Did Washingtonian go overboard with Photoshop?
Susan Moeller, a journalism professor at the University of Maryland and a columnist for the Huffington Post thinks so.
Folks were buzzing about photos of President Barack Obama when they first surfaced late last year. “President beefcake” and all that:
But the Washingtonian took a few liberties with this particular photo on the cover of its May issue. Not only did they knock out the background — which doesn’t bother us at all — but they also changed the color of Obama’s bathing suit.
Which does bother us:
Said Leslie Milk, the magazine’s lifestyle editor:
I know we changed the color of his suit to red, and dropped out the background.
In the original photo the president is wearing a black suit and walking from what appears to be sliding glass doors leading to a living room.
But what really sets her off is this:
What also appears to be altered from the original image is the contrast and the color balance of the president’s skin. On The Washingtonian’s cover the sun striking Obama’s chest makes him appear more golden, almost glistening.
Hmm. We’re not sure we agree. That seems like a toning/sharpening issue to us. The small amount of change we’re seeing seems typical for a toning job. Granted, the effect is accentuated by the change in background.
Moeller further explains:
What’s the danger of an audience thinking that the president looks model-hot? It’s a simplification of who he is–it’s the photographic version of presenting Obama as the shining hope for the country. It’s ascribing to him more power–even if the power is sexual–than he actually has.
Hmm. We’re wondering what’s in Dr. Moeller’s coffee. How about we simply object to the Photoshop work on ethical grounds?