Unrealistic expectations

Photography is not photography anymore. I have been shooting for a lot of years. When I started, we used film. Most of you probably have no idea what I am talking about, but film was this stuff that you used to put into cameras and it would register the information on a little plastic sheet. The sheet would be introduced to chemicals ans the chemicals would bring the images to life. after the images showed up on the plastic sheet, it was your job to take that information and transfer it to paper. AND until you saw the information on paper; you had NO idea how your shot turned out. If you were skilled, you had a good idea. But more often than not, you just weren't sure. After your image was printed, if there was something you didn't like, you would have to send the image to the lab to have it airbrushed. And depending on the lab, it could take at least a week to get it back. Now, with digital, the whole processes is brought down to a matter of minutes. And the alterations that can made are off the charts. I was watching a news clip of a girl (8th grade), who is pleading with the magazines to offer "true" images of women, as the altered images are wreaking havoc on our girls today. I am very proud of this little girl. Because as I can alter my images to make my clients happy; I do not alter them to the extremes that the magazines do. I know what can be done, I have seen it happen, and I agree that girls will never have a good sense of themselves if they are aspiring to what is in many of these magazines. Even thin actresses are made thinner, lumps and bumps removed for the sake of the cover. Why do you think it is such a big deal to see candid pictures of stars in their 'natural state'? Simply put, they aren't seen because they are raked over with makeup, hair and finished off with photoshop. I have two girls. I remember when I was their age. Magazines were my connection to the stars I wanted to be. I had no concept of how they got that was, and I didn't care. I thought they simply fell out of bed in the morning looking like that. No wonder I had a warped sense of self. I never saw behind the scenes. Now, knowing what I know, I share this information with my kids. I show them the befores and afters. In some cases when I am editing, my kids will point out what needs to go, and offer suggestions, because they are very aware of the possibilities. They are way ahead of the game in my opinion. I hope that 8th grader gets somewhere in her endeavor. She is a brave soul. But she also has some friends who have been negatively affected by these images. With anorexia and bulimia a growing epidemic in this country, triggers like these magazine images should be examined. When is enough, too much? Life is hard enough when you have skinny friends. But to see our role models (movie stars, singers, and people we aspire to be) laid out in impossible or 'faux' bodies....how's a girl supposed to feel good about herself. We would never measure up. Actually...we already don't. Time for change. Happy Thursday