Is Seeing Believing? Living In A Digital World

Essential Questions • How is Adobe Photoshop used today? • What are the effects of manipulated images? • How do these images shape beliefs about

body image, the political process, and our perceptions of reality?

“Every photograph is a fake from start to finish … a purely impersonal, un-manipulated photograph being

practically impossible.”

Edward Steichen

In a world obsessed with photoshop, where necks being "thinned" and hips being made prepubescent is the hard-line standard, hungarian singer-songwriter boggie's music video for her song "nouveau parfum" is not only a statement, but a relief.

Beyoncé Knowles • Beyoncé is known for her beautiful

curves and toned body, so she was incredibly upset when H&M attempted to alter her image.

• The singer modeled various pieces for the brand's swimwear collection and refused to be enhanced in any way.

• "When Beyoncé found out they had edited the way her body really looked, she hit the roof.

• She’s a true diva and was furious that she had been given such a snubbing.

• Her people refused to give the pictures the green light so H&M were forced to use the originals," a source recalled to The Sun.

Photo retouch or photo manipulation? What’s the difference? –Photo retouch

• Changing the image to remove or repair damage or unwanted blemishes or objects.

–Photo manipulation • To change the photo with

the intent of altering its message or meaning.

Yeah or Nay?

Coco Rocha • High-fashion supermodel Coco Rocha sets

boundaries as to how much skin she is willing to show in her photographs.

• Let's put it this way: she isn't going to pose nude or model lingerie.

• So when editors Photoshopped clothing off of her body, she was outraged.

• The beauty posted to her blog: "For my recent Elle Brazil cover shoot I wore a body suit under a sheer dress, but recently discovered that the body suit was Photoshopped out to give the impression that I am showing much more skin than I actually was or am comfortable with.

• This was specifically against my expressed verbal and written direction.

• I’m extremely disappointed that my wishes and contract were ignored."

History • Photography lost its innocence many years

ago. • In as early as the 1860s photographs were

already being manipulated, only a few decades after the first photograph was created in 1814

Keira Knightley • In this promotional poster for

"King Arthur," Knightley's chest is drastically enhanced from the original image.

• The actress spoke up, saying: "Those things certainly weren't mine."

• Reportedly, Knightley signed off on the doctored images at the time and only complained that her new assets weren't perky enough.

• She has since told producers of various projects that she refuses to be altered in any way for promotional imagery.

A Little Background … • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x03bO2b30hY

Ashley Benson & Troian Bellisario • The two "Pretty Little Liars" stars spoke up

when they came across this poster for the show.

• Ashley Benson posted the picture to her Instagram account and wrote, "Saw this floating around....hope it's not the poster.

• Our faces in this were from 4 years ago.....and we all look ridiculous.

• Way too much Photoshop. We all have flaws. No one looks like this. It's not attractive.“

• Bellisario agreed with her blond co-star and posted the same image to her own account.

• She captioned the photo: "Wow @itsashbenzo I couldn't agree more. Very cool concept as always.

• But aren't we attractive enough women as we are? Why can't we just look like us. Once."

Kim Kardashian • Kim Kardashian is constantly being

scrutinized for the photos she posts on social media by people saying the images must be Photoshopped.

• The star often remains quiet but has recently spoken out about the negative effects of image editing and the potential inspiration of raw imagery.

• The reality star posted this photo of herself and Blac Chyna on her Instagram account.

• When critics started accusing her of having manipulated her curvy form, Kardashian turned to Twitter.

• "It sucks when people make up surgery or Photoshop lies when I am so disciplined & work so hard!

• Just trying to motivate others & show anyone struggling with weight they can totally achieve whatever they want if they are dedicated!" she wrote.

The earliest “photo-manipulations” meant that people actually had to move items around to create different photographic compositions. • This Matthew Brady

Civil War photograph was created by supposedly moving a dead body into the snipers nest for the photo (um ... Gross)

Is it really Honest Abe? However it wasn’t long before people were cutting and pasting heads around, meaning photo manipulation has been around literally since the photograph was invented.

Journalistic Integrity • In one of the earliest journalistic examples of photo

retouch we see the Kent State shootings. • Notice the pole sticking out of the girls head?

Obvious signs of airbrushing are seen.

Here Today … Gone Tomorrow Here, in this early example of photo manipulation (from Soviet Russia), a human being is entirely erased from history (or attempt to erase the person by removing him from all official photos and news).

HTTP://YOUTU.BE/CPNFJWKFKSK

With the click of the mouse, Photoshop allows you to take this…

Into This (and with the single click of the mouse is no exaggeration)

Lady Gaga • Lady Gaga has been the focus of a fair

number of Photoshop scandals. The singer spoke out about the egregious use of Photoshop at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards, in 2013.

• Ironically, it was her photo on the cover of Glamour magazine that she specifically spoke against. "I felt my skin looked too perfect.

• I felt my hair looked too soft. I do not look like this when I wake up in the morning," Gaga explained.

• She called for young people to "fight back against the forces that make them feel like they're not beautiful" and cited unreasonable beauty standards printed on magazine covers as an offender.

