False Aspirations

image credit: designreviver.com

Did you know that Photoshop could do this to someone? The changes people make in photographs can be truly profound. Commercial photography lives and breathes by this type of manipulation. I think it’s quite sad.

I saw a post on facebook yesterday from a teenage girl who was comparing herself to the Victoria’s Secret models.

here they are... (image credit: stips.com)

Really?

From a photographer’s perspective, okay, sure they’re pretty girls. But honestly, every girl & woman I’ve ever photographed has been pretty. And they don’t need Photoshop alterations to prove it. Here are the things I can see that has been done to ensure these VS models look as commercially appealing (ie. fake) as possible:

- These women have been airbrushed from head to toe, no question about it. They’re so smooth and shiny!

- They’re all wearing high heel strappy sandals to minimize the broken up lines that regular shoes would create (makes legs look longer).

- They’re all posed with straight or nearly straight legs. This enhances the lines and helps their legs look longer.

- They’re photographed from about hip or waist height. Not only does this bring your eyes to the bikini zone (is this really necessary?), but it makes the women look tall and powerful.

- They’re lit with glamorous lighting, making their eyelashes look fuller and their features more striking.

- The image is cropped so that they’re almost too tall for the frame they’re in! Okay, we get it: they’re tall.

And this list was just a quick brainstorm. I’m pretty certain they were put together in the same picture using Photoshop as well, so this scene of all of these nearly naked women practically bumping into each other is purely fictional. And who’s to say which parts of their bodies have been digitally altered. I don’t have a “before” picture, so it’s tough to say – there are some pretty skilled digital artists out there.

Now, how about this one?

Penelope Cruz enhanced (image borrowed form Distractions of Lola blog)

Does she really need enhanced breasts, a smaller waist & wider hips? Isn’t she beautiful already? Fine, get the hair out of her face and brighten up the lighting. I don’t mind that so much. But the rest gives people the false impression that beautiful isn’t good enough.

The very first before & after image above (the sweet young girl) is the most disturbing to me. The poor girl in that photograph has been told through this picture that she’s not okay the way she is. I think she’s truly beautiful in the “before” image. But whoever did the manipulation has ever-so-rudely implied that she would be better off with an entirely different face.

How about this one:

Ralph Lauren made the super-skinny even skinnier (image borrowed from thedemoiselles.com)

Or this one:

From skinny to skeleton (image borrowed from annahmarzia.blogspot.com)

But wait – there’s more!

Are sex & skinny pills really what we care about? Isn't her arm already thin enough?

This is not for me. I will not participate in this hogwash.

I photograph people as they are. My purpose is to celebrate the beauty and elegance of life that surrounds us each and every day.

My tagline, “Your kids as you see them” refers to making portraits of children just the way they really are – the way you see them. I’m not interested in some made up ideal that’s not even worth aspiring to. I look for people’s authentic identity and strive to highlight that in their pictures.

When people manipulate images so blatantly, they are not only lying about what is real and wonderful about our world, but they are also insulting the person in the picture and significantly damaging our society’s mental health.

During the frenzy of Christmas shopping that goes on this time of year, I hope we can all make an effort to return our attention to what’s real, and keep in mind the things that are important. Let’s not get caught up in the insanity of unreasonable ideals and so-called perfection.

Opening Night – Jump Rhythm Jazz Project – Lara Grauer Photography

Chicago has been treating me well – lots of sunshine & snow, and great February weather. I’ve enjoyed spending time in a theatre again after far too long! Photography in the dark has proven to be a welcomed change – and a great opportunity to flex my photography muscles.

I want to say congratulations to Jump Rhythm Jazz Project on a successful start to their 20th anniversary season! Last night was opening night, and it went very well indeed. Keep an eye out for this company and go see them if you can. It’s well worth it!

Jump Rhythm Jazz Project – 20th Anniversary Kickoff!

Join me in Chicago Feb. 18th-20th to celebrate Jump Rhythm Jazz Project’s 20th anniversary! The show will revive several pieces from the last two decades, as well as unveil some new work from this awesome company! My job: capture the event in photographs! I look forward to the challenge!

wayward vegan cafe – food photography

I headed over to Wayward Cafe in the U district last week and got to spend some time photographing their yummy food. It’s a cool little vegan breakfast/lunch cafe, tucked away on the corner of 55th and 9th. The food is awesome, no matter what you’re accustomed to eating. You should check it out!

Some photos to whet your appetite:

Warrior

Not much to say about this one. It was a rainy day with a mix of snow (Yeah, snow, this is Seattle, but it snowed on April 13th) and I was itching for something to shoot! The Warrior it is. I really do like this statue. He stands guard over our fireplace. There’s a very interesting story behind it, but of course I’ve forgotten many of the details! I think it had something to do with a king or an emperor who had statues made of all of his soldiers so that they could be with him in his grave and accompany him into the afterlife. Each statue was a portrait of an actual soldier in the army, so they’re all different. I believe there were thousands of them. I think it would be cool to know this guy’s name.

Love Bugs

These cute little guys were a gift to my son from his Nana. My daughter got a ladybug version but there’s something about these little ants that are so cute! They are perched on top of a little green pedestel, with a button on the bottom that makes the ants go limp when you push it. But if you only push it partly down, they can dance so gracefully! They’re like sweet little love bugs. I have to say my favorite part about these little guys is the way their rear-ends stick straight out to the sides. Aren’t they funny? So now that you know that I spend way too much time thinking about little toy ants, I better dig up something really great for your viewing pleasure. How else will I save my dignity?

I have a couple of projects on the horizon, but the one I’m most excited about is a project involving commercial photos for my favorite Seattle restaurant Cafe Piccolo! I am really looking forward to this, and I’ve already begun coming up with ideas. I hope to do a little bit of everything – portraits, interiors, food shots – you name it! I hate to disappoint you, but there won’t be any little dancing ants in this project. Stay tuned . . .

Going Commercial

I put together a little macro studio for product shots today. It was so easy, and really fun! I started with a cardboard box. It’s small; probably about 12x12x18 or so. I cut out three of the sides and taped parchment paper across each opening to act as diffusers and reflectors. From there, I placed a strip of posterboard inside the box for a backdrop and voila! A strobe aimed at the diffuser on one side is all I needed other than the ambient light from a nearby window. I could have gotten out a second strobe, but I was itching to start shooting so I stopped at one. If you’re not the photography type, you might be surprised to know I spent about an hour photographing this tiny little bottle of whiskey! There are so many ways to practice good techniques without much fancy equipment. A little creativity can go a long way. Perhaps I’ll post a picture of my creation in the near future. It’s not very pretty, but it does the job. I made sure to photograph a few objects while I was at it. You’ll have to stay tuned to see those. Who says photography equipment has to be intimidating? Do you think I could get a family of 4 into one of these? Oh . . . I get it . . . that’s what studios are for!!!