Thursday 2

Retouch

"Working for $150.00 an hour, Ms.Frances changed expressions of family members and swapped the dog's head between images. She slenderized bodies, adjusted skin tones, and changed the color of a couple outfits to make for a more unified palette. She even straightened the collar on one son's shirt."- Ella Robinson 

This story began with Theresa Newman Rolley hiring a photographer to create a portrait of she and her deceased father. She had no actual picture of them together but with the technology available to us today, this was no difficult task.  This "moment that never happened" sits in her living room and it still has the power to bring tears to her eyes. Per Gylfe, the manager of the digital media lab at the International Center of Photography in New York believes that photography has always represented a slight distortion of reality. He proceeds to say that a photographer has the power to create different impressions of the same scene by adding some elements in the frame and omitting others or by changing lenses. Today, the internet is becoming a more popular way to keep up with friends and loved ones . Everybody has albums upon albums that consist of photographs, some altered and some unaltered. Magazines are covered with beautiful women whose faces have been entirely enhanced in Photoshop. Alan D. Entin, a clinical psychologist in Richmond, Va uses family photographs as a major part in his therapy. He tries to use these raw materials to help inspire discussion about their relationships in their family. "They're a record. They have existed over time and space. They are important documents. To alter them is to invite self-deception." Opinions will vary, but i believe photoshop is a wonderful tool. I digitally manipulate my images to bring life to what already existed. It doesn't hurt to enhance your pictures and I think it makes perfect since that people can find comfort in photographs that aren't real. 

Alex Williams. "I Was There. Just Ask Photoshop." The New York Times. 15 Aug 2008. 11 Sept 2008..