Editing photos: helpful or harmful?

Rebecca Laughlin

rl257914@ohio.edu

Photographs are one of the most effective ways to tell stories. This is why images are so prominent in today's media, from advertisements to documentaries. However, along with these breathtaking images come ethical questions. Should photoshop be used in advertising? Are some images too graphic to publish?

Photo courtesy of webneel.com

These questions and many more are being answered from people on all sides. Some say that editing photos used in advertisements ruins the integrity of those advertisements. Others say that editing is just a part of the industry. In the same way, some argue that graphic photos should not be published, while others claim that these images are necessary.

Ultimately, the answers to these questions vary with people's opinions. So rather than claim that there is a firm answer, I will share my thoughts:

Should photoshop be used in advertising?

If the purpose of photographs is to tell a story, and the story an organization wants to tell cannot be shared through a raw photograph, I think that editing is acceptable.

For example, look at the Heinz ketchup advertisement to the right. This photo has clearly been manipulated to tell the advertiser's story. Tomatoes do not grow with the Heinz label on them, and the average consumer knows this. Personally, I see no ethical dilemma with this photograph. If the advertisement was simply a photo of tomato slices, it wouldn't communicate as clearly to viewers that Heinz makes their ketchup from real tomatoes. Editing was necessary to share the advertiser's story.


On the other hand, I think that editing photos for advertisements can be deceptive. For example, check out this article that compares food advertisements to the actual products customers receive. Altering photos of a product is almost as bad as lying to customers.

This is also a problem when it comes to altering the appearance of models in photographs. It's one thing to adjust the colors or composition of a photograph. It's a completely different story when photographers choose to edit the size and shape of a model's body or remove "imperfections" from their faces.

In advertising, editing a photo to better communicate the photo's story is acceptable. However, it is unacceptable to alter a photo in a way that deceives consumers or creates unachievable standards for viewers.

Are some images too graphic to publish? 

The short answer to this question is no. 

Unfortunately, we are constantly seeing stories in the news about natural disasters, war, mass murder, etc. This is the reality of the world that we live in. Many people, especially in Western culture, want to ignore injustice if it doesn't directly affect them. 

It is the responsibility of journalists to inform the public about violence and injustice in our world. And like I said before, one of the best ways to tell stories is through photographs. Photographer Ross Taylor exposed some of the terrors of war in Afghanistan in this graphic album.

At times, we need to see a refugee child who died while his family fled to give him a better life. It can be important that we see civilians killed by war. If we hide our eyes from the violence and injustice in other parts of the world, when will we be motivated to do something about it?