The majority of us have either heard of the wonders of Photoshop, or have become masters in the art of using it to manipulate images. The issue behind using Photoshop has started to make a bull rush to front of people's minds, as it should.
The use of Photoshop to manipulate images includes a fine line, one that is often crossed by even the biggest of publications that are seen throughout the United States and the world. Now, on one side of this line is the manipulation to remove "red-eyes", an unwanted hair, adding some darkness or lightness to better present the main focal point of the image, or any other kind of natural occurrence. However, on the other side of this extremely thin line is the manipulation to remove anywhere from 10-500 pounds, remove any sense of body hair, or completely alterin someone's face or body to make your viewer's have a different view on your topic.
In Bonnie Meltzer's article, Digital Photography: A Question of Ethics, she raises the a couple of examples in which large, well-known publications (Newsweek, Time, etc.) used questionable image manipulation to get their point across.
In one example, she mentions the use of OJ Simpson's mug-shot, and how on one cover, it was as-is; however, on another it was shown in a darker, more "dingy" light. Another example is the use of Oprah Winfrey's face on a skinnier body in order to reach a deadline. These two are great examples of when photo manipulation can be, and was a bad judgement.
One area of photo manipulation that Bonnie didn't seem to touch on was the trickle-down effect that these Photoshopped images have on the youth of America.
Let's say you have a girl on the cover of a extremely young and "chic" magazine, and her photo has been altered to have her be extremely skinny and have her hair and make-up worked on meticulously, and her clothes may be a little revealing, but since she's in perceived "good shape", it's okay. Now, let's imagine that this photo has been altered in so many ways, that this girl is the ugly-duckling in her high school senior class. It is almost unfathomable to even consider the side-effects that seeing this image is going to have not only this one particular girl, but also nearly every girl that sees it. They are going to want to be just as skinny, want to have their hair and make-up done the exact same way, and have the same skimpy clothes.
As we all know and have experienced, teenage girls do not use the most rational ways of thinking, and there have been actual cases where young girls have used extreme measures to look like the girl on Vogue or Seventeen.
This type of photo manipulation is devastating to America's youth, and can have long lasting effects. I think we, as a society, need to step back and rethink our priorities as to what we view as "perfect".
The use of Photoshop to manipulate images includes a fine line, one that is often crossed by even the biggest of publications that are seen throughout the United States and the world. Now, on one side of this line is the manipulation to remove "red-eyes", an unwanted hair, adding some darkness or lightness to better present the main focal point of the image, or any other kind of natural occurrence. However, on the other side of this extremely thin line is the manipulation to remove anywhere from 10-500 pounds, remove any sense of body hair, or completely alterin someone's face or body to make your viewer's have a different view on your topic.
In Bonnie Meltzer's article, Digital Photography: A Question of Ethics, she raises the a couple of examples in which large, well-known publications (Newsweek, Time, etc.) used questionable image manipulation to get their point across.
In one example, she mentions the use of OJ Simpson's mug-shot, and how on one cover, it was as-is; however, on another it was shown in a darker, more "dingy" light. Another example is the use of Oprah Winfrey's face on a skinnier body in order to reach a deadline. These two are great examples of when photo manipulation can be, and was a bad judgement.
One area of photo manipulation that Bonnie didn't seem to touch on was the trickle-down effect that these Photoshopped images have on the youth of America.
Let's say you have a girl on the cover of a extremely young and "chic" magazine, and her photo has been altered to have her be extremely skinny and have her hair and make-up worked on meticulously, and her clothes may be a little revealing, but since she's in perceived "good shape", it's okay. Now, let's imagine that this photo has been altered in so many ways, that this girl is the ugly-duckling in her high school senior class. It is almost unfathomable to even consider the side-effects that seeing this image is going to have not only this one particular girl, but also nearly every girl that sees it. They are going to want to be just as skinny, want to have their hair and make-up done the exact same way, and have the same skimpy clothes.
As we all know and have experienced, teenage girls do not use the most rational ways of thinking, and there have been actual cases where young girls have used extreme measures to look like the girl on Vogue or Seventeen.
This type of photo manipulation is devastating to America's youth, and can have long lasting effects. I think we, as a society, need to step back and rethink our priorities as to what we view as "perfect".
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