Retouching Will "Glorify" Photos Of Women... And Men

Playing devil's advocate to the French-proposed legislation that requires labeling of retouched photos, fashion photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino says the law would be silly because retouching has always been part of beautifying images.


Since picture speaks a thousand words, the photographer make his point vivid by taking a photo of a boyish model then "glorify" her by adding womanly curves. The photo has been featured in the past weekend's edition of French daily newspaper Libération's Next magazine, with Mondino's own words interpreting the snap:

"The photos of old Hollywood? Retouched! The iconic image of Che Guevara? Retouched! All the photos taken by Richard Avedon of Marilyn Monroe? Retouched! And all of this before today's software existed, of course. Legs were lengthened using a wide angle; skins were smoothed through overexposure."


Ok. So if retouching glorifies women, how would you view this 50 Cent photo in the campaign for his new fragrance, Power. Pulling off his white button-down shirt, the rapper looks heavily Photoshopped with the missing stomach tattoo...

Brigitte Magazine Bans Skiny Professional Models

Seems like more magazine publications are responding to skinny backlash.

After American Glamour, Germany's most popular women's magazine, Brigitte, has announced yesterday that it will ban professional skinny models to appear on its pages. The action is made to favor "real women" against unhealthy thin models whom the magazine believes to be isolating its readers.


As detailed in the Huffington Post, Brigitte's editor-in-chief Andreas Lebert has told the media that the banning of professional thin models is a response to the increasing number of readers who says they are tired of seeing models with "potruding bones" who weigh far less than the average woman.

Starting next year, Brigitte is expected to feature both prominent women and regular readers in its photo spreads. "We will show women who have an identity – the 18-year-old student, the head of the board, the musician, the football player," adds Lebert.

On second thought, there are many other professional models who are not skinny and are far bigger on "identity." So, this is not a case of one glossy magazine favoring voluptuous and plus-size models over skinny ones. Brigitte suffers a steady loss of readers in the past 20 years. Some serious financial problems, perhaps?

Lebert reveals that Brigitte's banning of professional models is an investment move and should not be taken as a declaration of war on the modeling profession. "We are not going to become a magazine for plus-sizes," he adds.

Louisa von Minckwitz of Louisa Models agency has commented that the ban on models is a marketing gag that will not last long. "Women want to see clothes on a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing person," says the owner of the top German modeling agency.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/05/germany-brigitte-magazine_n_309552.html

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/05/germany-brigitte-magazine_n_309552.html

French Magazines Say No To Photoshop Labeling!

In France, around 50 politicians are backing a proposed law that requires glossy magazines and other image businesses to label retouched photos of models and celebrities. This action hopes to fight eating disorders and body-image issues especially among young women.


If passed, the law would affect wide range of image businesses including advertising, press photographs, political campaigns, art photography, and images on packaging.

Naturally, people in the image industry are opposing the proposed photoshop regulations. They argue that retouching is always part of the artistic interpretation.

According to Tony Chambers, editor-in-chief of Wallpaper and former art director of British GQ magazine, "The camera has always lied and always will. These things should always be taken with a pinch of salt. Fantasy and artistic interpretation are core ingredients in fashion, advertising and art photography."

Marc Ascoli, art director for various high-fashion campaigns, believes that manipulation of images cannot be avoided in any commercial presentation:

"It's so arbitrary. It's clear that there have been abuses. Sometimes heads are completely transformed. They'll change the model's eye color and hair. Sometimes I have the impression I'm looking at a window dummy. But there is such a global commercial pressure for perfection."

With or without photoshop, body-image issues prevail among humans, not just young women. True that a retouched image of a model on a magazine cover may influence a young girl's way of presenting herself, but it is not the core culprit for eating disorder. Girls are not stupid to just stare at a retouched model and believe it as the real thing. Just because one is young does not follow that one is naive.

If there's a phenomenon for eating disorder, don't you think leaders and authorities should work more on education and social awareness campaigns, not on labeling obvious photoshop images as "retouched?"

Skinny Models Ban Creates Legal Boundaries To Beauty Standards?

And now it's France's turn to ban the use of extremely thin models in fashion shows. The French have crafted a law that makes it illegal to use anorexic thin models especially in websites and publications media.


Extreme thinness was said to be encouraging severe loss of weight. Thus, the government and other concerned groups make the effort to fight self-inflicted starvation from weight problems. If the senate arrives at a decision that favors the bill, those who tend to promote anorexia by using extremely thin models in their fashion campaigns are fined up to 45,000 euros and three years of imprisonment.

There are oppositions to the bill, on the other hand, the majority of which are coming from the influential French Federation of Couture. The federation believes that there should be no legal boundaries to fashion and beauty standards. "Never will we accept in our profession that a judge decides if a young girl is skinny or not skinny," it said. "That doesn't exist in the world, and it will certainly not exist in France."

So, which side are you on – the one that puts health before glamour by passing the law to fight the trend of anorexia in the modeling and fashion industry? Or the one that declares "no fat chicks" and immortalizes beauty in diversity by acknowledging the aesthetic appeal of extremely thin models?