Subject: Re: Excessive Photoshopping?
> There is a high end photographer in my area that does mostly portrait > work. He has his own 3 acre outdoor studio along with his inside > studio. I was talking to someone who had their family portrait done > by him. He is meticulous about posing and such and very good at it. > However, much like you just showed, he is quite heavy handed on skin > alterations. The guy was telling me that when they got the large > picture, his wife was very happy with it. He, however, was quite > dissapointed because he felt that it wasn't really him in the picture. > It was some other guy with more than perfect skin, looking much > younger. This guy felt that the picture was a lie. > > So, there is quite a number of people who are looking for portrait > work where the image somewhat resembles them, but makes them look > significantly better (and fake). I don't get much of their business > and they would probably be dissapointed with my results. > > Takes all kinds, I guess. Portraits are a tough way to make a living. There are a lot of people who don't like the way they look and they won't be happy with their portrait no matter what you do. The photographer you mention is caught between a rock and a hard place. If he doesn't fix the wrinkles and blemishes then some customers will hate it. If he does fix them then other customers won't like the work. That reminds me of the Oliver Cromwell story. Painters of that time had some real motivation to make their kings and queens look good. Cromwell told his portraitist to "paint me warts and all." It also reminds me of the story about Henry VIII who selected a wife based on her portrait and was more than a little disappointed when she finally showed up. She eventually lost her head. Tom Reese
