 20 May 2010. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.</ref>
+
The liquify tool is a tool in Adobe Photoshop. It allows user to distort pixels without losing their quality. This filter allows users to push, pull, rotate, reflect, pucker, and bloat the pixels of any image. Changeable properties with the liquify filter are Forward Warp, Reconstruct, Twirl, Pucker, Bloat, Push, Mirror, Turbulence, Freeze / Thaw Mask, Hand and Zoom. <ref>Guzman, Alvaro. [https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/a-comprehensive-guide-to-photoshops-liquify-tool--psd-8094 "A Comprehensive Guide to Photoshop's Liquify Tool"], 20 May 2010. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.</ref>
  
 
==Photo Editing and Social Media==
 
==Photo Editing and Social Media==
Line 45: Line 45:
  
 
====Picnik====
 
====Picnik====
Picnik was a web-based photo editing service that allowed users to perform edits such as cropping, straightening, contrast and saturation adjustments, among others. Users were also able to add text boxes and illustrations to their photos from Picnik's library of fonts and illustrations.
+
Picnik was a web-based photo editing service that allowed users to perform edits such as cropping, straightening, contrast and saturation adjustments, among others. Users could add text boxes and illustrations to their photos from Picnik's library of fonts and illustrations.
  
 
====Instagram====
 
====Instagram====
The image-based social media platform [[Wikipedia:Instagram|Instagram]] popularized mobile versions of photo-editing. Instagram's native editing tools include cropping, straightening, adjusting brightness and contrast, enhancing sharpening and removing red-eye. Instagram also popularized quick color effects for photos called filters. Third-party apps were developed for Instagram users to further edit photos. These included
+
The image-based social media platform [[Wikipedia:Instagram|Instagram]] popularized mobile versions of photo-editing. Instagram's native editing tools include cropping, straightening, adjusting brightness and contrast, enhancing sharpening and removing red-eye. Instagram also popularized quick color effects for photos called filters. Third-party apps were developed for Instagram users to further edit photos. These included:
  
 
====VSCO====
 
====VSCO====
[[Wikipedia:VSCO|VSCO]], "Visual Supply Company," is a mobile app that allows users to apply various color effects to their photos to evoke vintage film processing techniques for which their effects are named for.
+
[[Wikipedia:VSCO|VSCO]], "Visual Supply Company," is a mobile app that allows users to apply various color effects to their photos to evoke vintage film processing techniques for which their effects are named for.  
  
 
====Facetune====
 
====Facetune====
Line 60: Line 60:
 
[[File:Adnan_Hajj_Beirut_photo_comparison.jpg|180px|thumb|The original photo is featured on the left, and the edited photo is on the right.]]
 
[[File:Adnan_Hajj_Beirut_photo_comparison.jpg|180px|thumb|The original photo is featured on the left, and the edited photo is on the right.]]
 
===University of Wisconsin at Madison===
 
===University of Wisconsin at Madison===
[[Wikipedia:University of Wisconsin|University of Wisconsin]] at Madison wanted to portray student diversity in one of its brochures by inserting an African-American student in the crowd of white students. Diallo Shabazz was the African-American student that was inserted into the image. He was unaware that he was included in this photo until a counselor let him know. Although the photo depicted a crowd of students, including Shabazz, at a sporting event, Diallo Shabazz had not attended this event. The photo was spread around and represented the false sense of diversity that colleges give. This further represents how photo editing can be the cause of unethical practices. The original photograph (right) was taken in 1993 and the additional student in the photograph to the left was added from a picture taken in 1994.
+
[[Wikipedia:University of Wisconsin|University of Wisconsin]] at Madison wanted to portray student diversity in one of its brochures by inserting an African-American student, Diallo Shabazz, in a crowd of white students. He was unaware that he was included in this photo until a counselor let him know. The photo was widely used and represented the falsely constructed sense of diversity created by college administrations. The original photograph (right) was taken in 1993 and the additional student in the photograph to the left was added from a picture taken in 1994.
  
 
===Lebanon War Photographs===
 
===Lebanon War Photographs===
Line 67: Line 67:
  
