Comments on: Photo Editing of Famous People and Places http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places Food - Photography & More Mon, 21 May 2012 19:06:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24217 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:27:04 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24217 Laura, A great comment, it's quite incredible isn't it? My gym is full of men in their late forties who are taking steroids and growth hormone to 'look good'. Unfortunately they don't and their vital organs aren't thanking them either. Why people care so much about other people's opinions of their looks I don't know. It's dangerous ground, it really is. As for your late friend well, it's a shame to say but I'm not suprised. How sad. Miles Laura,
A great comment, it’s quite incredible isn’t it? My gym is full of men in their late forties who are taking steroids and growth hormone to ‘look good’. Unfortunately they don’t and their vital organs aren’t thanking them either.
Why people care so much about other people’s opinions of their looks I don’t know. It’s dangerous ground, it really is. As for your late friend well, it’s a shame to say but I’m not suprised. How sad.

Miles

]]> by: Laura http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24216 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:45:57 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24216 Thanks for this Miles! There is more than digital enhancement at issue here . . . There is Botox and other poisons and fillers such as Restylane to plump up facial lines(which Twigs has a LOT of in her cheeks) , inject sculpting and laser skin resurfacing going on - none of which count as "plastic surgery" because they are not surgeries. These are expensive, varying degrees of temporary and extremely effective in making one look young. Then there is expert makeup application and lighting as was shown so beautifully in the video that Melissa flagged for us. THEN there is photo enhancement, which was chilling in the Dove video. The already beautiful, prepared model's neck was lengthened by an inch or two and her eyes were made proportionally the size of a 4-year old relative to her other features. (As my favorite Prof. used to point out - we as primates will respond more positively to a neotenous appearance and care more for it as we would for an infant.) Does all this add up to deception - yes, in my opinion, absolutely it does. But more importantly, I think it leads ordinary people down some slippery slopes of self-mutilation because they think they need to play the game like filmstars and celebs do. We caught a good documentary recently in BBC America called "Super Botox Me" with late 30-something journalist Kate Spicer - who took a tour through some of these treatments in NY and LA. It was really quite frightening to see her going through some of those things. I recommend it if you haven't seen it already. Also, has anyone seen Alison Moyet lately? She looks 20 years younger than she did 30 years ago. . .) On a related note, I used to have a family friend who died of AIDS and he told me that when he was very sick but still ambulatory, he got more compliments than he had ever gotten in his life from passers-by. They all told Vin how wonderful he looked with his skinny new frame and pressed him for info on how he lost so much weight. Thanks for this Miles!

There is more than digital enhancement at issue here . . .

There is Botox and other poisons and fillers such as Restylane to plump up facial lines(which Twigs has a LOT of in her cheeks) , inject sculpting and laser skin resurfacing going on - none of which count as “plastic surgery” because they are not surgeries. These are expensive, varying degrees of temporary and extremely effective in making one look young.

Then there is expert makeup application and lighting as was shown so beautifully in the video that Melissa flagged for us.

THEN there is photo enhancement, which was chilling in the Dove video. The already beautiful, prepared model’s neck was lengthened by an inch or two and her eyes were made proportionally the size of a 4-year old relative to her other features. (As my favorite Prof. used to point out - we as primates will respond more positively to a neotenous appearance and care more for it as we would for an infant.)

Does all this add up to deception - yes, in my opinion, absolutely it does. But more importantly, I think it leads ordinary people down some slippery slopes of self-mutilation because they think they need to play the game like filmstars and celebs do.

We caught a good documentary recently in BBC America called “Super Botox Me” with late 30-something journalist Kate Spicer - who took a tour through some of these treatments in NY and LA. It was really quite frightening to see her going through some of those things. I recommend it if you haven’t seen it already. Also, has anyone seen Alison Moyet lately? She looks 20 years younger than she did 30 years ago. . .)

On a related note, I used to have a family friend who died of AIDS and he told me that when he was very sick but still ambulatory, he got more compliments than he had ever gotten in his life from passers-by. They all told Vin how wonderful he looked with his skinny new frame and pressed him for info on how he lost so much weight.

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24212 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:26:28 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24212 Great comments everyone, it will be interesting to see if there is a stronger backlash to this but somehow I doubt it. Miles Great comments everyone, it will be interesting to see if there is a stronger backlash to this but somehow I doubt it.

