It's Photoshopped

For my fifth Media Arts Blog post, I will be discussing using Photoshop to manipulate photos in the media. I myself do not read many magazines where this is a factor, but I have seen some of the things Photoshop can do to ordinary people. You can change people's hair colour, their height, their facial definitions, and the list goes on. In my opinion, this is not necessary. It is the inner beauty that truly counts when it comes to people. Photoshopped images gone bad should simply not be tolerated, because it is the inner beauty that counts. However, I'm not totally opposed to using Photoshop as an editing tool.

We all know that Photoshop is one of the most powerful photo editing suites on the planet. It has been used for many years to alter the looks of many people. Of course, it was inevitable that someone would use this software to push a picture past the line of reality. Many people followed suit, and eventually, most of the images in magazines had been altered by Photoshop to look "too good." Personally, I am not against the use of Photoshop. It is understandable when you need to touch something up in a picture (I have done it a few times myself), but when you go over the edge and shave 25 pounds off someone, it is just unreal, and it should not be tolerated.

Because of this Photoshop controversy, people have started doing photo shoots without makeup or the assistance of Photoshop, or just using ordinary people in photo shoots. I believe that this is a great idea, because it is making a statement about the misuse of Photoshop and it shows people's true beauty. I think that this trend may not grow very quickly, but It will eventually catch on, and before we know it, most of the pictures in magazines will NOT be Photoshopped.

Overall, I think Photoshop is a great photo editing tool, when it is not misused, and it should be used in the future, but only for minor tweaks. An area where Photoshop is useful and is not disrespectful is landscapes, cityscapes, or any other pictures of inanimate objects. This is where I do not mind if they use Photoshop's tools to the fullest, since it is not changing a person's appearance. However, fashion media constantly abuses Photoshop, and it's use should be toned down.