 
===2009 Microsoft Photograph ===
 
===2009 Microsoft Photograph ===
In 2009, an image in a [[Wikipedia:Microsoft|Microsoft]] Corporation advertisement was edited to transform the face of a black man into the face of a white man. On the US Microsoft website, the photo features one asian, one black, and one white. In the Polish Microsoft website however, the black man was replaced by a white man. This alteration in the photo triggered an enormous amount of discussion in the online community. Online bloggers and commenters "wondered if the change was racially motivated, the result of poor judgment or both." <ref>Heussner, Ki Mae. [http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/AheadoftheCurve/11-photo-editing-flubs-digitally-altered-photo-disasters/story?id=8780937 "11 Photo-Editing Flubs: Ralph Lauren Ad Sparks Controversy"], ''[[ABCnews]]'', 8 October 2009. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.</ref>  Some people suggested that the Polish image was changed so that the man in the photo would resemble their own country's people more.  
+
In 2009, an image in a [[Wikipedia:Microsoft|Microsoft]] Corporation advertisement was edited to transform the face of a black man into the face of a white man. On the US Microsoft website, the photo features one asian, one black, and one white person. On the Polish Microsoft website, the black man was replaced by a white man. This alteration in the photo triggered an enormous amount of discussion in the online community. Online bloggers and commentators wondered if the change was racially motivated or not. <ref>Heussner, Ki Mae. [http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/AheadoftheCurve/11-photo-editing-flubs-digitally-altered-photo-disasters/story?id=8780937 "11 Photo-Editing Flubs: Ralph Lauren Ad Sparks Controversy"], ''[[ABCnews]]'', 8 October 2009. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.</ref>  Some people suggested that the Polish image was changed so that the man in the photo would resemble their own country's people more.  
 
[[File:h_m.jpeg|200px|thumb|left|H&M's virtual models]]
 
[[File:h_m.jpeg|200px|thumb|left|H&M's virtual models]]
  
 
===H&M===
 
===H&M===
[http://www.hm.com/us/ H&M], a popular clothing store, has recently been under fire for their clothing ads. H&M places computer-generated bodies under real models' heads<ref>Krupnick, Ellie. [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/05/hm-fake-model-bodies_n_1129864.html#s520429 "H&M Uses Fake Bodies with Real Heads for Models (PHOTOS)"], ''[[The Huffington Post]]'', 06 December 2011. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.</ref>. This head-body disconnect was noticed by a Norway company, [http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article14028743.ab], a site that identifies photos that have been edited. H&M has since admitted to using computer-image bodies and converging them with a model's head. They maintain that they used this questionable practice to steer their customers' attention away from the model and towards the articles of clothing.<ref> [http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3981561/HM-under-fire-for-using-completely-virtual-models.html "H&M under fire for using 'completely virtual' models"], ''[[The Sun]]'', 06 December 2011. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.</ref>  
+
[http://www.hm.com/us/ H&M], a popular clothing store, has recently been under fire for their clothing ads. H&M places computer-generated bodies under real models' heads<ref>Krupnick, Ellie. [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/05/hm-fake-model-bodies_n_1129864.html#s520429 "H&M Uses Fake Bodies with Real Heads for Models (PHOTOS)"], ''[[The Huffington Post]]'', 06 December 2011. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.</ref>. This head-body disconnect was noticed by a Norway company, [http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article14028743.ab], a site that identifies photos that have been edited. H&M has since admitted to using computer-image bodies and converging them with a model's head. They maintain that they used this questionable practice to steer their customers' attention away from the model and towards the articles of clothing.<ref> [http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3981561/HM-under-fire-for-using-completely-virtual-models.html "H&M under fire for using 'completely virtual' models"], ''[[The Sun]]'', 06 December 2011. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.</ref>  
 
[[File:Ralphfillipa.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Ralph Lauren Model photoshopped]]
 
[[File:Ralphfillipa.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Ralph Lauren Model photoshopped]]
 
H&M recently issued a response, defending its decision to use digitally-generated bodies. They do not regret their decision, instead they compare the using of virtual bodies to using mannequins in retail stores. <ref> Kindelan, Katie. [http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2011/12/clothing-giant-hm-defends-use-of-virtual-models/ "Clothing Giant H&M Defends 'Perfect' Virtual Models"], ''[[ABC News]]'', 06 December 2011. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.</ref> H&M also claims that they did this because they were not pleased with the models that auditioned to model H&M clothes for their various campaigns. <ref> [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/05/hm-fake-model-bodies_n_1129864.html "H&M Uses Fake Bodies With Real Heads For Models (PHOTOS)"], ''[[Huffington Post]]'', 06 December 2011. Retrieved on 04 April 2018.</ref>
 
H&M recently issued a response, defending its decision to use digitally-generated bodies. They do not regret their decision, instead they compare the using of virtual bodies to using mannequins in retail stores. <ref> Kindelan, Katie. [http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2011/12/clothing-giant-hm-defends-use-of-virtual-models/ "Clothing Giant H&M Defends 'Perfect' Virtual Models"], ''[[ABC News]]'', 06 December 2011. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.</ref> H&M also claims that they did this because they were not pleased with the models that auditioned to model H&M clothes for their various campaigns. <ref> [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/05/hm-fake-model-bodies_n_1129864.html "H&M Uses Fake Bodies With Real Heads For Models (PHOTOS)"], ''[[Huffington Post]]'', 06 December 2011. Retrieved on 04 April 2018.</ref>
  
