For this collection of edits I wanted to ‘enhance’ the images to a more socially accepted ideal of beauty.
The images themselves where highly planned. I used bright lighting to emphasise features and angled the lighting to put shadows on areas that are stereotypically ugly e.g. double chin. I used full coverage foundation to cover my spots/acne scars, makeup pigments to contour or highlight particular areas of the face, red lipstick to emphasise the lips and create the illusion of a fuller lip. I created volume to my hair, added accessories and chose an outfit that looks put together.
The original images was flattering before I even started to edit them, due to the preparation I put into them. For the extreme edit I went on to adapt the image in a way that people on social media portray themselves to others. I completely changed the shape of my face and removed all ‘impurities’, yet when view the image alone you wouldn’t necessarily know the extreme adaptations I made.
Personally, I wouldn’t upload this extreme edited picture to my social medias but plenty of people would. I have felt this pressure and my current social media posts are edited with coloured filters to enhance the original images.
Having viewed the original next to the edited version I can see what makes the second more ‘beautiful’, and it’s no surprise people feel the need to edit their pictures to fit in with the collection of highly edited photos that are already on social media.
It’s no wonder more and more people have lower self-esteems when people feel they should have to be this expectation of modern beauty which in reality is extremely fake.
