Let’s Talk Photoshop

I recently read a sad article about young girls Photoshopping themselves to appear “social media ready.” The photographer took portraits of these young ladies and asked them to use the editing tools to make the changes they felt were important before the photo could be shared and the results were shocking, yet not surprising. Most of these girls made their faces thinner, enlarged their eyes and lips, and added makeup. Most of these edits were to the extreme, often making the end result look nothing like the original portrait, almost a completely different person.

I remember when I was in college studying photography I was home for the summer and my little sister, who was eleven at the time, asked me if I could take some photos of her with her new hair cut. I was dismayed when she asked me afterwards if I could edit her to look like her favorite Victoria’s Secret supermodel.  Instead, I showed her videos of real models being photographed and edited. Those videos , which shocked my generation and lead us to feel that magazines were false and real beauty couldn’t be found within them, only inspired the younger generation to take on editing for themselves. And with editing and Photoshop tools being so easy to use, affordable, and accessible these days, it is no surprise that girls are now editing all of their pictures right on their phones in just a few quick seconds before posting them. There is a whole new wave of false Photoshopped images online, but they’re not just for the magazines anymore.

I have actually seen teenagers take selfies with their camera phones and with a touch of a button make their skin tanner, their stomachs thinner, their noses smaller, and their eyes and lips bigger in all under a minute before hitting the upload button.

It makes me sad to realize that photoshopped beauty standards aren’t the enemy anymore; in fact, it’s the next big trend for the average person. Most women pay for those apps to make themselves appear “prettier” or “sexier” for Instagram or their other social media profiles. 

But you’re a photographer so you use Photoshop, right?

The simple answer to that is yes, I use Photoshop as a professional photographer. The majority of my editing is in Lightroom for color corrections, exposure, and using my own custom color and black and white presets. I use Photoshop to remove trash and distracting objects from backgrounds, to bring in details in underexposed elements like a bright cloud, to diminish a blemish or bruise, and to smooth out fabric. But I actually do not Photoshop my clients or myself to change their shape or their features. I will not make anyone look slimmer or curvier or tanner or change their face to make them fit a fake beauty standard. If a strap is cutting into a woman’s arm due to a pose, I will smooth that out, but I will not make any changes to a person’s form simply for aesthetics. I truly believe that all of my clients have their own natural beauty, and as a photographer, it is my job to pose and light my clients in the best possible way to bring out that beauty. No editing necessary.

I wanted to share these thoughts and values with you today because I truly believe that humans are unique and lovely, without makeup or Photoshop. If we saw more photographs of natural beauty, natural skin, natural hair, and natural makeup, perhaps we could change our culture and teach each other that real beauty is attainable and that these edited looks are simple trendy fashion fads that come and go but never last. Like the style of jeans over the past few decades, the beauty norm will keep changing. If we saw more real images, perhaps we would be kinder to ourselves to to others. 

This is also my promise to my clients and my readers that what you see is what you get. When you step in front of my camera and when you receive your final photos, the images are of your beautiful self. I didn’t edit you away. And the photos I post of myself are true to life as well. What you see is what you get.

During our honeymoon we had professional portraits taken in Paris by very talented photographer. I was a little sad getting back some photos from my honeymoon. I loved the photos so much, but my trained eye (as well as my own knowledge of my own body) confirmed that the images were Photoshopped. I was made to look thinner than I actually was. It was subtle, but I noticed it and it did not make me feel good about myself.

And once again, while in Rome during our honeymoon, my husband and I got up early and were taking photos of ourselves in front of the Colosseum when a photographer from Hong Kong asked if he could use us as his models in exchange for photos. We posed for a few minutes. When we got the photos back my husband was left the same, but I could very quickly see that my arms, back, neck, chin, shoulders, and face was edited to look slimmer. My nose was edited too. Extra makeup was added to my eyes. The changes felt drastic to me, again, because I know what I really look like. I understand that there were cultural differences at play, as each country and culture has its own set of beauty standards and I was edited to fit into the beauty standards for Hong Kong, but there is something really off putting about a stranger feeling the need to edit the way you look, to know that someone took time to hide what they perceive as your “flaws.”

The images above are the professional photos taken during that trip. 

The photos below are images that I took myself using a tripod or with Matthew’s help. As you can see, I have a whole lot more meat on my bones in these photos, especially in my arms. 

For special portraits I will smooth out wrinkles in clothing, blemishes on skin, and small temporary imperfections, but I will not alter the way a person looks, including myself. Doing so wouldn’t be honest to the people who view my images and it could be harmful to other women. 

Before our wedding, I was actually under a lot of stress (surprisingly not from the wedding itself, but more because of situations that were breaking out between numerous family members leading up to our big day). I ended up putting on a whopping 12 pounds before our wedding, the heaviest I have ever been, and I did not feel particularly beautiful or healthy on our wedding day and during the honeymoon. When I look back at the photos that were taken during that time, I do see the imperfections that came about during this emotional struggle, but I also see someone who is strong and I am able to look back with a new light, a less judgmental view on myself. Photoshopping out the perceived flaws does not make them go away in the slightest, it only further damages the way I feel about myself. So I am going to stand tall and paint myself with the kind and gentle light that I give to others much more than I give to myself. We do tend to be our own harshest critics. 

When I find myself harshly critiquing an image of myself, I’ll pause and ask myself, “if the girl in that photo was a stranger, would I actually think those things about her?” Often I find that no, if the girl in the photograph was indeed a stranger, I wouldn’t have the same negative thoughts. 

Was there a time where you felt the need to edit a photo of yourself or had your feelings hurt by someone making the decision to edit something about you? I would like to hear your experiences in the comments below and the strategies you used to combat those feelings. Together, lets make a pact to accept ourselves with our natural beauty in order to help the women in our lives do the same.