This is what happens when men are Photoshopped like women
Jul 19, 2016
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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Recently, The Try Guys at BuzzFeed were Photoshopped to produce their ideal male body types, as a way to explore how the world of Photoshop and retouching affects men. With such an overwhelming experience and response, especially from women, they started thinking about how the process female subjects, too.
In their new video, they recreate several famous magazine cover shots involving Kim Kardashian, Madonna, and others to see the kind of retouching that goes into producing images of women for magazines and advertising compared to what’s actually even possible in the real world.
Unless an ad specifically says “this has not been Photoshopped”, I can guarantee you it’s been Photoshopped.
– Chrissy Mahlmeister, Lifestyle Editor at BuzzFeed
It’s an interesting take on a something that’s become a pretty hot topic over the last few years, and unless you’re heavily involved in the industry already, it can be difficult to see a woman’s perspective on exactly what gets done to them for magazines and advertisements on a daily basis.
It’s also amazing to see how much work is done beforehand with makeup, too, which then seems to get completely obliterated by Photoshop. It kind of makes you wonder why they even bother with makeup artists at all on some of these shoots.
And people still wonder why so many youngsters today have such unrealistic expectations.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Photoshop, but I use it to clean up environments, get rid of temporary blemishes like scars and tanlines, or to fix the occasional stray hair. Physically altering the shape, size and texture of peoples bodies to the point where they barely even look human any more? I just don’t get it.
Do you use Photoshop in your post processing workflow? Where do you draw the line with retouching? Let us know what you think in the comments.
[via Bokeh]
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John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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12 responses to “This is what happens when men are Photoshopped like women”
But…why?
stupid…. men want more muscles not less….
Totally missing the point: Photoshop is used to improve the look (or to align to idealized standards), so if you would shop the men the same you should give them more muscles.
Thus the title …”like women”…
I almost gagged from laughing! ?
So this is not about photoshopping ethics and processes but about some idiots making comments and reactions like those crap MTV shows?
I thought it was very entertaining
I shoot men differently than women, and Photoshop them differently as well.
I don’t go overboard – well – not anymore, anyway. But I light men to show creases and mature lines, whereas if I shot a woman like that she would have a fit.
There are different standards of attractiveness, sexuality, etc. As long as the person still looks like themself, and has skin that actually looks like real skin, and does very little to allow for body shaming of un-Photoshopped people, then I figure I am doing OK.
Hilarious!
well it is of course utter nonsense.. no woman would photoshop the men into gays.
and men are photoshoped too regulary.. just have a look at mens health etc.
these whinning from woman about photoshoping their bodys actually only annoys me.
it´s as if they think a fat woman is perfect but all men need broad shoulders, a clean shaved body etc.
we like to look at “perfect” bodys… men and woman.. face it.
But as just about anyone who works with youth can tell you, the photoshopped version of women’s bodies can have a profoundly negative effect on, especially, young women & girls. I believe that this is beginning to happen with young men & boys as well, but it still is more profoundly problematic with females.
And what on earth do you mean by “Photoshop them into gays”?
Gold