The Pros and Cons of Digital Photo Enhancement

Wed Sep 13, 2006 2:12PM EDT

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Did you catch the story about Katie Couric's slimmed-down look in an airbrushed photo in a CBS promotional magazine before she took the helm at CBS Evening News? Lots of folks were upset by it, and Katie and CBS execs mostly laughed it off.

But reader Lisa K. had a different take. The story inspired her to have a recent photo of her taken on the beach touched up to slim and shape her arms. She sent it off to PhotoChop.com (screenshot), and for $5 she has a digitally enhanced photo more to her liking. She's gone back with some more business, once to remove a fresh scrape from her son's nose.  

Lisa writes: One could argue that we are misrepresenting ourselves through these modified pictures, but the reality is that it can change a picture from something you dislike to something enjoyable. I have no moral hang-up in giving myself a little "enhancing" on my personal photos while celebrities every day are portraying themselves to the public this way.

Good point, Lisa. But I've got two girls, and I don't want them getting more messages that women should be thinner, wrinkle-free, and perfect—whatever that is. (PhotoChop's motto: With PhotoChop, you can be flawless.) So I'm not going to be spreading that message by altering my suspect photos. But, hey, there are lots of times a little blemish removal, stray hair fixing, and other enhancements just plain make a photo better. And the tools are available, so go for it.

Lisa asks if there are other services besides PhotoChop that digitally enhance photos. Do birds fly? Sure there are. Local camera stores can do the work. You can also try some basic photo editing tips and techniques with whatever photo editor you prefer.

But if you want to make finer enhancements, more advanced photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro may be the way to go. Here are some tips for using Paint Shop Pro, and a PhotoShop help site. I also found this popular step-by-step "How to Airbrush Your Photos in Photoshop" tutorial on Digg, though the result is a bit too plastic and unreal for me.

Got more tips for online or do-it-yourself photo enhancing? Please share.

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Comments on The Pros and Cons of Digital Photo Enhancement

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  • 6 Posted by robertremaxcoastal on Fri Sep 22, 2006 1:34PM EDT Report Abuse

    no sense in publishing the article w/o before and after pictures, we don't need another lecture on how women view their bodies vs the media's presentation, it's been done to death

  • 7 Posted by ashleygailey on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have no problem with removing a zit, stray hair, or scrape from photos... I use PhotoShop all the time to do so. I don't trim pounds off though. I'd like to take about 20 pounds off, but I'll do that through diet and exercise, not photo editing.

  • 8 Posted by mizutamariis on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:22PM EDT Report Abuse

    I find it so funny that I am finding this story at this precise moment. My little sister just had her senior pictures taken. When we got the prints back, none of the pictures really made her happy. Our mom had done her "makeup", which only honestly consisted of eyebrow pencil. No eye shadow, eye liner, not even blush! So I, being the Photoshop Queen, edited my sister's photos (with her permission, of course). I added the right makeup (taking the focus off her artifically brown eyebrows and restroing them to their natural blonde color), brightening teeth, taking the grey out of her hair and cleaning up lint, etc. In no way have I edited off scars, moles, freckles, etc. because, even ~I~ will admit, after so many "edits" the subject no longer looks like the family member you love! So, while I will admit that I have manipulated her photos, I am simply trying to make up for the fact that the camera is unable to capture my sister in her full beauty. I only wish I'd been able to do this sort of stuff to MY senior pictures!

  • 9 Posted by sdkidduran on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    Take it from someone who has done photography for quite some time cameras don't lie.

  • 10 Posted by lebhabee on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    i think its great i love the way i look in photos. and to speak on the topic of i dont want my girls getting the idea of being perfect i think perfection is not realalistic but to have the tool to make ur freshmen year of high school photo better i am sure that mother would have jumped at the chance. But i do feel that u need to talk to these youn woman and tell them there is perfect in every shapes color and form thanks

  • 11 Posted by shaddydog2001 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:15PM EDT Report Abuse

    yeah, let a professional, traind in Photoshop do it for you... if you want it to look natural or real.. if not, have at it!

  • 12 Posted by shaddydog2001 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:15PM EDT Report Abuse

    In Photoshop, use the square marquee tool to outling the whole Image, then go to the paint bucket and select it, next make sure that black is the foreground color and then use the paint bucket you've selected to "fill" in the whole pic with a nice black.. There.. you look better already... am I right? Now, go work out or see a plastic surgeon..moron!

