Why? Just why?

Ok, so here's a topic that we all know, and unfortunately has become a norm. What is it? Photoshopping celebs and models in the media. And people wonder why we have body image issues?

Some people say we should pass laws to prevent this kind of distortion from happening, whether that would work, I don't know. It would be difficult to draw a clear line on what is going "too far", and where does the artist's realm come into play? Its a big grey area if you ask me. I personally love using photoshop, let's just say healing brush and I go way back. But the kind of things that are going on in the pictures above... uhhh, when did looking like a Holocaust victim help you sell clothing? This is NOT healthy!!! And letting people, especially emotionally crazed teens think that that figure is possible, let alone "cool" is wrong. But making a law is kinda wrong too. I think maybe a label on the photo stating it has been drastically altered would be good, kinda like the "dramatization" label that comes up in TV shows and commercials. Lets face it this is in a way false advertising, they should have to state it just like any other company. 

Some of the photoshops are so bad, you wonder how they ever even managed to go to print. Check this one out of Oprah! Pretty sure whoever thought that one up wasn't the brightest bulb in the bunch. Some stars are even getting mad (with good reason) about their photos being altered. They want to show their real bodies. I say good for them! It's time a little truth hit Hollywood.

Want more info? Follow the links below!

http://shine.yahoo.com/fall-beauty/image-of-ultra-thin-ralph-lauren-model-sparks-outrage-521480.html

http://blogs.photopreneur.com/the-worlds-most-famous-photoshop-fakes

http://www.more.com/news/womens-issues/jamie-lee-curtis-true-thighs

http://www.yourcover.com/Articles/Most-Blatant-Uses-of-Photoshop-in-Magazines-Ads/

http://www.eonline.com/news/254745/julia-roberts-and-christy-turlington-ads-deemed-overly-photoshopped-banned-in-britain

My homework assignment 

HAHAHA...Fun with Photoshop :D

These are my 5 favorite pictures I took on our walk to Blick... Yeah I had some fun in photoshop :P

Walk, walk, walk...

So, for one of our assignments we were asked to go on a walk somewhere in Philly, take pictures, do some sketches, find and pick up some random objects etc. Trying to kill two birds with one stone, my roommate, Julia, and I decided to head on down to center city to go to Blick Art Materials and get supplies for our drawing class. 

 Everything started out well as we left our apartment, we ran into a friendly Temple police man on a segway who let me take his picture, thanks man! We headed up the street and down to the subway. When entering our tokens, Jules accidentally put in two instead of one, and the stupid turnstile wouldn't give it back! (this is important I promise). Anyway, got on the subway and headed down to city hall.

Now I don't know about you, but whenever I get off at that stop I am so confused about which direction is which that I almost always end up going the wrong way. After a little walking we finally made our way to Blick. After shopping we took a few more pictures, until my camera died :(, and headed back to septa. Again I got us kind of lost, well not really. I just got confused as to where we got back into the city hall stop. The construction of the one portal did not help. But we asked a philadelphia cop/parking person, who also seemed a bit confused as to where things were, and eventually we got back down into the subway. 

This is where that part about the lost token comes in. As you know those token machines in the subway don't give change, and we only had a five or a ten, and the ticket man never has tokens or change. (again this has a point, just bear with me) So Jules and I are discussing our options, and all of a sudden this woman at the other token machine starts ranting about "white trash sluts" and "I hear you talking about me" and "Imma kill you" kind of stuff. Pretty scary. Needless to say we got our tokens and got out of there as soon as we could. We could hear her yelling until the point we got back on the train. I was legitimately scared. But alas, we made it back to our apartment safe and sound. Just don't ever take me into center city if you need to find a place quickly!

Larry Lessig: How creativity is being strangled by the law

So, watched this video, It's super interesting and I think it is important to share it. It is all about creativity and piracy, and how society is dealing with the two. He gives a great historical perspective on the issue. I find this important because this is something that effects all of us.  I was always taught that as long as you change the image and make it your own then it's ok to use in your work, but some people may disagree. Where does our own creation stop and the stealing of someone else's work begin? I think that as we move father into the future and farther along in technology our perception of this will change, but who knows!  Anyway, check it out!!!