Archive May 6, 2011 Academic, Media

PHOTOSHOP: FRIEND OR FOE?

I, for one, have no idea how to maneuver Photoshop. I know the basics, but the extent to which some photographers use Photoshop to alter their images is both incredibly disturbing and really very impressive. It is, in fact, emerging as its own art form. The images below are good examples of this phenomenon, and I’m going to take this opportunity to ask a question that’s been on my mind since my high school photography teacher first showed me how to change the color of a subject’s eyes. Is Photoshop our friend? Is it simply just another example of our technology-happy society? OR, as these images may prove to you, is it a legitimate art form that deserves our respect, love and attention?

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What about media? on May 6, 2011 at 7:40 pm
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You didn’t mention the pervasive use of photoshopping to change the way that models appear in magazines or in advertisements. These pictures clearly give people (especially young women) unrealistic ideas about what they are supposed to look like.

I don’t mean to preach to the choir. I do hope that she-bomb will refrain from picturing photoshopped models or photos embracing unhealthy body image. Maybe this would be a good subject for a different post?
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JuJuBEAN on May 7, 2011 at 2:01 pm
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An excellent recommendation! While Photoshop as an art form and Photoshop as a social narrative are two completely different (though related) subjects, you’re right- Photoshop has been used (often against the model’s will) to alter the human form. But this is more of a reflection on the people behind Photoshop and not Photoshop itself.

However, for strictly compositional purposes, I would also argue that just because the subject of a photograph looks (or doesn’t look) a certain way does not make the piece any less of an art form. The featured image, for example, exhibits an undeniably idealist interpretation of the female body. But it also is an image that reflects impressive creativity and skill, which should not be negated by the potential political nature of the piece.

At the end of the day, I suppose our interpretations depend on the lens (pun intended) from which you choose to view such photographs; the Nikon Social Narrative 70-200MM or the Canon Creative Compositional Wide Angle.

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