 
===Aerie Real===
 
===Aerie Real===
Four years ago, American Eagle's brand [https://www.ae.com/aerie/aerie/s-cms/4840006?cm=sUS-cUSD&navdetail=mega:cat6610030 Aerie] launched the #AerieReal campaign that pledges to not retouch models in underwear and bathing suit advertisments <ref>https://www.ae.com/featured-aeriereal/aerie/s-cms/6890055</ref>. In the latest edition of the campaign, Aerie brought 4 notable women to be the face of the campaign; Aly Raisman, Yara Shahidi, Rachel Platten, and Iskra Lawrence. The pictures of these women together show no sign of editing and demonstrate a natural, real body. <ref>https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/pictures/yara-shahidi-aly-raisman-more-star-in-unretouched-aerie-campaign/</ref> The attention this campaign has drawn pushed its effort from a product campaign to a movement focused on empowering women and promoting positive, realistic body standards. <ref> https://www.teenvogue.com/story/aerie-releases-new-unretouched-campaign</ref>
+
Four years ago, American Eagle's brand [https://www.ae.com/aerie/aerie/s-cms/4840006?cm=sUS-cUSD&navdetail=mega:cat6610030 Aerie] launched the #AerieReal campaign that pledges to not retouch models in underwear and bathing suit advertisements to get rid of cellulite, stretch marks and rolls <ref>https://www.ae.com/featured-aeriereal/aerie/s-cms/6890055</ref>. In the latest edition of the campaign, Aerie brought 4 notable women to be the face of the campaign; Aly Raisman, Yara Shahidi, Rachel Platten, and Iskra Lawrence. The pictures of these women together show no sign of editing and demonstrate a natural, real body. <ref>https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/pictures/yara-shahidi-aly-raisman-more-star-in-unretouched-aerie-campaign/</ref> The attention this campaign has drawn pushed its effort from a product campaign to a movement focused on empowering women and promoting positive, realistic body standards <ref> https://www.teenvogue.com/story/aerie-releases-new-unretouched-campaign</ref>.
  
 
===Ralph Lauren===
 
===Ralph Lauren===
Line 83: Line 83:
  
 
===Tina Fey===
 
===Tina Fey===
American comedian Tina Fey has advocated for a middle of the road approach to Photoshop, writing in her memoir "Bossypants:"''“I feel about Photoshop the way some people feel about abortion. It is appalling and a tragic reflection on the moral decay of our society…unless I need it, in which case, everybody be cool.<ref>Fey, Tina. Quotes by Tina Fey. Good Reads. Web. Apr 12, 2017. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show/370374/</ref>'' Fey also cites several magazines as having a sensible approach to photo manipulation, such as Bust Magazine using photo editing to enhance the lighting. She contrasts this approach with her InStyle cover in which part of her torso was removed to make her appear slimmer<ref>Littlejohn, Georgina. Photoshop mishap for Tina Fey... Daily Mail. Mar 18 2011. Web. Apr 12 2017. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Ftvshowbiz%2Farticle-1367528%2FPhotoshop-mishap-Tina-Fey-comedy-actress-gets-chop-US-InStyle-cover.html&ei=4n7tTqDVH-r40gGzoOXgCg&usg=AFQjCNG8fkJZut3V6yogWhfVYzDxDkonew&sig2=vrsK7Q2emXskWZyWWeE2KA</ref>.
+
American comedian Tina Fey has advocated for a middle of the road approach to Photoshop, writing in her memoir "Bossypants:"''Fey believes that the usage of Photoshop reflects society's high beauty standards but it can be used if needed. <ref>Fey, Tina. Quotes by Tina Fey. Good Reads. Web. Apr 12, 2017. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show/370374/</ref>'' Fey also cites several magazines as having a sensible approach to photo manipulation such as Bust Magazine using photo editing to enhance the lighting. She contrasts this approach with her InStyle cover in which part of her torso was removed to make her appear slimmer<ref>Littlejohn, Georgina. Photoshop mishap for Tina Fey... Daily Mail. Mar 18 2011. Web. Apr 12 2017. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Ftvshowbiz%2Farticle-1367528%2FPhotoshop-mishap-Tina-Fey-comedy-actress-gets-chop-US-InStyle-cover.html&ei=4n7tTqDVH-r40gGzoOXgCg&usg=AFQjCNG8fkJZut3V6yogWhfVYzDxDkonew&sig2=vrsK7Q2emXskWZyWWeE2KA</ref>.
  
 
===British Legislatures===
 
===British Legislatures===
After a beauty ad featuring wrinkle-free Twiggy, British legislators voiced their desire to ban the use of Photoshop for advertisements whose target audiences were under 16 years of age. Jo Swinson, then-member of the British parliament, commented that "Today's unrealistic idea of what is beautiful means that young girls are under more pressure now than they were even five years ago. Airbrushing means that adverts contain completely unattainable perfect images no one can live up to in real life. We need to help protect children from these pressures and we need to make a start by banning airbrushing in adverts aimed at them." <ref>North, Anna. British Lawmakers Take Stand Against Photoshop. Jezebel. 3 Aug 2011. Web. Apr 12 2017. http://jezebel.com/5328736/british-lawmakers-take-stand-against-photoshop</ref>
+
After a beauty ad featuring wrinkle-free Twiggy, British legislators voiced their desire to ban the use of Photoshop for advertisements whose target audiences were under 16 years of age. Jo Swinson, then-member of the British parliament, commented on the harmful effects unrealistic beauty standards can have on young girls and that banning airbrushing in advertising would lessen the beauty related pressures many girls feel. <ref>North, Anna. British Lawmakers Take Stand Against Photoshop. Jezebel. 3 Aug 2011. Web. Apr 12 2017. http://jezebel.com/5328736/british-lawmakers-take-stand-against-photoshop</ref>
  
 
===Domino's Pizza===
 
===Domino's Pizza===
Line 95: Line 95:
  
 
[[File:reald.png|thumb|An underwear ad as part of the campaign remarked as being photo edited.]]
 
