To airbrush or not to airbrush?

[MissVega]

Hey everyone!
Happy new year and hope everyone is well. I haven't been able to get on here much lately
I'm currently having a website made for dance (Yah! finally so exciting) and I had some photos done. The photographer was a professional winter sports photographer, with an impressive resume in his genre. I went to grade school with him so he gave me a REALLY good deal since I was his first dancer that he had ever shot and he is looking to expand his portfolio. It was definitely a learning experience for both of us I think.

So now here is my question/want for opinions. To airbrush or photoshop or not to. When I look at dancers website so many of them have so many photoshopped, airbrushed, altered photos. And my initially reaction is to not do this. I would much rather keep it real and have potential clients know that what they see on the website is what they get. So what if in that photo I have a little roll, or wrinkle on my forehead. I would have that while doing that movement in person so why erase it for a photo. But then I am also worried that compared to other websites I won't look as professional:/

Any opinions, feedback etc?!?!

I think that this might also be stemming with my current frustration on feedback from competitions which has involved a lot of appearance comments, ranging from darker eye makeup, more makeup, wear false lashes, curl hair, hair accessories etc. I always look professional. I'm clean, my hair is brushed and blowed dried and then just left straight. I wear a stage amount of makeup yet it just feels like a beauty pagent when I read feedback comments like that. I am there for feedback on my dancing. And I want people to go to my website and want to book me because they liked my videos and want to see me dance not because I had perfect pictures. But then I realize the world that we live in and how much perfection/appearance and valued and think I would just be shooting myself in the foot to not go along with it

 

[Daimona]

People think differently. Don't worry too much about those commenting on appearance rather than your dancing. If they comment on something you are satisfied with, you don't have to do anything about it if you don't want to.

Speaking as a dance photographer, I sometimes need to crop a picture, make it brighter or fix the background, but I very rarely photoshop people. Things that are usually there are not necessary to fix - after all, it is a part of who the dancers are. I might remove an unforatunate pimple (which usually aren't there), but that's about all I do.

Remember, it isn't the photoshopping that makes a picure look professional, but things as composition and a capture of the light and the dancer.


I'd love to see your pics and homepage when it is ready.

 

[Mosaic]

I like what Daimona has said, fix up the bits that detract from the overall photo. You are a pretty girl as you are so don't need full on photoshopping.

I also look forward to seeing your photos and website.

Oh Happy NY to you too
~Mosaic

 

[MissVega]

People think differently. Don't worry too much about those commenting on appearance rather than your dancing. If they comment on something you are satisfied with, you don't have to do anything about it if you don't want to.

Speaking as a dance photographer, I sometimes need to crop a picture, make it brighter or fix the background, but I very rarely photoshop people. Things that are usually there are not necessary to fix - after all, it is a part of who the dancers are. I might remove an unforatunate pimple (which usually aren't there), but that's about all I do.

Remember, it isn't the photoshopping that makes a picure look professional, but things as composition and a capture of the light and the dancer.


I'd love to see your pics and homepage when it is ready.

Thanks Daimona Although I've never considered cropping, changing the background or colour correcting altering. I was thinking more when they remove wrinkles, rolls, veins, etc. Where the smooth skin and lines out, or maybe that is just a lighting affect that they are using. I don't know I don't know enough about photography.

I didn't know you were a photographer. I would love to see some of your pics if you have a website or flicker etc

 

[Daimona]

I was thinking more when they remove wrinkles, rolls, veins, etc. Where the smooth skin and lines out, or maybe that is just a lighting affect that they are using. I don't know I don't know enough about photography.

It is probably quite a lot of dancers doing this as well, but just because they do it - why should you be doing it as well? You've already stated the best reason for not doing it yourself: to keep it real and have potential clients know that what they see what they get.

I didn't know you were a photographer. I would love to see some of your pics if you have a website or flicker etc

Just an amateur, really - but I've been lucky enough to sell some of my images and I love photographing dance shows (apart from when I've been on stage myself I've probably been photographing on more shows than been a regular audience member). I've posted a few of my pics in on album here on OD. Apart from them I do have some a couple of private albums online as well with small watermarked images for previews (for protecting the dancers against misuse), but they're rather well hidden and not searchable by the internet search engines..

 

[Kashmir]

I wouln't - they will eventually see you - as you are. I have enough trouble with untouched photos in full makeup and costume vs what they see in class (sorry, no - I don't wear makeup to teach!)

So, honesty in advertising - picking of course the most flattering photos with good backgrounds!

 

[AndreaSTL]

I'm not a fan of over-editing. It looks plastic and fake, and it makes me wonder what else the person might be fudging. Getting rid of a pimple or a bruise is one thing, but to completely change your skin texture and remove any lines or wrinkles takes it too far IMHO. Jennifer Aniston's latest shoot for Allure is exactly the kind of stuff I don't care for. She's 40 for Pete's sake; she won't have Barbie skin!

 

[Imeera]

I'm not a fan of over-editing. It looks plastic and fake, and it makes me wonder what else the person might be fudging. Getting rid of a pimple or a bruise is one thing, but to completely change your skin texture and remove any lines or wrinkles takes it too far IMHO. Jennifer Aniston's latest shoot for Allure is exactly the kind of stuff I don't care for. She's 40 for Pete's sake; she won't have Barbie skin!

I agree with this, I wouldn't and I don't think it would make your photo look less professionally just more real which will make you stand out in my opinion. As for the comments, ignore them. Focus on the dance comments, touch up where you you think you need to, if you want to but other than that I don't think you need more than you already have. I don't like it when dancers go too overboard with hair, make up and accessories. It distracts from the dance.

 

[Ranya]

I agree with what was said above.
I usually adjust contrast, shadows, light... if I have a really visible red pimple or very dark circles, or a stray hair... but not my features or body shape as such.

The Moroccan restaurant I dance at had arranged a photo shoot for me, for their promotional posters... the photographer photoshopped me SO MUCH that I looked like a cheap mme tussaud wax imitation! he even changed my eye colour to super bright blue (they are dark green) and i was wearing blood red lipstick and he changed it to soft pink! IMAGINE!
note: he is a very good photographer overall and when he was showing me the pics during the shoot i loved them, but this one in its final version was too much. He is known for over-editing pics.
And guess what, in the end the restaurant picked one where only the contrast, light, edges etc. were photoshopped but no me :lol:

 

[MissVega]

Thank you everyone for your opinions

Will stick with my initial plan and not airbrush

 

[Reen.Blom]

1) have videos of real dancing, maybe action shots of dancing.
2) have airbrushed and photo shopped promo images. Why not?

Professional photography is Art. The truth is photoes is just a 2d play of shadow and light and many times they are NOT a true reflection of what you really look like anyways....

And videos will be a better reflection of what you are. As for promotion a bit of glamour and fairy tale is good.