Lights, Camera...Photoshop

Written by Anastasia Mavromatis

Tuesday, 06 May 2008 08:06

In the unforgivable world of women’s gossip magazines, one thing is certain: female celebrities should not move a muscle if confronted with a leering paparazzi lens.

Cellulite is often described as fat’s evil twin, an alien manifestation that could very well be the end of humankind, but it is duller than this. Cellulite is fat. The ‘orange peel’ appearance is attributed to skin tone rather than an alien breed of fat, and it could be attributed to lack of exercise, genetic factors or simply be as boring as a fat deposit. When it is re-packaged with medical jargon and alien mystery, it becomes an ailment, which is as fallacious as a Photoshop enhanced magazine cover.

Magazine covers are often wonderful displays of photoshop talents, but you will not find any such talent at New Weekly - not this week. Readers ought to keep in mind that all the wobbly images are just that - images of female celebrities in motion. Then there is the lighting. This cover is a direct critique on the poor photography skills of the paparazzi behind the images.

In the realm of photoshop, the effect is dazzling. The streamlined bodies are too good to be true, and this perfection adds alien appeal (see below mini gallery).

It is not difficult to look fantastic in an image. The Art of Photographing Women (Kevin Ames) is a book that offers a 14 chapter tutorial on harnessing all the powers of Photoshop CS to produce a streamlined image of the feminine ideal.