[[File:reald.png|thumb|An underwear ad as part of the campaign remarked as being photo edited.]]
Some of the pictures that were included in the campaign were argued to be edited. A spokesperson from Dove replied to the controversial statement:''“We have made the commitment not to distort any of our images to create an unrealistic or unattainable view of beauty. As we have said, this does not mean we do absolutely nothing to the images to make them suitable for printing. There is always something that needs a bit of adjustment to meet professional standards - even in the best run photo shoot with the best photographers. Removing or correcting these things does not mean that people don't see the woman as she really is and does not change our commitment to real women.”'' <ref>http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2008/05/an_experts_anal.html</ref> Dove eventually elected to end their campaign due to a sharp decrease in sales growth<ref>http://www.hubmagazine.com/archives/the_hub/2008/may_jun/the_hub24_womanwise.pdf</ref>. The backlash reflected the consumer attitudes towards manipulation, suggesting that there is a strong desire for highly exaggerated depictions simply due to the fact that they represent what is considered beautiful.  
+
Some of the pictures that were included in the campaign were argued to be edited. A spokesperson from Dove responded to these claims by admitting that some small correcting and adjustments were made to the women but that it didn't create an unrealistic or unattainable view of beauty<ref>http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2008/05/an_experts_anal.html</ref>. Dove eventually elected to end their campaign due to a sharp decrease in sales growth <ref>http://www.hubmagazine.com/archives/the_hub/2008/may_jun/the_hub24_womanwise.pdf</ref>. The backlash reflected the consumer attitudes towards manipulation, suggesting that there is a strong desire for highly exaggerated depictions simply due to the fact that they represent what is considered beautiful.  
  
While the general public has been accepting of Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign, feminist sites and groups have exclaimed backlash. Many groups see Dove as not promoting "real" beauty but instead a socially scripted version of beauty. Some criticize Dove for a contradiction: putting more curvaceous, authentic looking models on their advertisements and yet producing a product that "firms" body parts. As Jennifer L. Pozner from WIMN (Women in Media & News)writes:''"Dove's attempts are profoundly limited by a product line that comes with its own underlying philosophy: cellulite is unsightly, women's natural aging process is shameful, and flabby thighs are flawed and must be fixed … oh, so conveniently by Dove's newest lotion."'' Richard Roeper, columnist for the Chicago Sun Times, reacted fearfully to these women. Referencing these "chunky women", Roeper found "these Dove ads a little unsettling. If I want to see plump gals baring too much skin, I'll go to Taste of Chicago, OK?". The backlash continues. <ref>http://www.wimnonline.org/articles/dovebacklash.html</ref>
+
While the general public has been accepting of Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign, feminist sites and groups have exclaimed backlash. Many groups see Dove as not promoting "real" beauty but instead a socially scripted version of beauty. Some criticize Dove for a contradiction: putting more curvaceous, authentic looking models on their advertisements and yet producing a product that "firms" body parts. Jennifer L. Pozner from WIMN (Women in Media & News)wrote about how Dove's products embody the stigma that aging and the effects it has on your body should be prevented or mitigated because it is unsightly and shameful. Richard Roeper, a columnist for the Chicago Sun Times, had a controversial response to the plus-size women in Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign, claiming that these kinds of women should not be featured in advertisments <ref>http://www.wimnonline.org/articles/dovebacklash.html</ref>.
 
+
Similar to Dove's Real Beauty campaign, in 2014, Aerie by American Eagle began the #aerieReal campaign. In this campaign, Aerie emphasized the concept that none of the models they used were photo edited. Instead, these models were photographed with no editing done afterward, showing cellulite, stretch marks, and rolls, which is what the Dove campaign was criticized for not having. While photo editing is a big cause of body dysphoria in young women today, the models in the campaign have been criticized for intrinsically already meeting the standards the modeling industry has. With strategic lighting, the photo can be taking without having to edit the picture.  
+
  
 
===Glamour Magazine===
 
===Glamour Magazine===
 
In a recent past issue, Glamour Magazine decided to run a unretouched photo of model Lizze Miller. At a size 12-14, Miller sits photographed nude and showcases her curves. Lizzie was from San Jose and came to New York to become a plus-size model. She struggled with her body image as a child but she mentions that as she got older, she realized that it did not matter to her and began to carry herself with confidence.
 
