What is Photoshop?

At the start of my research paper, I will be discussing the topic about Photoshop due to the fact that my research paper is “How the Use of Photoshop Impacts Women’s Body Image.”

Throughout the past decade, photoshop, as well as other editing software programs have made impeccable strides to users around the world. From adjusting the lighting on a rather dull photo, to advancing an image with a preset filter, to, in some cases, altering a size twelve model to a size two. No matter the case, in today’s society, seeing an image without some type of editing is extremely rare. According to the University of Washington (2017), they described photoshop as,  “A predominant photo editing and manipulation software on the market. Its uses range from full featured editing of large batches of photos to creating intricate digital paintings and drawings that mimic those done by hand.” Schools around the globe incorporate photoshop into their digital media, graphic design, and other technological based courses in order for students to understand the basics of changing a way in which an image appears. In particular, businesses and companies use editing programs in order to enhance the look of their advertisements. If one were to take a walk downtown in any urban area, he/she would notice almost in every direction an advertisement. According to Cortese (2008), “Advertising is a message that has been called to the attention of a public audience, especially by paid announcement,” (p.3). Therefore, some individuals careers are to edit images in order to hopefully increase revenue once the advertisement is displayed. However, photoshop can also have serious impacts on ads once someone notices a drastic change in the original. For example, Steve McCurry, famously known for his National Geographic photography, was recently hustled into a photoshop scandal once viewers noticed the drastic changes in his original photo. He went as far as removing people from the scene, which created a lot of controversy, especially to his former employees. This example simply illustrates how photoshop can not only distort an image into something completely different, but can also create emotion with outside viewers. One of the most befuddling ways in which advertisements create change, havok, and emotion with an audience is through the use of women models. Advertising is now a $180-billion-per-year industry and television commercials cost as much as $246,000 to produce, (Cortese, 2008, p.4). Typically through the use of the advertisements and commercials, women are the main characters who publicize anything from hair products, to alcohol, to perfume, to a box of chocolates, and anything in between. Like O’Neil (2014) states, “Kantar Media, an advertising strategy firm, reported that $6.8 billion alone was spent on advertising for personal care products in 2012, such as makeup, skin and hair care products, perfumes, cosmetic surgery, health clubs, and weight loss products,” (p. 620).  Consequently, overtime the models have become more thin, lengthy, covered with makeup, and unrealistic, which in turn has lead to multiple problems for the viewers. In particular, women, especially at younger ages, are viewing these advertisements, and wishing one thing…”I wish I looked like her.” Little do they know, but becoming like “her” is nearly impossible because the models themselves do not even look like that. Therefore, women’s ideal body image is distorted to an unrealistic advertisements controlled by editing software programs.

 

Leave a Reply

Skip to toolbar