This post is a Halloween favorite, so here it is again, with a couple new pics added. Enjoy!!
(originally posted Oct. 30th, 2009)
(originally posted Oct. 30th, 2009)
Here’s a little Halloween trick for you. You know what else is “better after?” Anyone! After some serious Photoshopping, that is.
Do you despair when you see makeup ads featuring pore-less faces? Or smirk at the Victoria Secret models splayed across the catalog, like, do they even NEED push-up bras? Ever wonder why Madonna, at age 53, barely looks a hair over 20? Well, she doesn’t.
Whatever you do, don’t let some pretty picture in a magazine get you down, because only about 5% of the images we see in the media have any sort of basis in reality. I just made that statistic up. But it’s probably true.
Tyra: not flawless, but still fierce!
Mariah: Riiiiiiiight.
Jessica Alba is so slender and well-lit in the magical land of Photoshop! Even the wrinkles on her clothes disappear!
If you want to be on the cover of a magazine, prepare to have half of your arm shaved away. Isn’t she good enough as-is? I think so!
Hi Britney! Have you had some … work done?
I don’t know who this girl is, but she either has a case of Photoshop-itis or secretly hates her glossier, perkier, symmetrical-ier twin sister.
Kim Kardashian is a pretty gal, no question. Her top half doesn’t seem to be altered much, but her bottom half sure does.
Koy asked “Mom, is that you?” Ha! I should be so lucky! My after shot couldn’t live up to Naomi Watt’s before!
Look, Photoshop can even take away your scowl and replace it with a sexy smirk! Not to mention your years of hard partying!
Or take decades off your face AND boobs!
And no, the men aren’t immune to it either.
Hellooo magazine editors? Mick Jagger is 45 billion years old, he’s supposed to look like it!
Oh, Justin, don’t be mad at me. You know I love you.
Rowr.
Happy Halloween!
33 Comments
Melanie
November 1, 2011 at 1:10 AMWOW! Love these!!! Now I don’t feel so terrible about MY photos! 🙂
Have a great night!
Melanie
Dymbrulee
November 1, 2011 at 1:19 AMLove this post! It’s so sad that everything has to be so fake. Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world where even celebrities are accepted as they are?
Korrie@RedHenHome
November 1, 2011 at 1:21 AMI think I show this to my children every year 😉 Thanks for the good reminder!
Hello Vintage
November 1, 2011 at 1:32 AMThanks so much for that. Make me feel soo much better. I can’t believe they make her arm skinnier!!
LC
November 1, 2011 at 1:34 AMLOL!!! Great post!
~ Tami
November 1, 2011 at 1:46 AMLoved this. Thanks for sharing!
Danee
November 1, 2011 at 1:48 AMas much as I love the entire piece, the concept, the examples, what I love the MOST? JT. He’s my celebrity crush and has been since before it was legal. Thanks for making my night.
fleurcottage
November 1, 2011 at 1:54 AMoh, the realities of life! love it!
Bre
November 1, 2011 at 2:02 AMAs a model, I am SO thankful for photoshop 🙂 Great post though! People must realize that every add is photoshopped. It’s just how it is.
Restyle Restore Rejoice
November 1, 2011 at 2:12 AMLove this! You can’t fool us 🙂
Francesca
Shannon@FoxHollowCottage
November 1, 2011 at 4:55 AMGreat ego boost for a regular gal! Never hurts to remember it’s all smoke & mirrors 😉
Meg and Mum's
November 1, 2011 at 5:11 AMThose stars actually look better with their wrinkles in tact! Ok, maybe not Mick Jagger… But the rest of them just look plain weird after being photo-shopped.
PerfectlyPink
November 1, 2011 at 9:11 AMThanks 4 sharing! Its such a shame they get edited and gives the youth of today no self confidence!
I would be offended if I had a photoshoot and the pics came back with half my arms sliced off or anything like that! Talk about other people finding your faults! lol xxxxx
http://nikki-perfectlypink.blogspot.com/
Pattie @ On Hollyhock Farm
November 1, 2011 at 11:34 AMI a putting on my b-suit as we speak!!!!!!!!!!
Chelle
November 1, 2011 at 12:10 PMLOVE this post. something we all need to see 🙂
artsyfish
November 1, 2011 at 2:01 PMI’m book marking this post for the days I feel too fat(thanks Kim) or too old (love ya George) or too anything!
Would make a great coffee table book!