In a recent past issue, Glamour Magazine decided to run a unretouched photo of model Lizze Miller. At a size 12-14, Miller sits photographed nude and showcases her curves. Lizzie was from San Jose and came to New York to become a plus-size model. She struggled with her body image as a child but she mentions that as she got older, she realized that it did not matter to her and began to carry herself with confidence.
  
The response has been huge and extremely positive. One woman from Georgia exclaimed: ''"the most amazing photograph I've ever seen in any women's magazine"''. Another from Massachusetts said: ''"his beautiful woman has a real stomach and did I even see a few stretch marks? This is how my belly looks after giving birth to my two amazing kids! This photo made me want to shout from the rooftops."'' Because magazines almost never show women with stretch marks, bellies, or anything that is seen as unflattering, most women did do not find anyone that looks like them in the articles they read. Lizzie mentions to Glamour that she flipped through pages to find a model that represented her the right way and only found confidence in herself when famous celebrities such as Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez were empowering women with curves. It is unclear whether Glamour Magazine will continue to include photos like these, but this photo continues to pour in enthusiastic responses.
+
The response has been huge and extremely positive. Women who saw Miller's photos appreciated the untouched, natural picture of a body they could relate to. Because magazines almost never show women with stretch marks, bellies, or anything that is seen as unflattering, most women did do not find anyone that looks like them in the articles they read. Lizzie mentions to Glamour that she flipped through pages to find a model that represented her the right way and only found confidence in herself when famous celebrities such as Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez were empowering women with curves. It is unclear whether Glamour Magazine will continue to include photos like these, but this photo continues to pour in enthusiastic responses.
 
<ref> On the C.L.: The Picture You Can't Stop Talking About: Meet "the Woman on p. 194" http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2009/08/on-the-cl-the-picture-you-cant.html</ref>
 
<ref> On the C.L.: The Picture You Can't Stop Talking About: Meet "the Woman on p. 194" http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2009/08/on-the-cl-the-picture-you-cant.html</ref>
  

Revision as of 20:50, 7 April 2018

Photo Editing is the alteration of pixels (picture elements) in an image, either by a computer software program, mobile application, or automatically enhanced by modern digital camera options. The term "photoshopping" is also used as a metonym for photo editing, lending its name from the professional raster effects computer program, Adobe Photoshop. Artistic photo enhancement has increased in popularity as computer software built for pixel alteration has become more available and user-friendly. Due to the increasing difficulty in identifying when a photo has been edited, ethical concerns have spawned from nefarious photo alteration, particularly when used as false evidence. Additionally, with the ubiquity of photo enhancements there has been an increased interest in truth in photography.
Original photo is on the left with three edited versions on the right.
The increasing quality mobile photography has also introduced a wide range of photo editing apps which can apply color and lighting effects, change facial features, add the appearance of make-up, delete objects in the background, among other effects.

Examples

Pre-Digital Era

Before Photoshop was released, photos were edited through a physical process that often involved cutting and pasting to fix elements in the photograph rather than digital manipulation of colors or shapes as software allows today [1]. Since film photographs had to be developed through a physical process, the negatives could be combined to form composite images that were then printed onto paper. [2].

First Edited Photo

The first notable edited photo came in 1860, shortly after Niepce invented the photograph. It was a composition of President Abraham Lincoln's head on the body of John Calhoun.

Lincoln121.jpg

Ulysses S. Grant Portrait

An 1864 photo depicts General Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War, but was created using three different photos combined together. C1864-Grant.jpg

General Sherman

In a photo of General Sherman in 1865 with all of his generals, one of the generals was subsequently added in at a later date. Historical-war-generals-edited-photo.jpg

Benito Mussolini

In 1942, Benito Mussolini had his horse trainer removed from the picture in order to appear more heroic. [3]

Mussolini12.jpg

Oprah

In 1989, Oprah's head was placed on a body from an advertisement for a gown. This was done by physically cutting and pasting the images together. Neither the gown designer nor Oprah were notified about this before the ad went public [4].

Aug1989-Oprah.jpg

Digital Photo Editing

Digital photos are stored on computers in the form of a grid containing elements known as pixels. Each pixel has its own information, and modern photo editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel's Paint Shop Pro are programmed to allow the users to change the information of each pixel individually or in large clusters.

Techniques

Cropping

Cropping is used to show only a selection of the picture by deleting pixels and reducing the image size. It is used primarily to focus the attention of a viewer on a particular portion of the image or to remove unwanted objects and/or persons. Cropping can change the context of a scene or remove information from a photo.

Color Manipulation

Color manipulation can be applied to the entire image or selective parts. It can be used to increase or decrease saturation, hue, or brightness to achieve certain effects. In popular media, color manipulation has been used to alter skin tones and hair color to achieve an ad's desired effect, such as lighter or tanned skin and brighter, shinier hair.

