In your opinion, when is it beneficial, ethical, or appropriate to digitally alter photographic portraits? When do you think it is inappropriate or ethically wrong?
This is a great question that I face everyday, while editing for my photography business. I am very big into senior portraits, family portraits, and child portraits. In family and child portraits, I don't have to ask myself this question very often, but during the editing process of senior photos, I question this debate all the time. With this age group of kids I am working on, blemishes and not-so-perfect complexion is so common! For many of my seniors, I don't feel so bad smoothing their skin or doing spot healing on their face, because they ask me to. Girls especially, are so self conscious about the smallest bump on their face and are constantly asking me to fix it, but guys not so much. I have shot for seniors in the past that haven't mentioned their skin and when I get to Photoshop, I have to ask myself if they will be offended by me softening their skin or not. Also, sometimes it isn't the question of whether I should or not, but more the question of "How much is TOO much?" I have looked at many photographers' work online and notice that they doctor up people way too much in the editing process giving the feel that their seniors faces are porcelain. This is just not my style because I like to keep it real looking too. Another issue that some photographers may come across is whether it is appropriate to heal a scar, beauty mark, or birthmark from someone's body. Just because we may see a birthmark as distracting in a photo, the subject may not. We have to remember as artists that we are trying to capture the REAL person in our photos and not what we think is ideal!
No comments:
Post a Comment