As a photographer and social media user, I am very familiar of our photoshopped culture. It's promoted by our influencers for easily-accessed apps, morphed our sense of healthy body image, muddled our sense of reality and misled many. There is a fine line between manipulating an image to optimize the angle and distorting a body unrealistically. And because of the consistency of unrealistic body sizes due to photoshop, the practice, as a whole, has negatively impacted society.
Social media filters make catfishing easy and kids developing body dysmorphia early on. From slimming to removing skin blemishes to over-smoothing, photoshop has become excessive as the desire to look perfect for the 'gram has become obsessive. Is there an art to photoshop and photography? Absolutely. There's a time and place for that, like if someone's eyes are closed, a stranger walked across the background or there was a visiting zit on your skin. But if it's more about making a body look more airbrushed and "picture perfect," that’s unattainable because it doesn’t exist. And even if there is a perfect body, it does not look like one shade of melanin, one style of hair, one size of thighs or one texture of skin! That mindset behind much of society’s efforts with photoshop is what has destructed so many minds and disrupted our sense of normality. And yet we have already transitioned with ease and embraced this filtered reality. Though pushback against photoshop is real, but so is the hate when people actually post their real bodies on social media. And I get it. I’ve been there before! I’ve gone overboard with the spot removal on my own photos due to insecurity. It’s ok if you don’t love every photo of yourself! Discovering your self-worth is a journey and I understand firsthand how hard it can be to even look in the mirror.
This is why there must be BALANCE with the amount of photoshop. We must get back to reality and deliver images with authenticity. If we as a society want to build a more authentic culture, it's got to start with our most powerful medium: photoshop with personal images. Because-let’s be real-no one relates to "perfect" because "perfect" doesn't exist. :) Beauty standards are BS! We have got to drop the excessive photoshop and focus on the real things in life: that you are worthy and perfect and enough, just as you are. Photoshop is a power tool that must be utilized positively, not for rejecting our normal "flaws" that make us human. Cuz guess what? Your stretch marks, acne, curves, height, weight, scars; they are what makes you YOU. Your scars tell the story of how far you’ve made it to today. They make you one-of-a-kind; special edition! As my girl, Taylor, sings it, “You’re the only one of you-baby, that’s the fun of you!”
So, to encourage authentic beauty and combat the deception stemming from excess Photoshop, I choose only to remove prominent but temporary blemishes, like those hormonal zits or that new cut your baby started rocking last week. There is no distortion of the proportions of your body; just what’s shot from the camera. And if you’ve got special angles you prefer of your body? That’s what the consultation call is for! I will always aim for your optimized angles while encouraging your unfiltered personality. As described in my session process, “Basic photoshop such as spot removal will be used to enhance your photos, but the goal is for you to look like YOU!” As your portrait photographer, it is my job to tell your story authentically. You’re the main character, baby! You have nothing to hide because you are everything you are intended to be in this very moment. Here’s to celebrating your beautiful life, scars and all. :)
