Seventeen magazine recently responded to a petition of more that 80,000 signatures to publish photographs of models that don’t look touched up, and to “celebrate every kind of beauty.” The magazine’s editor in chief recently published a "Body Peace Treaty" where she promised to more transparent about its photo shoots by posting images of the shoots on the magazine’s Tumblr blog so readers could see the progression of the pictures.
This got me thinking about this same debate on a local photography level. Today, photographers can purchase portrait enhancing plug-ins to literally transform their subjects into perfection. The plug-ins can do anything from smoothing skin tones and removing blemished to literally reshaping someones face. Where is the line?
As a Children's photographer, I have no reason to use portrait enahancing software, but I do understand why some photographers will use them. But where is the line? Is it ok to alter Senior Portraits using this kind of software if the end result is a happy client? Who cares if the pictures doesn't really look like them anymore? Well, I do, but that is only one person's opinion. I think it is OK to smooth out some skin, and remove a few unwanted bumps, or whiten some teeth; but reshaping someones face and making their eyes bigger?? Not so much.
Here is the article from the NY Times for reference...
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/after-petition-drive-seventeen-magazine-commits-to-show-girls-as-they-really-are/