Reenie
November 1, 2011 at 2:34 PMWOW…thx 🙂
Jo @ In Corners of My Mind
November 1, 2011 at 3:12 PMWow! I knew that this happened, and I knew not to take a photo in a mag face value, but wow to see these before and afters is great! Thanks for sharing!
Treasia
November 1, 2011 at 3:20 PMThanks for this sharing today. I definitely don’t feel so bad now. LOL. You’ve made me want to photo shop my own pictures.
statia
November 1, 2011 at 5:40 PMAnyone who thinks that Madonna still looks 20 is high! I mean, come ON.
Cathy
November 1, 2011 at 6:31 PMHa! Thanks for this! I feel so much better now.
Frugal Jen
November 1, 2011 at 8:34 PMThat was great! Glad to see Hollywood isn’t immune to aging and tummy pudge.
cndesigns
November 1, 2011 at 9:00 PMOh Lindsey you made my day! I always wonder why I look so old in “real photos” when my website photo looks so great!LOL! OK, I admit it: I took a photo of myself with my little point and shoot digital camera, put it on the computer to turn it to black and white and then took out wrinkles! Yup! It’s waaaay easier to remove wrinkles in a B & W than color unless you have a nice photo shop program..which I don’t.
But I did have to update my photo from my first website one cuz it was a shot from a few years ago. And although it was much nicer, it backfired when I went to see a client and she said when meeting me at the door: “Uhhh…you look so much different in person!” Haahahahahaha! Moral of the story: Love me for my wrinkles and all or don’t love me at all 🙂 LOL!
fiona
November 1, 2011 at 9:04 PMNormally I just crop my photos a little and adjust the balance a little, but now I’m wondering why I never just Photoshopped myself. All those hours out cycling, and I could have just got rid of my baby belly with my smart erase tool!
Outfit31
November 1, 2011 at 9:12 PMAnd we wonder why women have such low self esteem and eating disorders! Beauty is from within, unless you have photo shop! Then if you do, it has to be tempting to just stay in your house and send your photo as your representative! Thanks for the side, by sides! It’s amazing seeing the comparison!
Heather
November 2, 2011 at 7:49 PMAwesome post, makes me feel much better! And George, oh George, you’re dead sexy, wrinkles and all…no Photoshop needed for you…
Lady Thought
November 2, 2011 at 10:04 PMI totally agree with Heather…George is amazing anyway.
Cindy
November 3, 2011 at 1:04 AMI love you…
Cindy
Handy Man, Crafty Woman
November 3, 2011 at 4:45 AMlove this post!! your comments are too funny. I hate how “photoshopped” everything/everyone is!
Michelle Gray
November 3, 2011 at 6:01 PMReally enjoyed this post, esp. your comments. Had to share it with my Facebook friends. TFS!
Joslin
November 5, 2011 at 8:44 PMI just want to learn how to do that with photoshop!
Stacie's Madness
November 9, 2011 at 7:00 PMGREAT POST…thank you!
Rebecca Scott (aka Otter)
January 11, 2012 at 7:08 PMYou know, as a photographer I see this a lot. Much like anyone who does an art, once you learn the little secrets you just can’t NOT see them in everything. I was looking through a Victoria’s Secret catalog and let me tell you, I’ve taken anatomy classes (I’m a classically trained artist) and most of those women need an ambulance STAT. They are missing vital bones and organs.
I struggle a lot with balancing showing off someone at their best and over-adjusting the image so they look fake. Will they be plastic pretty? Sure but they won’t be real. You would NOT believe how many really pretty young women I shoot for that think they aren’t beautiful. It’s seriously kind of depressing. They get this image in their heads that they have to look like something that doesn’t exist in nature. So much of a photo is staging and light but yeah, there’s some clean up work that has to happen too. No one wants a photo with a huge breakout on their face. I limit my photoshopping to taking out obvious and temporary flaws like skin blemishes.
Sadly, I work with a lot of young models who want to look like those magazines and they ask me to do all the extra touch ups to make them look more surreal than what I’m comfortable with. I do it because that’s what they want but I hate it. It’s part of why I’ve stuck to photographing people I know or have met recently. There’s nothing quite like holding up a shot and letting someone see themselves as the beautiful person they are.
I wish all photos in magazines that have been touched up like this would come with a warning on them that clearly states the image is not realistic. It’d help stop the trend of self hate among your women and teens.