Why We Retouch People in Photoshop | Scott Kelby | TEDxCarrollwoodDaySchool

Summary

The speaker discusses the impact of excessive photo retouching in the media, comparing it to the natural human tendency to overlook imperfections in real life. He shares personal experiences to illustrate how retouching can alter perceptions, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between realistic and 'fantasy' retouching. The talk concludes with a call to view unrealistic media portrayals as mere entertainment, not a standard of beauty, to promote healthy self-perception.

Takeaways

• 🖼️ Retouching in the photography industry often goes too far, making people look unrealistic and 'plastic'.
• 👀 The human mind naturally filters out distracting elements when viewing something beautiful, which is why retouching can seem necessary.
• 🏞️ The speaker's experience in Tuscany illustrates how the mind can block out imperfections, like power lines, when appreciating a scene.
• 🖥️ Photoshop can be used to remove distracting elements from photos that the photographer didn't notice until viewing the image on a screen.
• 🤔 People often don't recognize when small details are removed from photos because they don't consciously notice these details in real life.
• 💍 The purpose of portrait retouching is to make people look as good in a photograph as they do in real life, not to create an unrealistic image.
• 👁️‍🗨️ Retouchers use tools like the Healing Brush and fade feature to subtly fix imperfections without changing the person's identity.
• 🚫 Over-retouched images can lead to unrealistic beauty standards and can be harmful, especially to young viewers.
• 🍷 The speaker compares over-retouched images to having a bottle of wine, where a little is okay but too much is bad.
• 🌟 Celebrities and supermodels are retouched to fit a fantasy image rather than their real appearance, which is a form of entertainment rather than reality.
• 👨‍👧 The speaker's goal is for people to recognize retouched images as mere entertainment and not feel affected by them, especially his young daughter.

Q & A

What is the term used in the industry to describe excessive retouching?

The term used in the industry to describe excessive retouching is 'being retouched to death'.

Why did the photographer's wife take him to Italy?

The photographer's wife took him to Italy because he is a photographer and she knew it would be a great experience for him to take pictures in such a beautiful place.

What did the photographer notice when he viewed the photograph of the Villa he took in Tuscany?

When the photographer viewed the photograph of the Villa he took in Tuscany, he noticed telephone poles and power lines that he did not see when he was actually looking at the scene.

Why did the photographer remove the power lines and telephone poles from the photograph?

The photographer removed the power lines and telephone poles from the photograph because they were not what he saw when he was standing there, and they distracted from the beauty of the scene.

What is the role of a real retoucher according to the photographer?

The role of a real retoucher, according to the photographer, is not to make people look fake or to remove all their imperfections, but to make them look as good in a photograph as they did when standing in front of the camera.

What is the purpose of using the 'Healing Brush' tool in Photoshop as described in the script?

The 'Healing Brush' tool in Photoshop is used to remove blemishes or unwanted marks on a subject's skin, such as a mole, by sampling a clean part of the skin and then painting over the imperfection.

What is the 'fade' feature used for in retouching?

The 'fade' feature in retouching is used to reduce the intensity of an edit, such as a removed mole, to make it look more realistic and less noticeable in the final photograph.

Why do flaws become more noticeable in a photograph compared to seeing someone in real life?

Flaws become more noticeable in a photograph because a photo is a flat representation that captures a single moment, removing the movement, laughter, personality, and other dynamic elements that can distract from flaws in real life.

What is the term the photographer uses to describe retouching that makes people look unrealistically perfect?

The photographer uses the term 'fantasy retouching' to describe retouching that makes people look unrealistically perfect.

What does the photographer want his daughter to feel when she looks at the cover of a fashion magazine?

The photographer wants his daughter to feel nothing when she looks at the cover of a fashion magazine, recognizing that what she sees is for entertainment and not real.

What is the main message the photographer wants to convey about retouching?

The main message the photographer wants to convey about retouching is that it should be used to enhance reality, not to create an unrealistic fantasy that can negatively affect people's self-perception.