Would you be offended if a photographer altered, enhanced, or improved a photo of you?

Question

Let's say you were attending an important event as a guest, such as a wedding, and you had your photograph taken by the photographer hired for the occasion. When you later see the picture, you notice that it's been retouched.

It's tasteful and relatively subtle-- teeth whitened, a squinting eye opened, a blemish removed, a scar softened, that sort of thing. Would you be offended by this?

(I ask this as a photographer and digital artist who doesn't want to step on the metaphorical toes of my clients' guests.)

Answer 1

I think digitally altering a photo, without being asked to do it, can be tricky.
If someone asks you to make sure to "make them look better" and tells you what sort of things they want altered or removed, of course you should do it, since they are paying you to make them look good in the photo.
If no one asks and you think it would improve the quality of the photo, I would do it if it was something that could be changed physically. For example, if someone has acne spots, you could remove them since they would be gone in a few days anyway. Or you could retouch hair that is out of place or things of that nature.If whitening the teeth makes a difference and the recipient wouldn't think that its "just not them" I would do that too. Most people would appreciate that since they probably think their teeth are whiter than they appear on camera anyway.
I would probably ask before retouching scars or things of that nature, since they may have significant meaning and deleting them or altering them could offend someone, or just make it seem like something is "missing" - since it is!
Squinting eyes and the sort - go ahead and retouch. People probably won't even notice since they don't know what image you captured. Their eyes could have been fine a second before or after the shot.
When in doubt, ask first. But usually minor things are okay to retouch and are appreciated.

Answer 2

I know I wouldn't mind someone doing it, to a certain extent.

And as a amateur photographer, I know in In all the portrait shots that I take, I always whiten the teeth, and take out the blemishes on the face, and of course red eye.

I sort of have a rule, if what ever I'm removing from the picture isn't going to be there 10 days from then, what does it matter. If it's a scar, I leave it, unless the person requests it to not be there.

And people love white and shiny teeth.

But if people want me to remove that embarrassing ten extra pounds that the camera "supposedly" adds. I'm sorry, I can't help ya. I just tell people that I don't know that much about photoshop to do things like that.

I mean after all. I want the photo to be as true to life as it can be, and at the same time flattering, so small things like blemishes are fine to remove I feel, unless the person that I took the photo for feels differently.

And kinda off subject, I think freckles are adorable, so I leave them in ;-), unless the person requests them to be taken away.

Answer 3

I usually do a soft bit of digital editing to wedding pictures, especially. Just what you said, a little brightening where it helps, remove a pimple, sometimes add a bigger catchlight. Occasionally I soften a scar, but I seldom touch moles and birthmarks unless it's requested. I have smoothed a hip or two, and I had one bride who had a VERY unflattering dress, in every picture there was a shine on just the wrong part of her belly. I took quite a while and smoothed away the offending light accentuating a belly bulge. Didn't really liposuction, just smoothed the highlight and shadow. I don't know what she thought of the guests snapshots. I'm sure they didn't fix their prints.

Answer 4

Just happened to me, and I am offended. My wife and I had pictures taken of our son, as well as a family picture of the three of us. I have a distinctive mole that I am okay with, it's a part of me, and doesn't affect my self esteem. It's one of those that is between my eyebrows (like Russell Crowe). I just saw the family picture today and the photographer photoshoped the mole out without asking me about it. As if leaving it in makes me too ugly? Because that's the way it makes me feel.

Answer 5

Don't change how they look. Removing a stain from clothing is usually OK. So is removing hair, a scarf, tie or whatever that has blown across the face. But anything that changes the actual appearance of the people is asking for trouble. Many will welcome the touch ups, but just one who is upset by it will wreck your reputation and your self-confidence.
Of course, you can always ask the person hosting the event how much touch up they want!

Answer 6

No I wouldn't be offended if the changes were only subtle. You don't want to look at a photo of yourself and not recognise that it is you. The only thing I would leave would be scars. People will most likely be offended if that was touched up to much.

Answer 7

Well, I wouldn't. I once photographed at a piano concert and a lady I knew asked me for "Digital Lipo" in a certain picture of her. She appreciated it. As for teeth whitening, I do that for pictures I take all the time, as well as red-eye reduction. No one has ever been offended.
However, there are people who might be, so I don't speak for the population when I say this.

Answer 8

I personally wouldn't. Usually people are happy to see their own faulty shots improved ie. have a squinting eye opened up, blemishes removed.
It would however be insulting if you change a physical appearance of one's features.

Answer 9

as a professional photographer I usually get paid to make flattering photographs which in many cases are a deliberate departure from reality.
it's your artistic license unless asked to do otherwise.

Answer 10

If its to make me look better then no i wouldnt get offended at all. I would thank him for doing so. I dont take great pictures :S