How exciting with the book!! Your breakfast looks more like you!! 🙂 I definitely think it’s wrong to photoshop ads. It’s making people feel like they need to change themselves to look like those in the ads when really the people in the ads are not perfect like they are portrayed!

wow so exciting to see your book listed!! Also I feel like Post-It should be giving you a cut of their profits. I’m sure you have increased their sales 🙂

I think the majority of magazine readers already KNOW images are photoshopped so why put laws on it? Sure, it does make things seem faker, but then you would have to also consider plastic surgery. Should those have to walk around with a label? The idea is the same – they are altering the image (of themself or an photo).

Let the magazines do what they want to do. If someone is offended by how the magazine portrays body image, then they shouldn’t pick it up in the first place. Just my two cents though..

I agree with Jessica. Photoshopping is appropriate for certain situations… but not when is presents an unrealistic… unreachable viewpoint.

amazing!!! It really seems unreal for you!!

I think majority of people know stuff it photo-shopped not that I agree with it though.

Wow Caitlin! I’m totally going to pre-order your book, that’s SO exciting!

I think putting restrictions on photoshopping would be nearly impossible to monitor and police. That being said, I think it’s the responsibility of the publication to be accountable for themselves. Fitness magazines especially should NOT photoshop their models. GAH!

Even before photoshop, there were artists who would paint their ideal of beauty. Their paintings were definitely flattering to the subjects because if not, they wouldn’t get the commission! I think it’s in human nature to want to view things that are impossibly beautiful.

I think models should represent themselves and us! so I think photoshopping is basically stripping their identity away from them! So in advertisement that appeals to people like us, yes I believe they should ban it.

Congrats on the book! That’s SUPER exciting 🙂

As for photoshopping, I tend to agree with Diana above. Photoshopping will happen to some degree and it’s a lesser evil in certain arenas (high fashion, maybe?). It is NOT ever okay to photoshop in mags like SELF, Shape, Fitness, etc. These are magazines that feature healthy guides for fitness and nutrition, and photoshopping someone’s lovehandles completely goes against the philosophy.

Congrats Caitlin! So happy for you!

I don’t think photoshopping is wrong at all… but much of that opinion probably comes from the fact that I have grown older and have also grown wiser and more confident and knowledgable. I now know for a fact that a large percentage of what the “perfection” in a photo I am looking at is doctored. I also am confortable with myself and don’t look to images in an attempt to attain something I am not, body-wise.

Yes, this kind of thing can be a detriment to girls/women, but I am not a fan of policing the media or fashion mags because it is not up to those people to babysit us as a society. They are free to put out what they wish. It is a parent’s responsibility to get a good message out their young women so this stuff doesn’t have the chance to affect them in a negative way in the first place.

No one should live life in such a naive manner that they really believe they are supposed to look exactly like a model on a runway or a face in a catalogue. I know it happens, but you can’t hold those in that business responsible for the mental/physical well-being of the general public.

I can’t wait to buy your book!

For the photoshopping thing..I think magazines should include one “real” picture for every fake picture. I was just looking at a picture of a nudist beach in Germany – no I’m not a pervert, it was in an encyclopedia! – and all the people looked so REAL. It was refreshing! I think the picture was probably taken about 15 years ago but still…I loved the fact that they looked so comfortable in their bodies.

Congrats on the book….so exciting! And I agree completely with what above commenters have said. Photoshopping is getting ridiculous.

I agree with most of the other posts here…Photoshopping is okay to a point (lighting, background, etc,); but when body parts are removed or slimmed to a point of being unrecognizable…that’s ridiculous!

Yeah pre-order, so cool! Photoshopping has just become out of hand. I can understand making someone’s skin a little clear or messing with shadows. But making people not looks like themselves is insane.

YEA! Can’t wait till your book comes out ~ congrats again:)

Photoshopping…..wrong! When they photoshopped FAITH HILL ~ Faith Hill ~ I couldn’t believe it. Since then, I don’t believe any of the photos in/on any magazine!!!

Ditto to what most other commenters said. I especially agree with Madison; “I think what it all boils down to is money. Lots of these companies care less about what these altered images are doing to people. These companies and magazines use photo-shopping to make us want to buy whatever they are trying to sell…a pair of jeans, cosmetics, magazines.” I certainly fall into that trap. When I see a favorite celebrity of mine with a bangin’ body on a magazine cover, I’m more likely to buy it.

…Which leads to my answer about your question regarding fitness magazines. I think it’s one thing to photoshop the cover image for a fashion magazine. Sometimes magazines want a certain “aesthetic” to be portrayed through the clothing, and altering the image might enhance that. But when it comes to fitness/health magazines slimming down the cover model then having articles inside about how to “love your body” and what not…well that’s straight up hypocrisy (and takes away from the credibility of the magazine, in my opinion). And I hate when magazines/celebrities say “look, look, we didn’t photoshop this image!” like we should be proud of them or something. Um, isn’t that the way it SHOULD be?