A cosmetic ad that lightened musical artist Beyonce's skin tone.

Liquify

The liquify tool is a tool in Adobe Photoshop. It allows user to distort pixels without losing their quality. This filter allows users to push, pull, rotate, reflect, pucker, and bloat the pixels of any image. Changeable properties with the liquify filter are Forward Warp, Reconstruct, Twirl, Pucker, Bloat, Push, Mirror, Turbulence, Freeze / Thaw Mask, Hand and Zoom. [5]

Photo Editing and Social Media

Photo editing has become more prevalent with the rise of social media and mobile photography.

Picnik

Picnik was a web-based photo editing service that allowed users to perform edits such as cropping, straightening, contrast and saturation adjustments, among others. Users could add text boxes and illustrations to their photos from Picnik's library of fonts and illustrations.

Instagram

The image-based social media platform Instagram popularized mobile versions of photo-editing. Instagram's native editing tools include cropping, straightening, adjusting brightness and contrast, enhancing sharpening and removing red-eye. Instagram also popularized quick color effects for photos called filters. Third-party apps were developed for Instagram users to further edit photos. These included:

VSCO

VSCO, "Visual Supply Company," is a mobile app that allows users to apply various color effects to their photos to evoke vintage film processing techniques for which their effects are named for.

Facetune

Facetune is a mobile app that allows users to digitally retouch their photos using various tools, such as blur, liquify, and hue adjustments. The app is designed to edit "selfies" (self-portraits) with the ability to whiten teeth, remove blemishes, alter eye and hair color, and reduce wrinkles.

Controversy and Backlash

University of Wisconsin Madison modifies brochure image to promote diversity
The original photo is featured on the left, and the edited photo is on the right.

University of Wisconsin at Madison

University of Wisconsin at Madison wanted to portray student diversity in one of its brochures by inserting an African-American student, Diallo Shabazz, in a crowd of white students. He was unaware that he was included in this photo until a counselor let him know. The photo was widely used and represented the falsely constructed sense of diversity created by college administrations. The original photograph (right) was taken in 1993 and the additional student in the photograph to the left was added from a picture taken in 1994.

Lebanon War Photographs

In 2006, Reuters, a news agency in New York, was caught publishing altered photos of the Lebanon War. Reuters fired photographer Adnan Hajj, who used a software editing program to manipulate many of his war photos. CAMERA, a pro-Israel media watch organization, said that the alleged photographic manipulations were used as propaganda by the mainstream media in an attempt to sway public opinion and paint Israel as an aggressor, suggesting that Israel was guilty of targeting civilians. Manipulations included adding and darkening smoke to a building recently attacked and adding missiles to a picture of a fighter firing a flare.[6]A film released on YouTube compares the two images, pointing out the striking similarities between the photograph used by Reuters on both July 24 and August 5. [7]

Microsoft edits image in Poland

2009 Microsoft Photograph

In 2009, an image in a Microsoft Corporation advertisement was edited to transform the face of a black man into the face of a white man. On the US Microsoft website, the photo features one asian, one black, and one white person. On the Polish Microsoft website, the black man was replaced by a white man. This alteration in the photo triggered an enormous amount of discussion in the online community. Online bloggers and commentators wondered if the change was racially motivated or not. [8] Some people suggested that the Polish image was changed so that the man in the photo would resemble their own country's people more.

H&M's virtual models

H&M

H&M, a popular clothing store, has recently been under fire for their clothing ads. H&M places computer-generated bodies under real models' heads[9]. This head-body disconnect was noticed by a Norway company, [1], a site that identifies photos that have been edited. H&M has since admitted to using computer-image bodies and converging them with a model's head. They maintain that they used this questionable practice to steer their customers' attention away from the model and towards the articles of clothing.[10]

Ralph Lauren Model photoshopped

H&M recently issued a response, defending its decision to use digitally-generated bodies. They do not regret their decision, instead they compare the using of virtual bodies to using mannequins in retail stores. [11] H&M also claims that they did this because they were not pleased with the models that auditioned to model H&M clothes for their various campaigns. [12]

Aerie Real

Four years ago, American Eagle's brand Aerie launched the #AerieReal campaign that pledges to not retouch models in underwear and bathing suit advertisements to get rid of cellulite, stretch marks and rolls [13]. In the latest edition of the campaign, Aerie brought 4 notable women to be the face of the campaign; Aly Raisman, Yara Shahidi, Rachel Platten, and Iskra Lawrence. The pictures of these women together show no sign of editing and demonstrate a natural, real body. [14] The attention this campaign has drawn pushed its effort from a product campaign to a movement focused on empowering women and promoting positive, realistic body standards [15].

Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren photoshoppers severely edited an image of model Filippa Hamilton. The public has severely criticized the company for its extreme use of digital manipulation on Hamilton, who is five-foot-ten and 120 pounds. This advertisement campaign sparked much controversy because it presents a distorted body image by medical standards. It gained a lot of media attention, particularly because Hamilton's waist was edited to be a smaller width than her head. Ralph Lauren's actions can have negative implications on women and young girls and their perception of their bodies and body images. They have since fired Hamilton for reportedly being too fat [16].

