To retouch or not retouch, that is the question.
caoimghgin (231 points) | Fri, 2008-10-10 03:36Conservative news outlets in America are very upset at Newsweek magazine's latest cover of Sarah Palin.
Barack Obama has been featured on Newsweek at least twice since this election campaign and his photos were masterfully retouched to a fine glow. However, for Mrs. Palin, the editors of Newsweek decided to give the boys in the retouching department a day off.
Editorially speaking, one could say Palins image is the photographic equivalent of "lets have a close, warts-and-all look at this person'. However, it may well be the first Newsweek cover image without even the most basic retouching.
It occurs to me that Newsweeks decision not to retouch goes to the root of image retouching ethics. Though we accept manipulating images to create a false portrayal is morally wrong (adding extra missles that weren't there, making smoke appear more threatening, darkening OJ Simpsons complection) can we also say that the absence of basic retouching (on a closeup of a womans face) is equally as heinous?
What's your take?
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This is a very difficult subject.
I studied media, and TBH you could talk for years about media ethics.
To me, that image looks natural. She looks happy, bright and intelligent. Only when I read the tagline do I realise the publication's bias.
Publication opinion is very complex. If the tagline was - "Intelligent Woman - just what we need", with the EXACT same image, it would have a completely different message.
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Jack
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I worked for Gannett News (USA Today) for 8 years back in the late 80's and early 90's. The same bias was there then and it just got worse. Which is one reason I left the news business.
While I was there, newspaper sales began to decline sharply, so the powers that be developed an internal program called "News 2000." Basically which stated, "We not only have to report the news, but we have to tell the reader what it means to them."
I resigned my position in the first "News 2000" board meeting held in our office.
Terrell Thornhill
e-zign Design Group
I don't think retouching is as much an issue as image manipulation. When you retouch you're just smoothing out "imperfections" in an existing image. When you manipulate an image you're changing that image to suit your needs.
Retouching is fine in a news setting, but to manipulate an image, changing its original intent, I think is wrong. As Terry said, once you start trying to tell people HOW they should see the news, and crafting that message, it's no longer news. It's gossip. :)
I worked on a project for a workout video series and the model/instructor had a photoshoot after just coming through a serious illness that made her lose 80lbs. She was a very tall woman so this did NOT look healthy on her at all. It was my job to actually ADD some pounds to her frame to make her look healthier. I think in this case, to sell DVDs and present the instructor in the best possible light, this was perfectly acceptable.
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Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
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1. Can you make my tits bigger?
2. Can you remove my zits?
3. Can you fix the redeye?
4. Can you cut off my head and replace it with this pic from when I was in high school? (actual requested more than once from more than one client).
5. Can you make it look like I have more hair?
6. Can you make me thinner?
7. Can you replace my ex-wife with a pic of my girlfriend?
8. Can you fix & whiten my teeth?
9. Can you remove the bags under my eyes/wrinkles, etc.
10. Poopsie (a poodle) isn't pink anymore... Can you make her blue? Pink was just so last-year. (unfortunately yes... an actual client request).
Terrell Thornhill
e-zign Design Group
. . . of the "Slicer" Episode of Seinfeld. . .
"George goes back to the photo shop to find they put the boss back in the photograph as a cartoon. He now needs to obtain a new bare-chested photo of his boss or find a new job, perhaps the Coast Guard."
Lol I was trying to find a video clip, but . . . oh well. . . still FUNNY
"Try not, Do! or do not, there is no try."
-Yoda
Was just sent this link
http://timescorrespondents.typepad.com/charles_bremner/2009/09/my-entry-1.html
"A parliamentarian from President Sarkozy's UMP party has tabled a bill that would require a "photo retouched" label on every improved picture that appears in advertising, the media or product-wrapping. Failure to signal Photoshopping or other enhancement would be punished with a 37,500 euro fine."
Interesting.
"Try not, Do! or do not, there is no try."
-Yoda
someone who knows nothing about the industry, of course.
just put that label on everything. nobody takes a photographer's RAW image and uses it as is. we all clean up photography, even the photographer fixes basic lighting and photographic flaws. who's to determine "how much" you have to "enhance" an image? so just put the label on every single image ever printed.
ridiculous.
Bingo. That will quickly become as "effective" as putting the "Parental Warning" label on music. It immediately became a badge of honor that every musician from Slayer to Britney Spears put on their product.
There is also a huge difference between advertising projects and informational vehicles. If some client comes to me and wants purple hair and wrinkle removal - as long as she's paying for it... I'm good. When it comes to news... different story (and I've been on both ends of that, btw - advertising and journalism). However - that said... there was nothing wrong with the Palin photo imho. Editorially, the message could be just as stated above - Palin uncovered - because she (and the GOP) were obviously trying to cover up her deficiencies as a candidate. Just as the "glow' around Obama can be seen as the imaginary "glow" people were seeing concerning his campaign... "hope" for the future, etc...
The media "bias" argument is ludicrous, btw. Does anyone actually believe that some lowly photo editor has the final say as to what ends up in Newsweek? Joe Schmuck in the back room decides Palin's photo should be presented as is and everyone from the editor to the owner have to go along with it? Doesn't pass the giggle test.
lol Keep bringing this old pst back. . .
with this!
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/profiles-of-creative-pros/the-life-of-a-photoshop-artistmodel/?PID=2294914
"Try not, Do! or do not, there is no try."
-Yoda
Her people probably waited until the last minute to send over the photo and the art department was like, "I ain't staying overtime for this."