Lipgloss & Lace
by Mandie Mutchie
And no, I don’t mean to question whether or not you should hit the mall (or better yet, local boutique). What I am questioning, of course, is photoshop!
In my first article of the year (link to first article), I delved into the subject of body image, and how a whole size range of bodies should be appreciated and displayed in ads.
Now, my question leads another direction… Whether you’re sticking with the stick-thin models, or exploring more into average, athletic, curvy or plus models, what are your thoughts on Photoshop?
Most of the photographer I’ve worked with definitely take the time and state their case – that they’d like the image to be as perfect in the camera as possible, so they can minimize the time they spend editing in the post-production (read -photoshop). Now, it is extremely rare to even have a photographer part with images before they’ve been retouched in some way – be it color/lighting adjustments, cropping, or fixing something on a model.
As a makeup artist, sometimes I am expected to provide unretouched pictures, since as this humorous mock ad shows, it is easy to change things in photoshop to perfect them (such as making a lipstick line straighter, evening out shadow, covering blemishes, etc).
Models are also often asked for polaroids, so that it is clear that is what the model REALLY looks like, so that the client knows exactly what to expect when the model walks through the door. I am so accustomed to seeing my chicken pox scar that is in the middle of my forehead shopped out that sometimes I am astonished when I see candid pictures of myself and it’s there!
So where does it stop? As lingerie designers, do you feel any guilt when you ask for a waist to be slimmed? Do you want your potential customers to see the dream experience of what your lingerie would be on a “perfect body,” or do you want them to feel like they can identify with your models and feel confident it will look good on them, too?
As much as choosing extra thin models could hurt the self-esteem of females, and expectations of males in our society, what about when we see everyone through a lens of perfection, powered by photoshop? There is definitely a level of deception, too… So what makes it ok? Or what doesn’t?
It would seem as though there would be a fine line between the two, and I would love to hear from you on where you stand with your brand! Just don’t get TOO photoshop happy – you may end up on this list though I suspect that some of those are just lighting/posing issues and not photoshop-related!
I look forward to hearing from you and learning about where you draw your photoshop line!
Amanda Mutchie began her professional modeling career nearly ten years ago, and has appeared in many national and international publications, and commercials. Over the course of her modeling
career, she worked with many acclaimed makeup artists, learning from them along the way. She eventually became a makeup artist herself and started FaceScape Artistry. Now she works with incredible photographers, models, brides, and other clients to create glamorous as well as natural makeup looks. She also channels her passion for fitness and nutrition and desire to help others into her work as a beachbody coach, and is pursuing her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
For more information on Mandie go towww.MandieM.com, www.facescapeartistry.com, email Mandie at mandelicious@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @mandelicious. Don’t forget to “like” her pages on facebook, too! www.facebook.com/MandieLM &www.facebook.com/FaceScapeArtistry
*Photo by Rafal Krolik of Seville Media