"It doesn't matter who we are... what matters is our plan. No one cared who I was until I put on the mask."

Tina Fey

American comedian Tina Fey has advocated for a middle of the road approach to Photoshop, writing in her memoir "Bossypants:"Fey believes that the usage of Photoshop reflects society's high beauty standards but it can be used if needed. [17] Fey also cites several magazines as having a sensible approach to photo manipulation such as Bust Magazine using photo editing to enhance the lighting. She contrasts this approach with her InStyle cover in which part of her torso was removed to make her appear slimmer[18].

British Legislatures

After a beauty ad featuring wrinkle-free Twiggy, British legislators voiced their desire to ban the use of Photoshop for advertisements whose target audiences were under 16 years of age. Jo Swinson, then-member of the British parliament, commented on the harmful effects unrealistic beauty standards can have on young girls and that banning airbrushing in advertising would lessen the beauty related pressures many girls feel. [19]

Domino's Pizza

Domino's has started a Totally Real Talk Campaign, that exposes the process of what pizzas have to go through before getting photographed for promotional materials. Some companies have staged their photos with nails, blowtorches, or steam guns on their pizzas before shooting. Dominos has announced that they are only going to be photographing pizzas that come straight from their ovens, with no staging or altering. [20]

No retouching ad campaigns

In 2004, Dove launch a marketing campaign titled Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. The purpose of the campaign was to help build self-esteem for women to be comfortable with themselves and to celebrate the female body no matter the shape or size. Dove released a commercial showcasing the power of photo editing and stating "No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted" in the video.

An underwear ad as part of the campaign remarked as being photo edited.

Some of the pictures that were included in the campaign were argued to be edited. A spokesperson from Dove responded to these claims by admitting that some small correcting and adjustments were made to the women but that it didn't create an unrealistic or unattainable view of beauty[21]. Dove eventually elected to end their campaign due to a sharp decrease in sales growth [22]. The backlash reflected the consumer attitudes towards manipulation, suggesting that there is a strong desire for highly exaggerated depictions simply due to the fact that they represent what is considered beautiful.

While the general public has been accepting of Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign, feminist sites and groups have exclaimed backlash. Many groups see Dove as not promoting "real" beauty but instead a socially scripted version of beauty. Some criticize Dove for a contradiction: putting more curvaceous, authentic looking models on their advertisements and yet producing a product that "firms" body parts. Jennifer L. Pozner from WIMN (Women in Media & News)wrote about how Dove's products embody the stigma that aging and the effects it has on your body should be prevented or mitigated because it is unsightly and shameful. Richard Roeper, a columnist for the Chicago Sun Times, had a controversial response to the plus-size women in Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign, claiming that these kinds of women should not be featured in advertisments [23].

Glamour Magazine

In a recent past issue, Glamour Magazine decided to run a unretouched photo of model Lizze Miller. At a size 12-14, Miller sits photographed nude and showcases her curves. Lizzie was from San Jose and came to New York to become a plus-size model. She struggled with her body image as a child but she mentions that as she got older, she realized that it did not matter to her and began to carry herself with confidence.

The response has been huge and extremely positive. Women who saw Miller's photos appreciated the untouched, natural picture of a body they could relate to. Because magazines almost never show women with stretch marks, bellies, or anything that is seen as unflattering, most women did do not find anyone that looks like them in the articles they read. Lizzie mentions to Glamour that she flipped through pages to find a model that represented her the right way and only found confidence in herself when famous celebrities such as Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez were empowering women with curves. It is unclear whether Glamour Magazine will continue to include photos like these, but this photo continues to pour in enthusiastic responses. [24]

Ethical Implications

Although photo editing may be used to restore distorted or corrupted images, it can also be used to falsify information. Photo editing is often undetectable, making an altered image potentially deceiving to viewers, as visual memory is believed to be easier to recall than auditory memory. [25] Sam and Watson explain how one's representation of themselves or others can distort the authenticity of their actual self-representation. [26] Through photoshop methods, users have the ability to alter their images online thus changing their digital identity that is shown to the world. Photoshop techniques allow one to conform to idealized standards of what he or she should like to society, and these methods hinder the originality and authenticity of one's true identity to fit the social norms that society deems appropriate.

Public figures are often photoshopped in published media, such as magazines and ad campaigns. A majority of women's magazines enhance the appearance of models, including alteration of skin tone, waistline, breast size, and teeth whiteness. According to the theory of social comparison, it is common for viewers of this content, especially younger women in their teens and twenties, to compare themselves to edited photos of celebrities and models, which has been linked to decreased self-esteem and perception of body image. Currently, 7 million women in the United States suffer from eating disorders and 50% of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 believe they are overweight. [27] Even in cases where an individual is aware that a photo has been edited, photo editing can produce harmful effects. For example, a photo may be modified with the intent of mocking or slandering religious, ethnic, or social groups. In 2011, the American Medical Association released a statement against photoshop of bodies in advertising, citing that "a large body of literature links exposure to media-propagated images of unrealistic body image to eating disorders and other child and adolescent health problems" [28].

