Hmm
written by The_Masked_Writer on January 22, 2007

Seeing is believing? Not any more. . .

Amazing - a video everyone in America should see.
written by Martin on January 22, 2007

WOW !!! That is an amazing !!!

Every woman and girl in America should see this video so they stop believing the propaganda they are immersed in from fashion magazines, advertisements, and other visual media that sends the message: "you are not pretty enough, you need to use our cosmetics" or other products. "you need to buy what we have so people will like you."

Every man and boy in America should see this video so they realize the dramatic differences photo retouching can make and that most images we see are fakes. Men should never compare their wife or girlfriend to a magazine images.

Knee jerk reaction
written by Yello on January 23, 2007

Thank you Martin for that patently knee jerk reaction. Why did you stop there? You neglected to show any proof or mention what we all supposedly know, which is that "sex sells".
Where is the logic behind your reasoning that visual media is propoganda? Do you not realize that men thrive on visual input? If a woman wants a man's attention then she must appeal to what drives him, which is what he sees. Hence, women want to look beautiful not just for themselves but for men and most wickedly, for other women because they are competing for YOUR attention.
So...when are YOU starting the Big National Campaign to stop this so-called propoganda? How exactly do you plan on altering our society so that everyone, and I mean everyone, stops buying into the idea that women are not pretty enough without beauty products?

Honest Beauty
written by Martin on January 23, 2007

Thank you Yello for asking that question and inviting the discussion. When I used the word propaganda I mean it is a deliberate effort to distribute false information to the public in order to get them to think a certain way. The images represent false information because the image is not honest. The person who is the subject of the image does not actually look like the final image that is produced after the process of extreme photo retouching. The visual effects are computer generated. A person reading a fashion magazine (if they did not keep this point in mind) might start to compare what they see in the bathroom mirror with what they see in the fashion photograph. Then they might get the impression that a particular cosmetic (or other product or process) could be used to achieve the same visual results. I have two thoughts on that issue. (1) The fact is that many of the computer generated visual results cannot be achieved using cosmetics. I think that is clear from the dramatic changes we see in the clip. Changes to skin tone, feature shape, and pupil size among them. (2) It would be healthier for society if could portray and accept a much broader definition of beauty. We should notice if society is filled with just one narrow image that qualifies as acceptable beauty and that others are not as valued. In terms of starting The Big Nation Campaign -- I think you and I have taken a small step here by having this conversation in a public place. Also, The Campaign may not attempt to directly stop the propaganda per se. But, just having these conversations can help make people aware of the issues.

honest images
written by Craig on January 29, 2007

Martin, there is no such thing as an honest image. Everything from makeup and clothing to lighting and lens perspective are used to help create a result; photoshop is just another tool. If you want "honest" then shoot everything with natural light, no makeup, and a 50mm equivalent lens. Photography isn't about honesty, it's about creating art with light. This video demostrates techniques for post-processing images and is beautiful in its own right; if you think post-processing is the realm of photoshop cheaters then you don't know much about the history of photography.

Why, Martin, do you portray women as the victims and men as the perpetrators anyway? Your comments are decidedly sexist with their instructions on what women, men, boys, and girls should do. Marketing and advertising "dishonesty" goes far beyond the innacurate portrayal of female beauty and we all suffer from it. You think that drinking the right beer gets you the girl? How would you like being a homosexual and being constantly reminded through advertising that there's something wrong with you? Photoshopping images is, frankly, the least of our problems. If you want to do women's self-image some good, campaign against the 90 pound models on the runways, not against image retouching.

Finally, who's to say, Martin, that "most images we see are fakes"? That's an absurd statement any way you look at it. What constitutes a "fake"? Anyone who fails to realize that images can be, and frequently are, manipulated is a fool. It's been that way far longer than photoshop has existed.

You will never be beautiful enough
written by Ujaya on January 29, 2007

The work in this video is very good. Pretty pictures of people are artistic and valuable. That does not mean that advertising agencies do not use these types of techniques to deliberately manipulate people, male and female into thinking that they could look this good if only they would buy more stuff. The more impossible the goal, the more stuff you will need to buy to be beautiful like the pictures in the magazines. Only, you will never be that beautiful. Ever. Because it's not real.

If you think people somehow "know" this, you're dead wrong. Ask the average teenager if they think all of the pictures in magazines are retouched or if the models and celebrities really look that way. Studies have already been done on this, young people have severely skewed body images because what they see in the media doesn't match what they see in the mirror.

This video makes a very good demonstration of how normal people can be made to look perfect. That may not have been it's intent, but I think it may have been.

I don't find Martin's comment about men not comparing their wives and girlfriends to magazine images to be sexist. I cannot tell you how many women I have met who's boyfriend/husband asked them to get breast implants. Men are being manipulated as surely as women by the constant barrage of plastic media perfection.

Attracting a mate by making yourself more attractive is certainly a primal, driving force for both sexes. This is normal and healthy. The point that some people seem to be missing is the advertisers are exploiting that tendency for all it's worth. They know how to fool us. They do it all the time.

And the point is?
written by Karl on January 31, 2007

True, it is possible to make an average women look a LOT better. But honestly, I have known and meet women that ARE stunningly beautiful as good if not better than many covergirls. The truth is that few women meet, not only the "so-called" magazine standard, but don't meet the "girl next door" standard either. The same goes for men. Few men are very good looking, amicable, intelligent and successful. It is just reality -- not imagination.

The same applies to anything. I roadrace motorcycles as a hobby. I am faster than any sportbike street rider who sometimes goes to the racetrack. Which means I am "better" than thousands upon thousands of motorcycle riders. But there are also hundreds of roadracers that are much better than me. Then, in the end, there are few of the very top -- the very best. The same applies for looks, intelligence etc etc.

In sum, to say the world is a very, very mediocre place is to put it kindly. The better someone is, the fewer they are. 1% controls most of the wealth. 1% are geniuses and perhaps 1% are beautiful. It is not a myth, it is reality that the 99% don't want to accept.

sucks
written by Kai on April 29, 2007

as professional photografer i can say that more then 90% of top models and actors HAVE TO use photoshop to looks nice

HELP!!!
written by new to photography on July 24, 2008

This is so wonderful. Can anyone please direct me to online courses/books/videos to learn this art?