Last week, I gave a presentation on alcohol awareness and body image to a group of 16-17 year old girls. I wanted to find some visuals to bring with me to prove how much Photoshop work is done to cover models, and that this ideal level of beauty is unattainable (even for the models themselves).
To save you some time, I've included the full size images in this post, so you can print them out and use them for your own educational presentations.
First up, we have a cover model for Nitro Magazine. This is one of the best examples of before-and-after Photoshop images I was able to find, and luckily they are high enough resolution to be printed as a full page image. Click on the images to download the high-res versions.
When I showed these images to the group, I started with the after after photo, and then showed them the before photo. Their reaction was interesting, I heard "ewww she's ugly" and "she's sooooo old!" I challenged this viewpoint and said she's only old and ugly compared to this painting of herself - this is how she really looks. This is how normal people look.
Next, I showed the group that not only women are Photoshopped in magazines. I found this great image of model "Nichkhun" where the editors went a little overboard on his abs, resulting in the loss of his belly-button.The point here is not that removing his belly-button makes him more attractive (it doesn't), but that the editors were so Photoshop-crazy that they just glossed right over it!
Finally, here is another Photoshop-failure classic. It's Men's Fitness magazine with Andy Roddick on the cover. Andy was so shocked by the final cover, that he didn't even recognize himself.
"Little did I know I have 22-inch guns and a disappearing birth mark on my right arm. I saw the cover for the first time when I landed after Rome [tournament]. It was pretty funny.
"I walked by the newsstand in the airport and did a total double take. I can barely figure out how to work the red-eye tool on my digital camera. Whoever did this has mad skills" (source).I don't have the original image of the cover, but there is an obvious difference in the size of his arms compared to this "normal" photo of Andy playing tennis.
What I learned: A picture is worth a thousand words.
