Editing Photographs, where does the line stop?

Editing Photographs, why does the line stop?

In our lesson of digital Image we downloaded a app on our phone called face-tune, it is where you can take photos and edit them e.g. with the use of brightening the skin, smoothing out the skin to get rid of unwanted blemishes or lines/ wrinkles, it can do all sorts of things to get your desired look. We had a task to take a picture of our partner and to adjust the picture to how you want it and we had to count how many times we changed something about the photo and we did the same thing but on ourselves. I only changed 3 things on both photos of myself and my partner in class, I think this was because we were told in a previous class to keep editing to a minimal, we don't want to change the face entirely that it looks like someone else, we want to keep their identity.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/317644579938334793/

Unknown model

During this class we discussed questions among us about editing and where does the line stop with improving your looks?

I think personally, editing is a good thing in order to remove insecurities for example, unwanted blemishes, marks on the face but kept to a minimal, I don't want to remove my models looks, identity by editing to much. I just would want to touch up the photo it make it sharp and more defined, add shading, but I don't want to play with their face shape/ eyes/ mouth. I would like to choose my model based on the genre I want my photo to be, I wouldn't pick my model then change their overall look.

I was researching into photo shop and how extreme some people went with completely reshaping peoples bodies and faces, I found this one which was a quick video and how she dramatically changed, it is a serious wake up call to what is happening and giving todays audience false expectations of how to look, it is beyond me and my mind I can't seem to get my head around it all at such a extreme way. I understand if people want blemishes or anything slightly removed that they were so concerned about edited but not reconstructing the entire face, it's madness.

Heres a link to the clip I found that really made me think about what is happening in today's society.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDs-LeLdauU

I feel this is offence to the model and it scares me to think that this technology can retouch make-up and someones overall look in order to make them look like someone completely different. We want to see the make-up and hair skills in the picture, we don't want to retouch there work so much we can't see their work properly.

Should we be playing with body shape? Is there a time to do that? 

You see photos of celebrities and models and how they are slimmed down even more so and the public are seeing unrealistic pictures and believe they are real. This gives people false expectations and they become desired to a smaller, skinny look like models and this is unhealthy. I believe we shouldn't be playing with body shape, it is basically feeding the audience lies and giving the "Desired look" which is unhealthy and unrealistic. I believe beauty is irregular beauty, people of sorts and sizes are all beautiful in their own way, I enjoy seeing character within photos, showing personality, I would like to see more of this in campaigns, this is truly beautiful when people feel comfortable in themselves and this reflects in pictures.
What people want these days is to see symmetry, youth, good coloured complexion, flawless skin, slim etc. But don't you think this is boring? I think seeing the same air brushed unrealistic image is dull and I would like to see personality within the pictures on beauty editorials/ campaigns etc.

How much is too much post production?

In class we were shown pictures of women from different ethnic backgrounds and they were edited to suit "the perfect look" for example there was a woman from eastern Europe and her face was Westernized to fit the look they wanted, at first I thought it was a completely different woman, different shaped face, eyes, mouth, nose, everything about her was different and this scared me to think that a computer can change someones appearance so much that they become unrecognisable.

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/photoshop/images/3515453/title/extreme-photoshop-makeover-photo

unknown model

I believe this image to beyond madness!

I believe this is wrong and shouldn't be done, how would the model feel? someone changing your face entirely that you cannot see yourself in the picture, this is wrong. Peoples character is within their face shapes and sizes and makes them who they are. If you edit a picture so much it is called "Uncanny Valley" this is editing to the beyond. I truly believe minimal is best, we don't want to take someones identity away from them.

Also we had to ask our partners how they felt by myself editing their picture; my partner liked the fact I kept it minimal, but hid her insecurities e.g. dark circles and blemishes. I also brightened the face and kept it as simple as that, it was minimal but effective and it gave us both the look we wanted. If I were to do this activity again I would use a better camera, do the hair and make-up to fit the look I wanted, using the best equipment is key and putting your skills into use to reflect on the image is important, however I did like the app, it was strange how you could edit the picture so much.