I don’t really think photoshopping is wrong. I think it’s more important to educate people, especially children/teens, that everything you see in the media is not as it appears. And that goes for movies, television, magazines, radio, etc.

Photoshopping can get ridiculous, though, like when they removed Demi Moore’s hip. Who did they think they were kidding?

I really dislike when fitness magazines photoshop. It is counter-intuitive to the purpose of their magazine, and to me, it undermines their product.

I also really dis-like when plus-size clothing stores use thin models for their catalogues. Not helpful!

So many greet and reflected feedbacks already, I agree to a lot of what has been said.

For me photoshopping is wrong, if it is not just to fix the light, red eyes- stuff we all do! But when the people who are photographed are being photoshopped to look a certain way, it is just yet another reminder that we don’t accept and appreciate this we call “flaws”. It does create a false image of beauty, and as long as the practice of photoshopping continues these constructions are reproduced and keep influence people.

I have no good solution to the problem, but it would be rather interesting if magazines started to inform the reader about what has been done to the pictures they print. Like a food label where it could stand ” The hips of these models has been slimmed down”. Perhaps that would function as an eye-opener and make people ask : WHY do people find it necessary to photoshop- why not show the person as she or he is?

1) I think a huge amount of photoshopping is bad. I don’t mind covering up a few zits, but taking inches off someone’s waist is ridiculous.
2) I don’t think warning levels would help – I think most women know. I don’t even know that it should be outlawed, because there’s a spectrum of photo shopping. I think powerful industry people need to take initiative, and women need to start spending discriminately – $ is voting!

Congrats on the book!

What a great topic!

Here is my take on Photoshopping.

I am an Artist and Photographer – against Photoshopping. Now, while I do not deny using the program for school projects etc, I do not advocate Photoshop use. Now I understand color correcting etc. but altering the way someone looks and distorting reality is just wrong.

Like it our not magazines want to sell their products – there is a good chance if we saw a “normal” person on the cover we might not buy it. There is something about seeing someone who is perfect that intrigues us.

I do not like photoshop but I think it is here to stay, I am not sure warning labels would work.

Good thoughts and great conversation here!

Julia
http://jewliagoulia.blogspot.com

The ban may have been proposed in Britain – but it was by a Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament which will never be in power.

Just think it’s slightly misleading to suggest that we’re moving towards the ban when really it’s a minority, third party that is merely campaigning on it. It’s supported by maybe 5% of MPs http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=40487&SESSION=903

– CJ

wow-I didn’t realize your book would be out so soon!

But, from one Caitin to another, I will definitely buy it 🙂

it’s so sad that young women and even adult women can often be found comparing themselves to what’s on/in a magazine. of course they are photoshopped! no one looks that good, but it does give girls the wrong impression, making them/us want to aim for perfection when there is no such thing! i always try to look away, because it can lead to negative thoughts about myself.
i’m not sure what would help. i do like seeing ‘before and after’ photoshop images. i just wish every girl out there could see them!

i’m going to try that smoothie recipe one of these days! esp. since it’s so hot here in phx! i just need to remember to get cherries at the grocery store…

Photoshopping celebrities does make me mad! They’re already attractive as it is– we don’t need to make unattainable body types the “norm” on our magazine covers! I know they STILL influence my body image (as much as I try not to let it!) and I think they affect our general population’s expectations, too! Women (as well as photoshopped men) don’t look like that in real life! And it’s easy to forget just HOW much photoshopping goes into those covers!

I’m not sure a warning label would do much for me– just like on cigarette packages, I’m pretty sure it would go unnoticed after seeing it regularly.

I would love to support a magazine that bans all photoshopping from their cover and content! Hopefully that will happen someday. 😀

I saw that Photoshop website before and want as many people to see it as possible — NO ONE is perfect, not even the most gorgeous celeb.

I have no problem with photoshopping! I know that every picture is retouched, so what’s the big deal? It’s like saying that we should complain about romantic comedies and demand that movies show dysfunctional, arguing couples instead because that is what’s “real”. I also think it’s silly to say that magazines are “responsible” for anything. If you choose to buy a magazine, don’t complain about it! No one’s forcing you. And if you really need a magazine to validate how you feel about yourself, the issue is NOT the photoshopping. For every skinny and photoshopped model, there are plenty of women in real life to look at, so there’s no excuse for saying that you feel the need to meet an “unrealistic” standard. NO ONE is setting a standard! We buy into this because we’re all insecure, but I find it frustrating when people blame it on the media. Why would I blame the media for thinking I need to be skinny, when I can look at my mother/sister/friends, etc and see that “real women” all look different? There’s plenty of healthy and real inspiration that doesn’t come from a magazine. And why would it be more helpful to see a “real” woman with cellulite and bad skin in a magazine? That implies that seeing imperfections in someone else will make us feel better about ourselves, and that is NOT self-confidence.

