Wait -- A Magazine Cover Without Photoshopping?

Well, well, well. Isn't this a surprise. With all the recent hubbub about Photoshopped celebrities in magazines (which is frankly just a fact of life these days), French ELLE decided to feature three women with no makeup or Photoshopping for the April issue (the photos were shot by Peter Lindbergh). This is perhaps more shocking than any leaked photo of an un-retouched Kim Kardashian. It's not lost on us that they chose three of the most beautiful women in the world (not shown: Sophie Marceau), so is this really that risky of a stunt?   —Lindsay Sakraida

Comments

[Jill]

It is about time the magazine show the real beauty of the women they are shoting photos of. some Women on the street are beautiful but why are they considered normal looking compared to the un-realistic photo- shoped women!
show real beauty for once!!! I am happy this magazine was upfront enought to show real women in their natural state!!

[Anonymous]

It isn't even Photoshop, either, for that matter, it's the entertainment industry in general; they've been doing it for many years. Good example: Google for images of Yasmine Bleeth. Take a look at some of her glamour photos and compare them to her mug shot from when she was arrested (which, admittedly, is not a time when you're going to be looking your best, but even so).

[Anna]

It's about time a magazine finally does this. Photoshop has its uses, but it is nice to see woman the way they are suppose to look.

[sean]

It's really good to see this...

as a photographer, I hate photoshoped images. There is a true beauty in getting an image and only doing the minor edits that you can do in a darkroom.

like one of my professors has said, "I am a photographer and not a photo-manipulator."

[prabhat]

I agree with sean. manipulation may be the skill for many but photographer's tool is camera. if people believe that camera never lies we should work to keep that faith.
these covers of elle are no less impressive than any.

[patti]

now it's hard to find a non photoshopped photo anywhere.
we see a beautiful photo and when we suspect it's being redone with photoshop.
I congrat Elle for showing those photos.

[Lindsay Sakraida]

I think I agree with everyone's comments. There are certainly actresses and models that have more "distracting" imperfections than these ladies, which could have allowed for a bigger statement, but ultimately I love that the tactile, textured nature of their skin is still there. To me, that's what gets lost the most when people are photoshopped to death. And the slight shine on Monica Belluci's face is gorgeous.

I learned recently though that to replicate a normal photo shoot experience for the subjects, they went through makeup but then wiped it off with lotion... cheating slightly, I guess.

[Josh]

There are actually 8 women without retouching featured. The cover text translates to "Stars without Makeup, No makeup, no retouching. Eight women dare to show real beauty"

[Barry]

It's worth remembering that even without photoshop or makeup, the skill of the photographer, her/his use of lighting and other less technical practices all contribute to what we see on these covers. So whatever techniques were or were not used, what we see in the final product is still not reality.

[matt mcarthur]

Barry is quite right - every decision the photographer makes manipulates the end result.

It is stupid to somehow class the photographer as a noble and honest practitioner but depict the retoucher as an inherently parasitic evil doer. Both are interpreters that stand between the subject and the audience.