The Bad Side of Photoshop.

This post was originally created on my OTHER blog, the one I have to do for my multimedia journalism class. Fortunately, I have already been blogging for a year now, so it's not too hard for me, but keeping up with two blogs can be a tad difficult. (As you can tell, I'm having enough troubles with doing consistent posts for Eloise alone!) So why not use the same posts for my school blog AND my fun blog when applicable? Hope you all don't mind-- don't worry, it's all interesting and if you all hate it, just let me know!

By the time I began learning about Photoshop in my high school computer graphics class, all I associated with the word were magazines, advertisements and the women in them who were made unnaturally and unattainably beautiful and skinny through Photoshop. How did I come to think this? Well, those middle school years when my friends and I would all flip through Seventeen magazine and hate ourselves for being awkward, but our moms would attribute every pretty girl to being Photoshopped. Thank you mom.


Now I know it's not all about that. There really are beautiful women in this world, but I no longer feel threatened by them. Wonderful photography, make-up artists, beautiful locations and to-die-for clothing make a lovely photo, but also the toning and enhancements made through Photoshop can make a beautiful cover or advertisement. Not shaving a woman's stomach down or erasing every line in her face. Just minor enhancements can make a good picture, great.


However, every couple of months a magazine or ad comes out where it is so obvious the Photoshopping went horribly wrong. It's mostly upsetting that the integrity of the magazine is being compromised by someone's bad decision to run the photo, but also when an absolutely naturally beautiful and lovely girl is a victim of harmful airbrushing. As an inspiring art director, I'm looking to train my eye to catch these horrific mistakes and avoid it at all costs. I think if I had to guess, people would rather see the natural celebrity, rather then a fake, contorted body that is made too skinny and smooth-skinned.


Here are a few examples of some bad Photoshopping. Maybe every month you can check your favorite magazines and keep them accountable!

Zooey Deschanel's Rimmel London advertisement. What a shame to be so
retouched when she is so naturally gorgeous.

What Zooey actually looks like.

Gwyneth Paltrow's lovely Vogue cover in August 2010. Lovely apart from
the webbed fingers and odd hand positioning. 

July 2007 cover of Faith Hill. She's basically been slimmed down everywhere, most noticeably her arm.

Emma Watson's S/S 2010 Burberry campaign led to some debate with this
photo. Her leg seems to disappear behind her brother, Alex. But is it just bent?
I'm not so sure with the angle of her leg.

Poor Tina Fey looks so unnatural in Instyle April 2011. Every natural laugh line is
gone, the torso seems odd and it disappears behind the pole.

Adam Levine and girlfriend pose together for Vogue Russia. However, where
 is the bottom corner of Adam's torso?

There is no need for this kind of Photoshopping, right? Let's use our powers for good, not evil.