my first thoughts (haven’t even read through the other comments yet, but this was my initial reaction, and I’m going to be way in the minority here –

sorry, I think magazines have an artistic lisence to photoshop. I read magazines as an escape and want to admire fantastic beauty in them. I don’t want to see the girl next door or myself with no makeup, I can see that every day. I WANT to see unachievable perfection, because it looks good on the page. it’s creative and inspiring.

as for it affecting womens’ self-esteem/making them try to live up to this unachievable “digitized” standard – I know it’s ridiculous to compare how I look every second or what my life is like to how magazines portray people and stuff. there’s real life, and then there’s magazines. I like to keep that line there. I don’t want magazines to COMPROMISE for real life!

i’m sorry if this offends anyone 🙂 this is also coming from someone who loves graphic design and photography in general, hehe, so I’m definitely looking at it largely from an “artistic lisence” standpoint. which pretty much sums up how i look at life LOL

Hmm…. this is a tough one! As a photographer, my aim is to “enhance” the beauty that I see in everyone. That said, I NEVER create a plastic looking barbie doll, or falsify how someone truly looks. I often lessen the look of wrinkles on faces, take away blemishes in skin, and enhance white teeth and eyes. My clients often have no idea that they’ve been photoshopped, because it still looks like them. This is very important. I NEVER want my images to look photoshopped, but I would never show the client the original image. I think that if you were to look at the original image, the client would not think poorly of themselves, but the photo would not looked “polished” or professional, and look like just another snapshot. But in comparing the “polished” image to the original, blemishes stand out like a sore thumb! (just as in the case of Kim Kardashian’s photos – she’s brave to have had that published!)
However, I DO feel that artists and advertisers have a responsibility to keep expectations of the public realistic. There is far too much power held by advertisers and photographers, and they do not always make the right decision. It’s too easy to try and make your art look the best and forget that people are looking for images to emulate.

I think it’s funny that people are ok with blemish retouching but not body retouching (we can all agree that glare, shadow, etc falls into a different category). What about people who feel bad that their skin doesn’t look as good? People are insecure about all sorts of physical things that have nothing to do with body size.

While I think it’s awesome that so many of the readers and commentors who say that photoshop isn’t wrong because “they know better” (i.e. know that the media promotes unrealistic standards, a lack of racial & body diversity, and that nobody ever looks THAT perfect), it’s also important to recognize that for every woman who “knows better” there are tons of who allow those ads to eat them up inside. Why do we need stereotypically beautiful women to sell cars or dresses or purses or a freaking toothbrush or body wash? Why do we need to send the message that “if you want to own this and look this hot, you must strive to look like Kim Kardashian (when we make her look as if she’s 20lbs thinner than she is)? Why is Kim’s natural body shape, which is curvy and beautiful, something to be ashamed of? You would think that in 2010 we’d be at a place where ALL sizes, and not just the “curvy” models in Glamour (which are a size 12 at the largest) are celebrating diversity when they are pushed to the back of the page. And I’m not even talking about body size, really: all the models have perfect, straight, white teeth, tan skin, no wrinkles or skin imperfections, etc. It’s so unsettling, and makes me want to stop purchasing magazines at all so I don’t have to look at them.

I don’t understand why people’s imperfections are so wrong? So what if someone has a little cellulite or some rolls. Not everyone is built the same. I think if magazines stopped photoshopping EACH picture, then we’d stop judging ourselves and others so harshly. Oh and I do not believe that a disclaimer will deter any eating disorders or views on our society. Has it really worked for cigarettes? I don’t think so. I don’t know anyone who has read the label and gone “OHMYGOSH, I didn’t know these could cause cancer!”

August 3rd is right around the corner! Congrats!

I just assume everyone’s skin is photo-shopped. Especially in magazines, jut because everything looks so unreal. I don’t mind the skin thing so much, but I reeeeally wish they’d stop photo-shopping women to look smaller. Like that Faith Hill picture on that website. She has a normal arm in the original picture, and they edited it to make it look SO small and bony! Whyyy? I don’t get it. I wish there was some way to limit how much you can edit a published photo, or that more famous people would take a stance against it.

I dated a man for 7 weeks. He took a photo of us together, nothing revealing, prom style, when we were dressed up. He had a photo shop package and enlarged my breasts cosiderably and showed it to me. I was in shock! Prior to us going out, I explained that I had recently had a double mastectomy and reconstruction and that I had a difficult time deciding to date again and he said it did not bother him. When I expressed my hurt feelings, he offered a vague apology and sarcastically said he might need to ask his guy friend how he felt about his bicepts that he had photshopped as well. I do not think I would have been pleased, even without the trauma of the surgery. Am I being too sensitive?