Photoshop and Hyper Realism
Using software like Photoshop, or Gimp, can provide the ability to greatly increase visual creativity through photo and logo manipulation. With Photoshop I managed to make an idea I had for a logo drawing into a reality from a scan to a vector graphic logo design of it for use in logo segments as a label of my work. Photoshop and Gimp are just two software available that do this however Photoshop would be the most commonly referred to and known, used by professionals in the media world who want to create the best appearances in advertisements, photography, and graphic design of their subjects.
I have found how the media’s representation of this hyper-real like imagery of people, specifically female models, and the way it gives females a pressure or standard that they are to live up to in order to be beautiful and sexy. This can cause a drastic affect on a large portion of today’s society, all just by one or two sales images of a model. I have decided to reference a couple of videos that express and present my argument about the excessive changes that are carried out on every model, and professional form of photography, and how unrealistic these images really are.
In this video you can clearly see how drastically the young lady is edited to appear up to the standard required to consider her “beautiful”. Granted the intentional purpose of using Photoshop is to create the perfect or hyper-real image as a way of selling the product to consumers by encouraging them to believe that if they want to be this beautiful, they must by this or that product. This is great for selling products, and it does not mean the product itself will not provide the consumer with what it is intended to, only that the imagery should be looked at as a sales “gimmick” and nothing more to the consumer, the real question is why is it then that society is so much more prone to believe these ads over say the compliments of family or friends to these individual’s attractiveness or ability to be beautiful in their own unique way.
Continuing on to express that there could maybe be a small disclaimer on the bottom of images that are greatly manipulated to provide an understanding to consumers, or viewers that it is in fact edited or retouched. I also believe our society has formed such a large focus of otter appearance to a devastating and dangerous degree that individuals let it affect their entire life. When individual’s lives are affected it brings on a sense of control held by these producers over the consumers, almost sending out subtle messages of how people should look, be, and act. From this I am going to refer to how periods in history have used this technique as an attempt to manipulate a country’s society, which would be known as propaganda.
There are also a lot of good things Photoshop can do as well, allowing for entertainment in humorous and creative situations, or in some instances it provides, if used properly, an ability to represent the clearest, and most professional form of self. The next images are a professional headshot, where as the other is a highly edited image, and obviously an example of hyper-real version of myself.
