Comments on: Retoucher To The Stars http://www.bfdblog.com/2008/07/28/retoucher-to-the-stars/ We're bringing chubby back. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:37:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: domergirl http://www.bfdblog.com/2008/07/28/retoucher-to-the-stars/comment-page-1/#comment-12705 domergirl Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:08:35 +0000 http://www.bfdblog.com/?p=476#comment-12705 whyme63 - Don't you think it's somewhat of a Catch-22, though? Don't women torture and mutilate themselves so they can achieve the unachievable IMAGINARY images created by the retoucher? The article says that in ONE SINGLE issue of Vogue, he had retouched 144 images! Why is "perfection" so necessary? Does a picture of a burger in a magazine EVER look like an actual burger that's shoved out the window at McDonalds? Never. Same with the human body or face. We're so enamored of 'perfection' that we actually begin to believe it's possible to look like that. Maybe, just maybe, if we weaned ourselves off the airbrushing and allowed ourselves to see what things (not just people) REALLY look like, we could begin to appreciate the reality instead of always reaching for the unattainable. whyme63 – Don’t you think it’s somewhat of a Catch-22, though? Don’t women torture and mutilate themselves so they can achieve the unachievable IMAGINARY images created by the retoucher?

The article says that in ONE SINGLE issue of Vogue, he had retouched 144 images! Why is “perfection” so necessary? Does a picture of a burger in a magazine EVER look like an actual burger that’s shoved out the window at McDonalds? Never. Same with the human body or face. We’re so enamored of ‘perfection’ that we actually begin to believe it’s possible to look like that. Maybe, just maybe, if we weaned ourselves off the airbrushing and allowed ourselves to see what things (not just people) REALLY look like, we could begin to appreciate the reality instead of always reaching for the unattainable.

]]> By: Fatadelic http://www.bfdblog.com/2008/07/28/retoucher-to-the-stars/comment-page-1/#comment-12710 Fatadelic Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:40:49 +0000 http://www.bfdblog.com/?p=476#comment-12710 Gabrielle: <i>airbrushing is just a tool to capture beauty in a perminent image.</i> Or to help set an unachievable standard. Gabrielle: airbrushing is just a tool to capture beauty in a perminent image. Or to help set an unachievable standard.

]]> By: Fatadelic http://www.bfdblog.com/2008/07/28/retoucher-to-the-stars/comment-page-1/#comment-12701 Fatadelic Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:36:50 +0000 http://www.bfdblog.com/?p=476#comment-12701 Stephanie, I noticed that too. It was, apparently "challenging"; keepin' it real, but not <b>too</b> real. Got to keep the marketing aspirational, you know. We might be able to have (shock! self-congratulatory pat on the back!) models who are 'normal' sized, but it won't do for them to have cellulite or wrinkles. Stephanie, I noticed that too. It was, apparently “challenging”; keepin’ it real, but not too real. Got to keep the marketing aspirational, you know. We might be able to have (shock! self-congratulatory pat on the back!) models who are ‘normal’ sized, but it won’t do for them to have cellulite or wrinkles.

]]> By: whyme63 http://www.bfdblog.com/2008/07/28/retoucher-to-the-stars/comment-page-1/#comment-12704 whyme63 Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:37:11 +0000 http://www.bfdblog.com/?p=476#comment-12704 Can I come out in favor of airbrushhing and photoshopping? Because it beats the hell out of women torturing and mutilating their actual bodies to meet the insane standards currently in place. And if you've ever been to the website "Photoshop Disasters", you can really come to appreciate the people who are actually good at it. Can I come out in favor of airbrushhing and photoshopping?

Because it beats the hell out of women torturing and mutilating their actual bodies to meet the insane standards currently in place.

And if you’ve ever been to the website “Photoshop Disasters”, you can really come to appreciate the people who are actually good at it.

]]> By: Gabrielle http://www.bfdblog.com/2008/07/28/retoucher-to-the-stars/comment-page-1/#comment-12709 Gabrielle Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:10:03 +0000 http://www.bfdblog.com/?p=476#comment-12709 I agree with Spinsterwitch's point about commercial photography being simmilar to portrature in past earas. A lot of what comes out in a retouched photo (one done well, such as Dangin's work) is what the artist sees in the subject, not just what is captured on camera. Does a photo show you how you are? Sometimes, but not often. Sometimes you can look at an untouched photo and it needs nothing to bring the subject out. Those kind of photos are hard to take after four hours of makeup and a wind machine. Everyone and everything is beautiful in some way, airbrushing is just a tool to capture beauty in a perminent image. I am a retouch artist myself though, so I'm kinda biased. I agree with Spinsterwitch’s point about commercial photography being simmilar to portrature in past earas. A lot of what comes out in a retouched photo (one done well, such as Dangin’s work) is what the artist sees in the subject, not just what is captured on camera. Does a photo show you how you are? Sometimes, but not often. Sometimes you can look at an untouched photo and it needs nothing to bring the subject out. Those kind of photos are hard to take after four hours of makeup and a wind machine. Everyone and everything is beautiful in some way, airbrushing is just a tool to capture beauty in a perminent image.

I am a retouch artist myself though, so I’m kinda biased.

]]> By: D http://www.bfdblog.com/2008/07/28/retoucher-to-the-stars/comment-page-1/#comment-12703 D Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:06:41 +0000 http://www.bfdblog.com/?p=476#comment-12703 Why do they have to airbrush in the first place? Why do they have to airbrush in the first place?

]]> By: Alyssa http://www.bfdblog.com/2008/07/28/retoucher-to-the-stars/comment-page-1/#comment-12702 Alyssa Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:17:10 +0000 http://www.bfdblog.com/?p=476#comment-12702 The fashion, film, and advertising industries all live in a different world, in a way. What is "normal" for them has very little resemblance to what is considered "normal" in the real world. They are inundated with perfect-looking people, from whom they can pick and choose who is "lucky" enough to be a part of their campaign/movie/ whatever. And there are always thousands of other young, perfect, desperate people waiting in the wings to choose from. So, airbrushing people until they look like aliens with removable heads? That's just another day at the office for these folks. The fashion, film, and advertising industries all live in a different world, in a way. What is “normal” for them has very little resemblance to what is considered “normal” in the real world. They are inundated with perfect-looking people, from whom they can pick and choose who is “lucky” enough to be a part of their campaign/movie/ whatever. And there are always thousands of other young, perfect, desperate people waiting in the wings to choose from.
So, airbrushing people until they look like aliens with removable heads? That’s just another day at the office for these folks.

]]> By: spinsterwitch http://www.bfdblog.com/2008/07/28/retoucher-to-the-stars/comment-page-1/#comment-12708 spinsterwitch Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:25:13 +0000 http://www.bfdblog.com/?p=476#comment-12708 I listened to a great piece on NPR the other day, and it diferentiated between the idea of photography for news' sake and commercial photography. I've started thinking about commercial photography as something like painted portraits of previous centuries - the artist would often try to "improve" the image of the patron. It was beneficial in many ways to them. I listened to a great piece on NPR the other day, and it diferentiated between the idea of photography for news’ sake and commercial photography. I’ve started thinking about commercial photography as something like painted portraits of previous centuries – the artist would often try to “improve” the image of the patron. It was beneficial in many ways to them.

]]> By: Stephanie http://www.bfdblog.com/2008/07/28/retoucher-to-the-stars/comment-page-1/#comment-12707 Stephanie Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:51:05 +0000 http://www.bfdblog.com/?p=476#comment-12707 Ahhhh, he did the retouching on the Dove Real Beauty campaign. I'm sort of wondering what they looked like in the first place . . . Ahhhh, he did the retouching on the Dove Real Beauty campaign. I’m sort of wondering what they looked like in the first place . . .

]]> By: mccn http://www.bfdblog.com/2008/07/28/retoucher-to-the-stars/comment-page-1/#comment-12706 mccn Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:48:58 +0000 http://www.bfdblog.com/?p=476#comment-12706 "I don't want her to become someone else" - I just want her to become someone else! Bee-yoo-tiful. I think that says it all, right? “I don’t want her to become someone else” – I just want her to become someone else! Bee-yoo-tiful. I think that says it all, right?

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