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Posted: 4 months ago by Lucinda Pitt
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Too much information?

Jessica Alba

If a gaggle of politicians get their way, my boss could be fined $60,000 for my portrait on this page. They’re demanding that all digitally enhanced images are stamped with a health warning: “Photograph retouched to modify the physical appearance of a person.”

Valerie Boyer, a member of French President Sarkozy’s UMP party, believes that being confronted with unrealistic standards of female beauty could lead to various psychological problems. (I don’t think she was referring to my shot specifically.) Should the proposal be green lit, companies that don’t comply will be slapped with a five-figure fine.

Retouching (of sorts) has been going on since ancient Egypt; scientists believe the royal sculptors tweaked the famous bust of Nefertiti to smooth out her nose and the lines around her mouth. Yet I do understand the arguments against retouching.

In a Jessica Alba campaign for an alcohol brand, she looked amazing in Mario Testino’s before shot…but not amazing enough in the eyes of someone on the post-production team who shaved down her waist and legs. By a dress size and a half. Kate Winslet was famously outraged when a men’s magazine elongated her legs. And my favourite fracas is over Gisele Bundchen’s baby bump being digitally removed in an ad for a UK fashion brand to respect her privacy “during this wonderful and personal time in her life”. Sure.

There are mags on the stands which feature “airbrush-free” sections to mixed reader response; some applaud the honesty, others find it all a little TMI and want their fantasy fix back.

I think: knowledge is power and surely everyone has wised up to the fact that all in fashion, advertising (and Facebook profile pictures) is not necessarily as it appears in life.

Do you think retouced images should be stamped with a health warning? Use our comments section to have your say.

Jessica Alba

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User comments
As a graphic designer, I understand re-touching an image. The colours in the after shot are fabulous, and even the 'bronzed' look and shiny hair enhances Jessica to make her look fabulous! What I don't get it WHY they had to make her body smaller? Why do that? Sure re-touch the colours, make the photo 'POP' however, I think if they left her body shape as it were (and it is already stunning) they would have ended up with a beautiful, colourful, advertisement that popped - with a natural, feminine and sexy woman in it.
I much prefer the darker picture of the lady. It looks much more interesting, feminine and mysterious. The other picture looks like a big stiff brassy doll, with the usual sultry overblown pout to signify - you guessed it - s e x. Yes tell us the photos are retouched! This sort of thing works on a subliminal level for people. I would not have really looked at the pictures otherwise.
Women with natural beauty do not need all of these products that will only make your skin worse for wear with time.(Think about how oily make-up remover is). Another thing no one has mentioned is why celebrities don't own up to the fact that they have had plastic surgery. Jessica, Angelina, Beyonce,have all had rhiynoplasty in the past to have the same narrow little nose. All of the photographers that feel strongly about this issue should take a stand and go back to honing in on their skills as photographers so that they do not have to edit or change a part of someone's body that is completely natural.
"the reason people pay for glamour shots is because they want to see themselves looking the best that they can. It boosts confidence.." Think about that statement Claire teague photography, why does it make women feel better about themselves?? I am surprised that none of the women on here have mentioned the real reasons these images are continued to be photo-shopped....1) Most MEN love seeing ARTIFICIAL beauty. Where are the men on here to challenge me? I suppose they are to busy reading a highly edited, photo-shopped ZOO magazine. 2) I have also suffered from anorexia so I can relate to your experience to some extent. I wish I didnt have such low self esteem when I was younger as now I do not feel the need to get all dolled up(wearing as much make up as a cross dresser would) as is the trend for most women these days (No offence intended to cross dressing men).
There's a book called 'The Body Project' which discusses the stratification and objectification of women over their own bodies, turning it into a project. Superficially, I think the label will be good because it reminds you that even the women we are objectififying don't really look like that, and so therefore the companies who run those as campaigns are simply selling in ideal, aka a fallacy. Clearly their products can't do what they're campaigning they can if the women need to be digitally altered. I agree that the photos are an issue, but I think it a more overt symptom of a wider, unhealthy culture of pressure that we put on ourselves and other people, especially regarding the superficial. Superficially, so long as you appear to have it all together, then you are accepted. If not, then you are an outsider, 'othered', and problemetised. I'm not alluding that I have a solution, but rather, that I see a wider problem that causes a whole lot of stress and confusion.
I actually remember reading an article on jess in a magazine and how shes showing off her wonderful 'post baby body' when doing the campari shots, with only the photoshopped images shown. How can we truly appreciate our own beauty if fake idealistic images are being thrown at us from every direction. YES warnings should be given when photos have been altered to change the appearance.
What I have an issue with is the degree of changes made. Why did they feel the need to change her hip shape? It was perfectly nice the way it was. The lighting change in the pics used above was pretty extreme but touchup professionals can do pretty much anything and make it look believeable. There in lies the problem, we believe they could be that beautiful. I say get it right in camera and challenge the photographers to take better shots so they have to do less editing. Organic Photography....no editives. But make it high quality photography so all it needs is a little tweak not a major overhaul. Working with plenty of models I can tell you they have bad days, but if the face structure and body are there a little touch up makes them stunners!
As an older reader it's easy for me to say that I know the photos have been retouched and not realistic, but young people are still easy targets for fashion and beauty products. I can't see what's wrong with putting a warning on such photos? It doesn't harm anyone, doesn't cost anything and isn't offensive. Parents can educate their children, but as we all know, young people can be manipulated into thinking that parents are 'old' and don't know anything. I think a simple retouched message is a good idea. Where's the harm?
I think so. We may be aware of airbrushing but we are still dissatisfied with ourselves mainly thru these airbrushed images that we see. We may know that they are not real but it still puts that fantasy into our minds and it somehow turns into a reality for us, so we think we can achieve that look. Most people would have to go to drastic measures to change their appearence - excessive exercise and dieting thru to bulimia and anorexia....surgery. All these are way too common nowadays. Surgery is all too accepted now. I can think of a good handful of young girls whom I know personally who have undergone surgery for vanity purposes. Don't tell me that magazine images dont play a part. I wholly support the warning label...it will keep reminding us that it is not real and we should not accept it as real. It will prevent the fantasising and hopefully all the psychological detriments that come with it.
What I sd above. I'd be disappointed if I was her.

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