• She elaborated, "It is fair to write about the change in your magazines.

• But what I want to see is the change on your covers... When the covers change, that's when culture changes."

Ethics – What is acceptable? • Generally Allowed:

– Brightness/contrast control – Burning & dodging to

control tonal range – Color correction – Cropping a frame to fit the

layout – Retouching of dust &

scratches

• Never Allowed: – Adding, moving, or

removing objects within the frame

– Color change other than to restore what the subject looked like

– Cropping a frame in order to alter its meaning

– Flopping a photograph (left/right reversal)

– Printing a photograph in other than "true" orientation

Brad Pitt • Brad Pitt has not only rejected

the use of Photoshop, but elected to reveal the flaws in his physical appearance.

• The actor chose to be photographed by Chuck Close for this cover of W magazine.

• The photographer is well–known for taking pictures that humanize the subject and expose intricate flaws and features.

• "You can’t be the fair-haired young boy forever. Maybe a photograph of him with his crow’s-feet and furrowed brow is good for him," Close said of Pitt.

9/11 • This photo allegedly captures a

“tourist” posing on the observation deck of the World Trade Center only moments before the terrorist attack.

• Spread like wildfire through email, the “Accidental Tourist,” as dubbed by Snopes.com, provoked “sensations of horror in those who viewed it in the days immediately following the 9/11 terrorist attacks,”

• For many recipients of the email, the manipulated photo created very real emotions to a society that was already raw.

We’ve seen thousands of pictures concerning the attack. However this one will make you cringe. A simple

tourist getting himself photographed on the top of the WTC just second

before the tragedy … the camera was found in the rubble!

Pervasiveness • Even the most credible media sources,

including National Geographic, have been guilty of manipulating an image to a degree that the subject has been significantly altered.

• By adjusting the position of the pyramids to better fit the vertical format of the magazine cover, National Geographic spurred one of the greatest debates about the issue of digital manipulation.

Kate Winslet • Despite her numerous run–ins with

Photoshopping, Kate Winslet is a role model for positive body image.

• Thus, she likely felt compelled to speak out when she was edited to a drastically reduced size on this 2003 GQ cover.

• "The retouching is excessive. I do not look like that and more importantly I don't desire to look like that," she clarified in regard to the cover image.

• The actress made sure that the world knew she was happy with her body and didn't condone the alterations. She explained, "I can tell you they've reduced the size of my legs by about a third.

• For my money it looks pretty good the way it was taken."

http://demo.fb.se/e/girlpower/retouch/

Visit this website for a step-by-step digital manipulation demo.

Gisele Bündchen • Gisele Bündchen is no stranger to the very

prevalent photo editing in the fashion industry, but she is honest about preferring natural images.

• The model worked with creative director Johan Lindeberg on a campaign for BLK DNM because he wanted to highlight her natural look.

• "I love his approach because I feel like women should be really real and raw and it doesn't really happen anymore [in fashion photographs].

• I love that feeling of, you know, we are women, we are so different, our imperfections are what make us unique and beautiful," she explained of Lindeberg.

• "He gets that. He's not trying to retouch you or put a pretty light on you."

O.J. Simpson

O.J. Simpson

• Are you outraged? • Aren’t magazine

covers manipulated all the time?

• Isn’t it obvious that this cover illustration was manipulated?

Is this misleading?

Think back to how much work and trouble it was for Matthew Brady create the altered Civil War photo (and how disgusting it must have been). Now its as easy as…

• This photographer was discovered and fired – but for each photographer whose digital manipulation is discovered, countless “photo-journalists” get away with it.

Dove Soap … The Evolution of Beauty…

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knEIM16NuPg

How does cropping change an image?

• Weegee pushed in the frame the ugly lady that's missing in order to make a more striking and tension-laden picture.)

NPPA Code of Ethics

“It is the individual responsibility of every photojournalist at all times to strive for pictures that report truthfully, honestly and objectively.”

THE END ?

Image Sources • http://photographyheat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Photo-Manipulation-14.jpg • http://latestwebstuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Funny-Photoshopped-61.jpg • http://designmodo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Photo-Manipulation-Art-28.jpg • http://www.designboom.com/weblog/images/images_2/leigha/fakingit/fakeit1.jpg • http://www.menaulprinting.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Lucy-retouching-before-and-.jpg • http://picturescollections.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Creative-Photo-Manipulation.jpg • http://history120sm.typepad.com/photos/matthew_brady_a_photo_ess/rebel20sharpshooter.html • http://www.photoretoucher.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/abraham-lincoln-picture.jpg • http://twistedsifter.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/kent-state-massacre-fencepost-removal-photoshop-doctored.jpg • http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/photos/uncategorized/picture_11_3.jpg • http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5251/5509370918_0e19e8ddd5_z.jpg • http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PsWcfzAIWLo/Se4i9-5jcrI/AAAAAAAAApU/Y3MYy0i_pyc/s1600/madonna-lingerie+photoshop.jpg • http://0.tqn.com/d/urbanlegends/1/0/m/2/missing.jpg