In the journal Psychology of Women Quarterly, a researcher commented, “Our research shows that spending more time reading magazines and on Facebook is associated with greater self-objectification among young women and these relationships are influenced by women’s tendency to compare their appearance to others, particularly to peers on Facebook.” At the University of New South Wales, a survey was done with 150 women aged 17-25. They found that these women spend an average of two hours a day on Facebook, checking the sites every few hours. They then found that Facebook users compare their own images to those of their peers rather than images of family members. These self-comparisons are detrimental as women see themselves as an observer and start to post fewer photos of themselves on Facebook as they feel insecure. [29]

External Links

References

  1. https://petapixel.com/2013/05/08/how-photographers-photoshopped-their-pictures-back-in-1946/
  2. https://mashable.com/2015/02/19/before-photoshop/#UxuNjND2PGqL
  3. http://www.cracktwo.com/2011/05/famous-doctored-photographs.html
  4. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/06/oprahs-head-ann-margarets-body-a-brief-history-of-pre-photoshop-fakery/258369/
  5. Guzman, Alvaro. "A Comprehensive Guide to Photoshop's Liquify Tool", 20 May 2010. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.
  6. Hollander, Ricki. "Updated: A Reprise: Media Photo Manipulation", 8 August 2006. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.
  7. x122mail. "Reuters Faked Photos", Youtube, 6 August 2006. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.
  8. Heussner, Ki Mae. "11 Photo-Editing Flubs: Ralph Lauren Ad Sparks Controversy", ABCnews, 8 October 2009. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.
  9. Krupnick, Ellie. "H&M Uses Fake Bodies with Real Heads for Models (PHOTOS)", The Huffington Post, 06 December 2011. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.
  10. "H&M under fire for using 'completely virtual' models", The Sun, 06 December 2011. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.
  11. Kindelan, Katie. "Clothing Giant H&M Defends 'Perfect' Virtual Models", ABC News, 06 December 2011. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.
  12. "H&M Uses Fake Bodies With Real Heads For Models (PHOTOS)", Huffington Post, 06 December 2011. Retrieved on 04 April 2018.
  13. https://www.ae.com/featured-aeriereal/aerie/s-cms/6890055
  14. https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/pictures/yara-shahidi-aly-raisman-more-star-in-unretouched-aerie-campaign/
  15. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/aerie-releases-new-unretouched-campaign
  16. "Filippa Hamilton, Ralph Lauren's Retouched Model: I Was Fired For Being Too Fat (VIDEO)", The Huffington Post, 18 March 2010. Retrieved on 17 April 2017.
  17. Fey, Tina. Quotes by Tina Fey. Good Reads. Web. Apr 12, 2017. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show/370374/
  18. Littlejohn, Georgina. Photoshop mishap for Tina Fey... Daily Mail. Mar 18 2011. Web. Apr 12 2017. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Ftvshowbiz%2Farticle-1367528%2FPhotoshop-mishap-Tina-Fey-comedy-actress-gets-chop-US-InStyle-cover.html&ei=4n7tTqDVH-r40gGzoOXgCg&usg=AFQjCNG8fkJZut3V6yogWhfVYzDxDkonew&sig2=vrsK7Q2emXskWZyWWeE2KA
  19. North, Anna. British Lawmakers Take Stand Against Photoshop. Jezebel. 3 Aug 2011. Web. Apr 12 2017. http://jezebel.com/5328736/british-lawmakers-take-stand-against-photoshop
  20. Johnston, Maura. Domino’s Taking Brave Stand In The War Against Photoshop. The Awl. Jul 7, 2010. Web. Apr 12, 2017. http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/dominos-taking-brave-stand-in-the-war-against-photoshop
  21. http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2008/05/an_experts_anal.html
  22. http://www.hubmagazine.com/archives/the_hub/2008/may_jun/the_hub24_womanwise.pdf
  23. http://www.wimnonline.org/articles/dovebacklash.html
  24. On the C.L.: The Picture You Can't Stop Talking About: Meet "the Woman on p. 194" http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2009/08/on-the-cl-the-picture-you-cant.html
  25. Blumberg, Joseph. Visual Memory Stronger Than Current Theory Has It. UniSci. 26 Jul 2001. Web. Apr 12, 2017. http://www.unisci.com/stories/20013/0726014.htm
  26. http://dx.doi.org/10.3998/mpub.9739969
  27. Eating Disorder Statistics. South Carolina Department of Psychological Health. Web. Apr 12, 2017. http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm
  28. https://jezebel.com/5814439/magazines-adopt-policy-against-photoshop-in-advertising
  29. Young Women Compare Themselves on Social Media. Retrieved 14 April 2017.

(back to index)