Retouched Photos

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Education Feature

Retouched Photos

By

Yvette J. Brown
CWK Network

 
“[The re-touching] helps you remember the beautiful parts of you instead of the negative things you would like to forget. And that really helps your self-esteem.”
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Jessica, 17

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Jessica, a 17-year-old high school senior, graduates this year. She wants her friends to remember her by the professional glamour-style photos she recently took.

“I love the pictures the [photographer] took of me, cause I mean, they’re perfect!”

Technology helped create the “perfection.” The dark circles under Jessica’s eyes and the blemish on her cheek were instantly removed.

Experts say digital re-touching has transformed senior class photos.

“We can remove braces from the teeth, we can tone down blemishes, we can remove facial scars, we can straighten smiles,” says Eric Richards, a veteran photographer and owner of Richards Studio. “If you can imagine it, it can be done.”

Richards says the trend toward re-touching is driven in part by the media.

“A lot of it comes from what they see on the magazine covers because many of those images have been altered dramatically. We have to explain that there is a fine line between reality and fantasy,” he says.

Experts say it’s a parent’s job to teach their kids to put those media images of “perfection” in perspective.

Says Psychologist Dina Zechausen, “Remind them that these images are unrealistic. They’re unattainable, that’s not what’s going to make them happy. It’s important to help a child feel good about who they are on the inside.”

It’s an old challenge, experts say, reminding kids that what they look like is only part of who they are. But in the end, most agree that a touched-up graduation photo is mostly harmless fun.

“We try to make sure that we maintain a compromise where we’re not destroying the integrity of the person,” Richards explains. “As a result, the kids feel more confident in their pictures. They have a greater confidence that’s now being portrayed as we photograph them.”

“If you’re going to pay [for photos],” says Jessica, “I think you should look your best. [The re-touching] helps you remember the beautiful parts of you instead of the negative things you would like to forget. And that really helps your self-esteem.”

 
Related
Information

By Larry Eldridge, Jr.
CWK Network, Inc.

According to a new study from the University of Delaware, teenage girls perceive themselves as weighing more than 10 pounds heavier than they actually do. Researchers asked 172 adolescents (aged 13 to 17) to pick one of 27 silhouettes resembling how they see themselves, and then pick another silhouette matching their ideal weight. The researchers found that girls on average viewed themselves as weighing 141 pounds, which was eight pounds more than their average weight (133 pounds), and 11 pounds more than their ideal weight (130 pounds). While boys also saw themselves as weighing more than they did (185 pounds vs. 172 pounds), they picked a higher ideal weight (182 pounds) that was closer to their average weight.

The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) defines body image as how a person sees him/herself when looking in a mirror, or how a person pictures him/herself in his/her mind. Body image not only includes how a person feels about his or her weight, but also height and shape. It is important to understand that a person’s body image can be positive or negative. The NEDA cites the following descriptions for both positive and negative body images:

Positive body image:

  • Having a clear, true perception of one’s shape (seeing the various parts of the body as they really are)
  • Celebrating and appreciating one’s natural body shape and understanding that a person’s physical appearance says very little about his or her character and value as a person
  • Feeling proud and accepting of one’s unique body and refusing to spend an unreasonable amount of time worrying about food, weight and calories
  • Feeling comfortable and confident in one’s body

Negative body image:

  • Having a distorted perception of one’s shape (perceiving parts of the body unlike they really are)
  • Feeling that only other people are attractive, and that having an unattractive body size or shape is a sign of personal failure
  • Feeling ashamed, self-conscious and anxious about one’s body
  • Feeling uncomfortable and awkward in one’s body
 

By Larry Eldridge, Jr.
CWK Network, Inc.

A growing number of portrait companies are giving students the option of retouching their school pictures to eliminate blemishes, scars and even braces. While most students are excited about their retouched photos, what is the underlying message? Are we putting too much emphasis on looks? Do students who want their pictures retouched have a negative body image or low self-worth? Often, a negative body image can lead to dangerous situations, including depression and eating disorders. How can you determine if your teen has a negative body image and/or might have physically obsessive behavior? The experts at Chicago Parent suggest looking for these trouble signs in your teen:

  • Engaging in excessive exercise or training that isn’t required for his/her athletic activities and that intrudes on other important activities
  • Engaging in sports for the sole purpose of improving appearance
  • Having a preoccupation with looking like the extremely thin women or muscular men in the media
  • Using large quantities of dietary supplements, such as creatine or protein powders, or steroids, such as ephedrine or androstenedione
  • Experiencing sharp fluctuations in weight
  • Attempting extreme diets (such as fasting) or using laxatives, diuretics or other dangerous techniques to lose weight
  • Feeling as if he/she never looks good enough
  • Needing frequent reassurance that he/she “looks okay”
  • Thinking, worrying about or feeling distressed about his/her appearance
  • Allowing his/her appearance concerns to limit social activities or negatively affect school or job performance
  • Avoiding his/her body being seen by others (avoiding locker room situations or wearing clothes that alter or disguise the body)

If you recognize any of these signs, it is important that you talk with your teen about body image as soon as possible. Regardless of whether or not your son or daughter has a negative body image, the University of South Florida suggests the following tips to help guide your discussion:

  • Tell your teens how important it is that they identify and accept their strengths and weaknesses. Remind them that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and no one is perfect.
  • Remind your teens to set realistic goals, and to take pride in their achievements.
  • Tell your teens not to try to be someone else, but to be proud of who they are.
  • Have your teens explore their own talents, and learn to love and appreciate their own unique qualities.

As a parent, it is important to remember that you play a crucial role in how your teen feels about his/her body. You are often your child’s role model, and kids do learn from what their parents say and do. To be a supportive role model and help prevent your teen from developing a negative body image, the NEDA suggests the following strategies:

  • Consider your thoughts, attitudes and behaviors toward your own body and the way that these beliefs have been shaped by sexism and “weightism.”
  • Educate your teen about the genetic basis for the natural diversity of body shapes and sizes; talk about human nature and the ignorance/ugliness of prejudice.
  • Make an effort to maintain positive, healthy attitudes and behaviors.
  • Don’t convey messages that may lead your teen to believe he/she needs to look more like a model or fit into smaller clothes.
  • Learn about and discuss the dangers of trying to alter one’s body shape through dieting. Discuss the value of moderate exercise for health reasons, and the importance of eating a variety of foods in well-balanced, scheduled meals.
  • Don’t avoid activities simply because they call attention to your weight and shape (i.e. swimming, dancing, etc.)
  • Make a commitment to exercise for the joy of feeling your body move and grow stronger, not to purge fat from your body or to compensate for calories eaten.
  • Help your teen recognize and resist the ways in which television, magazines and other media imply that a slender body means power, excitement, popularity or perfection. Discuss how the media distorts/denies the true diversity of body types.
  • Encourage your teen to be active and enjoy what his/ her body can do and feel. Do not limit his/her caloric intake unless advised by a physician due to a medical problem.
  • Do whatever you can to promote your teen’s self-esteem and self-respect in intellectual, athletic and social endeavors. Give boys and girls the same opportunities and encouragement. A well-rounded sense of self and solid self-esteem are perhaps the best antidotes to dangerous dieting and a negative body image.

National Eating Disorders Association
TeensHealth
MealsMatter