Miles

]]> by: Anne http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24201 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:45:04 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24201 Miles, A thoughtful post. I would agree that there is always room for art and amazing images can be created with photography and software. However, I prefer the photography of nature, being landscape, people, animals to be more or less unaltered and captures in the natural state. If altered then it should be declared as such. "I wonder how comfortable some of these women are about it?" I, personally would be very uncomfortable being subsequently seen in my 'true' image. Whilst I agree with Cid about people's awareness of image manipulation, not everyone is and many people remain vulnerable about their own self esteem. Age or gender do not matter in this regard. Anne Miles,
A thoughtful post. I would agree that there is always room for art and amazing images can be created with photography and software.
However, I prefer the photography of nature, being landscape, people, animals to be more or less unaltered and captures in the natural state. If altered then it should be declared as such.
“I wonder how comfortable some of these women are about it?” I, personally would be very uncomfortable being subsequently seen in my ‘true’ image.
Whilst I agree with Cid about people’s awareness of image manipulation, not everyone is and many people remain vulnerable about their own self esteem. Age or gender do not matter in this regard.
Anne

]]> by: Melissa http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24199 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:57:01 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24199 Miles and gang, Check out this "Dove evolution" YouTube video. It's short and absolutely amazing. Shows just what you're talking about here, Miles. And we wonder why young women (and older women) struggle with self esteem issues. It's hard when they are comparing themselves to a "doctored" image. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U Melissa Miles and gang,

Check out this “Dove evolution” YouTube video. It’s short and absolutely amazing. Shows just what you’re talking about here, Miles. And we wonder why young women (and older women) struggle with self esteem issues. It’s hard when they are comparing themselves to a “doctored” image.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

Melissa

]]> by: Cid http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24196 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:38:50 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24196 Miles, How many times have we all been watching a programme or film where a painting of someone hangs above the mantelpiece? More often than not the image is very flattering, even bordering on Disney. How would I feel if that was a painting of me.... well in matters such as this, I'm too much of a realist and I'd hate the deception. The public know this about magazine covers and articles so they are looking for signs of air-brushing and manipulation and just assume every image is doctored.... bit sad that. Cosmetic companies have lots of competition so I don't see them changing their tactics any day soon but an honest approach might actually sell more product in my opinion. I say all this Miles, but really I hate having my picture taken flattering or otherwise.... the very thought of it fills me with dread. Perhaps you have to have an enormous ego or perhaps you have to be a ruthless business person who knows these images sell and on-lookers believe what they see? Cid p.s. for my next business venture I'll be plucking a northern, ex engineer out of vintage book selling obscurity and turning him into the next Twiggy, with nothing more than a blonde wig and a couple of pots of organic mud pack :) I'd be very grateful if you could take the photos though while I apply the air-brush paint directly to the model via a robotic car re-spray arm.... if nothing else Citroen might be interested :) Miles,

How many times have we all been watching a programme or film where a painting of someone hangs above the mantelpiece? More often than not the image is very flattering, even bordering on Disney. How would I feel if that was a painting of me…. well in matters such as this, I’m too much of a realist and I’d hate the deception. The public know this about magazine covers and articles so they are looking for signs of air-brushing and manipulation and just assume every image is doctored…. bit sad that. Cosmetic companies have lots of competition so I don’t see them changing their tactics any day soon but an honest approach might actually sell more product in my opinion.

I say all this Miles, but really I hate having my picture taken flattering or otherwise…. the very thought of it fills me with dread. Perhaps you have to have an enormous ego or perhaps you have to be a ruthless business person who knows these images sell and on-lookers believe what they see?

Cid

p.s. for my next business venture I’ll be plucking a northern, ex engineer out of vintage book selling obscurity and turning him into the next Twiggy, with nothing more than a blonde wig and a couple of pots of organic mud pack :) I’d be very grateful if you could take the photos though while I apply the air-brush paint directly to the model via a robotic car re-spray arm…. if nothing else Citroen might be interested :)

]]> by: Rod http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24195 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:05:07 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/photo-editing-of-famous-people-and-places#comment-24195 Miles, good post. For me it breaks down inti two areas. Adverts are a bit different, I think the implication with Twiggy is that it is the lotion that account sfor her looks when the biggest aspect is a superb make-up artist, good photographer and good after shot processing. Personally I'm not in favour of altering actual images i.e. making hips smaller and the like. I don't see anything wrong with playing around with what is alreday there though. Some newspapers need to be watched as they are now making composite pictures, putting two people together from two images, I don't like 'making your own pictures' plus of course I believe that to be suggestively misleading. Cheers Rod Miles,
good post. For me it breaks down inti two areas.
Adverts are a bit different, I think the implication with Twiggy is that it is the lotion that account sfor her looks when the biggest aspect is a superb make-up artist, good photographer and good after shot processing.

Personally I’m not in favour of altering actual images i.e. making hips smaller and the like.
I don’t see anything wrong with playing around with what is alreday there though.

Some newspapers need to be watched as they are now making composite pictures, putting two people together from two images, I don’t like ‘making your own pictures’ plus of course I believe that to be suggestively misleading.

Cheers
Rod

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