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,”
We’ve seen thousands of pictures
• For many recipients of the email, the concerning the attack. However this
manipulated photo created very real one will make you cringe. A simple
emotions to a society that was tourist getting himself photographed
already raw. 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."
Visit this website for a step-by-step
digital manipulation demo.
http://demo.fb.se/e/girlpower/retouch/
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=knEIM16N
uPg
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