Blog 4 - Impact of Photoshop

 

  There is good reason behind why Photoshop has had such controversy, simply because both sides make sense with their values and reasons. I decided to (very simply) airbrush myself because I used to struggle with the stated "self confidence and body image" myself that has been called to light with AMA. I used to dream of looking like the photo on the right because I saw other girls who looked like that... but not really. It took a while to realize all of them had edits to every part of their bodies to become what the editor or company deemed "acceptable". There is a certain beauty to airbrushing photos, but when people start seeing a negative pattern, it is an obvious sign a line has been crossed from enhancing to exploiting.

   However, outside of this ad-driven media world and the effect photo manipulation has, Photoshop has blossomed into one of the most diverse and unique ways to create art. For many creators, it is a tool to come up with their own ideas from the base all the way to the completion.  I am among these illustrators and would not be able to create half the things I have with another medium. 
   I do not think we should abolish Photoshop since it is a priceless tool that has grown. Although, with the extent people feed off of imagery it would be a great option to have something as simple as an symbol/graphic on pictures that means it's been retouched. Something as simple as that could halt someone's mind from racing with self doubt but be less obstructive to the artists who edited the photo. It's an odd situation when something can create beauty and also destroy the meaning of beauty, but overall I think it is something worth supporting for that beauty it is used for.