  • 13 Posted by pd_campbell1992 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    OK, In reply to the rude comments posted here. Some people just don't need to be in the public weather thay can be seen or not. I believe editing photos is a wonderful idea. After all millions of cosmetics are sold every day to cover the imperfections of nature and to bring out the beauty and confidence in the end result. I see photo editing as much the same.

  • 14 Posted by efajnor on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    People should just love them self the way they are. Airbrushing and taking of pounds is silly. As the one post said cameras dont lie. That I laughed at cause it is true. If you get rid of cuts and scars that takes away memories from that person that are attached to the photo. If you air bursh and fix a person then that really isnt the person anymore. I am on the bigger side but I dont go and take off pounds in photos. I am who I am.

  • 16 Posted by ronniecat1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    mikewofsey, are you taken? :D I agree... look at the featured model above for photo chop! She doesn't look "flawless" if the standard is "human" because she looks a bit inhuman ... like a faerie creature from Lord of the Rings. Who do these people think they're fooling with these fake photos? People who know them in real life? Uh, no. People they meet online? Fine - if you never, ever, ever plan to meet in person and be exposed as a liar. Pitiful.

  • 17 Posted by birdmunone on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    I would suggest The GIMP and a couple articles posted here http://arstechnica.com/guides/tweaks/mystery.ars

  • 18 Posted by ihirish76 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    Good article. We need more info on digital & instructions. Thanks for addressing this, Shelly

  • 19 Posted by pintosquire on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    Last week I digitally enhanced my private areas & am now getting so many more calls for dates!! Thanks for the tip, Yahoo!!!

  • 20 Posted by mrundberg2 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    How about brushing up on self esteem... without our simple imperfections we will not be who we really are...think of someone you love, anyone, and the reason you love them is for who they are, not how perfect they are. A song by India Arie (The Truth)will sum up this entire topic in 3 mins.. pictures are meant to be memories of a specific time in your life, and if you alter these pictures do you in turn alter the others perception of your memory? If so,then one word..SHALLOW

  • 21 Posted by gtn_attn on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think this is what is making women in America so depressed. We are teaching each other that is is NOT ok to be human, or in this case, blemished. I agree with 'mikewofsey': "Why get rid of blemishes, wrinkles, scrapes and scars? They're what make us beautiful and human." It is no wonder that young girls are starving themselves and older women spend thousands at a cosmetic surgeon. We have convinced ourselves that we are ugly! The picture that is taken is what and who we are!! Leave it alone! What if we died tomorrow, don't you want your children to remember you for who you are instead of an imaginary image? I sure do!

  • 22 Posted by melissadierna on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:15PM EDT Report Abuse

    I use Adobe Photoshop for this purpose. I've never slimmed anyone down but I have used it to even out skin tones, eliminate blemishes and soften wrinkles (the clone and stamp tool). One can get carried away but the purpose is to enhance and/or cover areas which people are not happy with. Ever get a big zit on the day of a special event? A wedding perhaps? A portrait session? I've seen the results - when people see how great they look in photos with just a little stamping here and there and then feel good about it, I see nothing wrong with it. You can help a teen suffering with bad acne feel like she can look like she's ready for a magazine cover! We all like to look our best. This is an easy, safe and inexpensive way to get these results once in a while. Why not look back at the photos years from now and think you look wonderful? If done right, it should still look like you anyway...

  • 23 Posted by gods_forever_more on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    Removing red eye, a glare in teh glasses, a shine on your forehead, or getting rid of the stray hair flying off in a wild direction is fine with me. Even touching up a little blush to remove the wahsed out look form the flash is fine. Touching up a photo is fine, CHANGING a photo is totaly different and is not ok by my standards.

  • 24 Posted by marioccfla on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:07PM EDT Report Abuse

    There are other reasons to touch up a photo. Last year my sister got married on the beach, I had taken a beautiful photo of my then nine year old daughter dressed in her bridesmaid gown with the sand and water in background. Unfortunately, there was a woman walking down the beach and it threw the whole photo off. But I used the clone feature and "airbrused" her out of the photo...looks perfect now!

  • 25 Posted by niceredstateguy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    What's the difference between this and using makeup? -A 48-year-old married guy who can't believe he's even replying to this

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