Is it unethical to erase frown lines using photo shop?

[Haole Girl]

I was going to...but, besides the fact that I can't do it well, it just seems unethical.

If I have wrinkles, I have wrinkles...it's part of who I am.

On a side note, I have a new respect, after messing around with both Personal Photo Manager
and Corel Paint Shop Pro for over 4 hours, for anybody who can successfully use those tools.

I can't tell, now, if a mountainside is too green or blue...I've stared at my pics so long!

[Oeditpus Rex]

1. Depends on what you're gonna do with it

If it's gonna be in a newspaper or something as a factual representation of how you look, then, yeah, it's unethical.

If you're just gonna post it on the internets, 'shop on. :headbang:

[Haole Girl]

2. Well

I'm tempted to, but it looks fake when I do it.

I'll probably just not email anybody that photo...especially my father...poor guy, he'd feel 100 years old if he saw how old I look in one of them. :-(

[Oeditpus Rex]

8. I should probably confess

that I've removed blemishes from mug shots for obits a lotta times, sort of as a courtesy to the families.

But an obit mug isn't technically a news photo. If I 'shopped out, say, that tell-tale "smoker's lip" from Barack Obama, I could get in trouble. :scared:

[idgiehkt]

17. what is 'smoker's lip'?

Do Tell, one more reason to keep me off of the cigarettes for another day.

[Oeditpus Rex]

20. Those vertical lines on the upper lip

Some long-time smokers get 'em. Looks like they tried to cut themselves a mustache. :crazy:

[Call Me Wesley]

4. Why is it unethical?

Newspapers post vanity pics all the times. And if it's black and white, the wrinkles are out anyway because the grayscaling is so narrow.

I don't think we're speaking about fashion photography here, just a little touch-up.

[Haole Girl]

5. Yeah, I see your point

It seems pretty vain. But, it would definitely help in one photo I have.

I might ask my husband for assistance on that one.

I don't know.

Thanks. :hi:

[Call Me Wesley]

7. I have a little experience with this photoshop thingie.

If you want to give it a try, PM me the pic. :hi:

[Haole Girl]

9. Thanks

I might have to do that...right now I'm waiting on the memory again. The computer keeps running out of memory. *sigh*

Appreciate it. :hi:

[Call Me Wesley]

12. No worries.

I won't have time for it today anyways (it's around 11:20 p. m. here), but I'll be happy to help. :)

[Haole Girl]

14. You better get to sleep then!

I probably won't tackle it again or a few days, anyway...computer is stuck on some other update it needs now. Grrr...

:hi:

[Oeditpus Rex]

10. If it's a news photo

it misrepresents the news.

Think of the explosion in GD if it was found that a newspaper "cleaned up" Buh's face.

[Call Me Wesley]

11. Yes, I see this.

Political figures are one thing, but think of all the shots of senior columnists (whatever they're called) or movie people. Unless it's the 'National Enquirer.' Was there ever a picture of the cancer ridden Molly Ivins printed above her columns? Art Buchwald?

I just don't see how it's unethical.

[Oeditpus Rex]

13. I was thinking news photos

It's sort of a sickness. :blush:

Truth about column mugs is they're just not updated very often. The one I used to use of Jim Litke, the AP's top sports columnist, had to be at least 10 years old.

[Call Me Wesley]

15. I was just pointing out the

hypro... hypocr... yhpr... you know, the two bladed edges of a mighty sword. Or so. ;)

But here, I'll give you a Angela Merkel picture:

[Left Is Write]

16. LOL! That's why I like B&W photos of me best.

Unfortunately, some of those darn wrinkles STILL manage to show.

[Call Me Wesley]

3. You tried to erase frown lines from mountainsides?

;)

Seriously, I don't think it's unethical. We all have the vanity shots, and there's nothing wrong about it. :hi:

[Haole Girl]

6. Ha-ha

Nooooo....but the one-step-smart-fix did!

:rofl:

[gmoney]

18. The trick is not to overdo it

not sure how those programs work, but in Photoshop, you can create a duplicate layer, smooth the hell out of it, then fade the density of it to maybe 40-70 percent and just paint in over the wrinkles. It softens the lines for a flattering look, without removing them entirely and looking unnatural, and would probably be within reasonable ethical boundaries for most uses. Essentially you're simulating what flattering lighting would do for the subject.

[Haole Girl]

19. Thanks for the tip..

...I will get a better program before I become another year older! :hi: