October 21st, 2007
Real Amber vs. Photoshopped Amber
During a 5-minute segment on Homepage, a show I host on CP24, Greg Danbrooke demonstrated how Photoshop is the real tool behind the perfection we see on magazine covers and billboards.
Here I am untouched, without make-up, and here I am with a 5-minute Photoshop "lift." If you have a young girl at home, showing her this type of demo and the Dove Evolution Campaign is a must.
Check out Greg's site for each stage of this pic.
March 14th, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (66)
Posted by: Andy | around 10 months ago
Give me the 'real' Amber any day!
Posted by: Robert Allen | around 10 months ago
I'll take the one on the left.
Posted by: kdmurray | around 10 months ago
It's kind of sad to think that these "fake people" make up the majority of what we see in mainstream media. I have to agree with parky, the first thing I thought when I saw the PS version was 'avatar'.
Posted by: Name withheld under witness protection program | around 10 months ago
The original is pretty hard to improve on. However, something should be done about the darkness under those eyes - perhaps a little more sleep time??
Posted by: mauriz | around 10 months ago
The photoshopped version looks way too artificial and different from the untouched: original looks better :)
Posted by: Nathan Youngman | around 10 months ago
It is pretty amazing what can be done in 5 minutes, looking on Greg's site. Is it really that easy, especially the reshaping step? When it comes to our online identity, this presents a stark contrast with the Kevin Smith's interview. Online, we can opt to be as real or as artificial as we want. Thanks for the demonstration Amber.
Posted by: Christopher Milton | around 10 months ago
That was so fascinating and very frightening. I prefer the natural, before Amber, too.
Posted by: yannick | around 10 months ago
hi amber i hope this didnt make you think any less of you,because your perfect ¨au naturel¨your one of the sexiest woman of the world
Posted by: Paul Stamatiou | around 10 months ago
I'm prefer real amber as well.. the photoshopped amber looks too "i, robot"-y.
Posted by: BklynT | around 10 months ago
The Real Amber please...'nuff said! ...but it is pretty cool with what you can do with Photoshop in a few minutes.
Posted by: Justin | around 10 months ago
My youth group just did a section on perfection where we showed that Dove commercial to our high school kids. Thanks for exposing this to a larger audience because more people need to see it.
Posted by: Mikey Twit | around 10 months ago
Real Amber %100!! I have never had any patience for phoniness, even when I was dating. The main reason I fell for my wife is not because she's drop dead gorgeous(by media standards, but she is to me!) but she looked(and turned out to be) a beautiful REAL woman. I always prefer her without makeup than with. You have nothing to fix Amber!
Posted by: Liam K | around 10 months ago
Fakeness etc aside, that's amazing for a 5-minute Photoshop job. He even removed your mic! Good work Greg.
Posted by: The Alpaca Herder | around 10 months ago
This shows how dangerous Photoshop can be in its use. Give me reality over reshaping and worse.
Posted by: Thomas Valen | around 10 months ago
If this, including the comments, shows us anything apart from the amazing manipulative abilities of our modern computer tools, it's that these so called 'ideals' of perfect women and men have taken on a life of their own, pushing further and further into the artificially unreal, which has no longer anything to do with the idea of beauty and is instead more a representation of computer-generated perfection in the sense of mathematical symmetry and evenness. Very sad that the industry seems to think that this is what we consider beauty, when we all agree that completely flawless perfection has not much to do with real beauty in any sense...
Posted by: mark whittle | around 10 months ago
Come on the second image is drop dead gorgeous, the man's an artist, it is interesting to me why i find one image more attractive than another but that is one of natures mysteries but i bet she doesn't have the same personality as the original. love your work amber keep it up. fan in Perth Australia.
Posted by: Elisa | around 10 months ago
You look so much prettier in the non-photoshopped version. The retouching in fashion mags has gone overboard in the last couple of years and it's gotten to the point where you don't just take out the dark circle around your eyes or the pimple on your forehead, but you take like 10cm off your waistline and a few ribs. One wonders what the point of a beautiful model is if they're retouched heavily anyway. Plus, after heavy retouching you end up with someone who looks like a wax dummy and not a real person, it's scary. I'm afraid that the fashion industry has gotten so used to retouching that it's hard for them to go back. But one thing's for sure, it does make one appreciate a good non-retouched photograph and a beautiful non retouched face when you see one :D I can understand retouching if it's taking away like bad skin condition or dark circle around your eyes, but when your skin looks like it's covered in wax, well, it's kind of ridiculous.
Posted by: Fredrik Gyllensten | around 10 months ago
Sure,the photoshopped version looks 'perfect', but you can see that it isnt real.. I hate thos unatural pics.. much better with real beuty :)
Posted by: Don | around 10 months ago
Another vote for the real deal.
Posted by: LP | around 10 months ago
Please, leave Amber alone. She's perfect 'as delivered'!
Posted by: eric f. | around 10 months ago
the photoshopped version is not at all perfect or pretty. it's indicative of bad or amateurish retouching, which you would never see in a good magazine. That is not a comment on Greg's skills. To his credit, you can't expect much more in 5 minutes. Anyone can tell that the shot on the right is retouched. When we do it right, it takes a few hours, but it looks 100% natural. That is when it's really misleading. The shot on the right barely resembles Amber.
Posted by: Tim | around 10 months ago
The second one doesn't even look like Amber! Just goes to prove you can't beat natural beauty.
Posted by: Jacob Harvey | around 10 months ago
It is pretty sad that we're bombarded by stuff like this all the time. I couldn't really fault someone for getting rid of a pimple or something in a photo, but bone restructuring is just ridiculous. It kinda reminds me of a girl a younger friend of mine knew. In high school she got a nose job and went from being unique and pretty to plain and generic. A little more extreme than Photoshop but homogenizing beauty just makes things less beautiful.
Posted by: Dave | around 10 months ago
Dude's got skills. But I agree with everything eric f said, one hundred percent. Although, I still think you have to be reasonably beautiful on your own to be on TV to begin with. My friend and I were having this argument, and he was saying something about how the actress who plays Ugly Betty must feel about being exploited for her ugliness. So I googled the actress, and as it turns out, that's a non-issue: http://l.yimg.com/img.tv.yahoo.com/tv/us/img/site/75/88/0000037588_20070206145912.jpg I just think it's interesting and frankly sad that our culture is so obsessed with beauty that really attractive people aren't good enough, and even the "ugly" characters can't be actually ugly. But then again, maybe that would be mean. Hmm.
Posted by: jccalhoun | around 10 months ago
The photoshopped one is creepy looking. I'm curious as to some of the choices he made when doing it. Sure the red streak in the hair might be kind of neat but making the lipstick basically the same color? Making the eyebrows darker? weird. basically eliminating the jawline? also weird.
Posted by: Matt | around 10 months ago
Amber, what are your thoughts on this? Everyone else has stated their opinions, but what do you think? Are you happy with the end result?
Posted by: Amber Mac | around 10 months ago
I think it's important for young girls to see how much "work" goes into models, cover girls, and celebrities in print , etc. As for the final result, it's neat to see the dramatic changes but I am happy with the before pic (no make-up, just chillin!). -Amber
Posted by: Paul | around 10 months ago
I have to go with the consensus. The real Amber is far prettier then the photoshop Amber.
Posted by: R. Scott Spaziani | around 10 months ago
Photoshopped Amber looks like killer-robot Amber. I'll stick with the real thing.
Posted by: John | around 10 months ago
You may not like either Amber if you had to live with them. Such is reality.
Posted by: Jeff MacArthur | around 10 months ago
Hey Amb, Great story - as the soon-to-be father of little girls, I think it's tremendously important that people realize this stuff. While I agree with some remarks above that the dramatic change in the jaw line may be a questionable call, I think that the artist is just demonstrating how far this stuff can go. Jeff
Posted by: Alana | around 10 months ago
The PS version doesn't even look like you. You are beautiful just the way you are!
Posted by: Tim | around 10 months ago
And we wonder why today's youth has such low self esteem. They are being 'told' by the media that they shouldn't even look human. I see an entire generation of Mary Kate and Ashley's on it's way. (AKA-Crack head anorexics)
Posted by: adrian boioglu | around 10 months ago
they say you really love somebody if you like the way she looks in the morning, with no make-up on :P you're pretty :)
Posted by: Arthur | around 10 months ago
I can't believe how good you look without makeup! A true natural beauty.
Posted by: William Hartz | around 10 months ago
PS Amber looks nothing like you. Real Amber is much better.
Posted by: OnePiece | around 10 months ago
Well, you ever need an ego boost Amber, just look at the comments for this story.
Posted by: Erik Anderson | around 10 months ago
I've seen the real amber in person. The untouched photo is way more better than the PS version. Although, I do like the highlights, i'd still rather see the real Amber.
Posted by: mike | around 10 months ago
Danm Girl! not even photoshop can make you ugly.
Posted by: n0ctis | around 10 months ago
Meh. I prefer normal Amber.
Posted by: Donald | around 10 months ago
Amber is naturally beautiful flaws and all. I prefer natural beauty over that artificial junk any day.
Posted by: ChrisM70 | around 10 months ago
Sure everyone likes the natural Amber better, but you also have to realize he did all of that magic in JUST 5 MINUTES. Just think if he had more time - like real magazine re-touchers. The final result might look more real, but it would still be an unrealistic view of beauty. Seriously, does <a href="http://beerandnews.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/jennafischer.jpg" rel="nofollow">this </a> look like Jenna Fischer?
Posted by: Jim Berkke | around 10 months ago
Cool stuff.... got to love it.
Posted by: Stephen Otto | around 10 months ago
Now why would anyone take out your dimples?
Posted by: Meerkat | around 10 months ago
Leaving aside the fact that Amber looks great to begin with, has anyone else noticed how disturbing and freakish the complete absence of any under-eye countour is, in the retouched version? It's been completely flattened. And retouchers do this every time. Also, why do retouchers routinely try to make faces more oval? Anyone? A square jaw is so attractive, and plenty of the top models (e.g. Natalia vodianova) have one!
Posted by: Robert | around 10 months ago
Why is this an issue. the photoshopped image is not even close to her personality. hello Amber Mac!
Posted by: pink floyd | around 10 months ago
The 2nd amber looks better and what do you expect we live in a society where sex sells and it is a major influence in the world
Posted by: pink floyd | around 10 months ago
U know what the more I look at the second picture the more i think wow, it's like it takes 10 to 15 years of of you Amber, incredible, and that is cool, but I read the comments and if I'm wrong I will apologize however we are a society that likes what pleses the eye, is that a real bad thing or is it just honest.
Posted by: Frank T | around 9 months ago
The photoshopped picture should be really be the before and the unedited should be after. Like an age enhancement of what you would look like in 10 years.
Posted by: Frank T | around 9 months ago
The photoshopped picture should be really be the before and the unedited should be after. Like an age enhancement of what you would look like in 10 years.
Posted by: Lex | around 9 months ago
You're beautiful and you know it. I think you were just fishing for complements :P
Posted by: chuckdude | around 9 months ago
The real Amber, please.
Posted by: Saskboy | around 9 months ago
Killing Us Softly is a good watch too for anyone curious about how advertising has warped reality in the minds of children and then adults. http://www.abandonedstuff.com/2007/10/20/killing-us-softly-3/
Posted by: Timothy Long | around 9 months ago
They thieved your freckles? What an outrage!
Posted by: Jeff McCord | around 9 months ago
Amber, I must say, thanks to you and Will on CommandN, I went out and bought my own domain (www.jeffmccord.org) and have also begun blogging (blogging.jeffmccord.org) I am CLUELESS when it comes to the “political correctness†of blogging. For example, I loved your blog on ambermac.com about the 2 pictures of you photoshop’ed (one of them was, one wasn’t). Would it be totally politically incorrect if I were to copy your blog to post on my blog and to give you all the credit, the website link that my user(s) could tap and then be brought to your page directoy? Or is that considered stealing? If that’s NOT okay, do I just talk about in my blog, “hey, a girl named Amber Mac, whose tech work I adore, had an interesting blog post the other day… go check it out and then give my users the link. Which is correct? I’ve seen several different bloggers do both, so I thought I would ask you, my rolemodel on blogging and podcasts! J Many blessings! Jeff McCord www.jeffmccord.org
Posted by: greg Orr | around 9 months ago
I prefer the original amber sweet cute sassy photoshop cant improve what is already a perfect example of woman.
Posted by: Marco | around 9 months ago
Sweetheart, you look awesome anyphotoshopy-way!
Posted by: Nick | around 9 months ago
You cannot improve on perfection, even with Photoshop. The original is perfect.
Posted by: Seb | around 9 months ago
Not that Photoshop isn't great, but virtually enhanced photos will never change the beauty of reality!
Posted by: Dave Peters | around 8 months ago
The Real Amber is much better looking and besides who could really improve on anyone as pretty as Amber, Thanks for the article Amber and your lovely natural smile
Posted by: Razorbuzz | around 8 months ago
Much better the real Amber... Cheers!
Posted by: Alberto | around 8 months ago
I prefer real amber i think is more real and natural.
Posted by: Zack Schwenk | around 8 months ago
I too prefer the real Amber.
Posted by: Aaron the Photoshop Ninja | around 7 months ago
For a class I had to touch up a photo of my wife. I took it from a picture taken of us at a wedding where a VERY harsh flash was not flattering. She was an excellent sport, but man-o-man was I nervous, especially when I finished. She loved the pic and said "So what did you do?" The only thing I didn't feel awkward about telling her was removing a piece of salad that was stuck in her teeth. Nope Photoshoping strangers is muuuuuuch easier. You can easily tell a photo editor what needs fixing. More on topic, even the strongest and most secure women could easily feel insecure looking at magazine photos. But the magazines aren't the issue. That is the symptom not the problem. The problem is that women are still valued and self-value based on how they look. Most men just aren't. So if a guy is less than perfect, but successful and a decent person. He's just that, successful and a decent guy. A woman who is less than perfect, successful and a good person. She's that homely woman who's the VP of Marketing. Sad but true.
Posted by: Thom Garrison | around 6 months ago
I like you would want the real and improved Amber on the right hand side. Thats why you were makeup right? To look better?
Posted by: parkylondon | around 10 months ago
I prefer the real Amber. The PS version of you is too,,,, plastic? It just seems too much like a CGI / gaming avatar. Sure the PS version would turn heads as she went for a walk but I'd still think "too perfect"...