Image Manipulation

Hello Ladies,

The whole concept of makeup could be described as, “presenting a manipulated image of themselves that is false.” Many woman would be horrified to be out without makeup.

My look is completely changed by apply my makeup. I am not as good as some it’s the professionals who have done my makeup during a make over session, but I have learned from them and feel I apply it fairly well. I have met a few people who did not know me yet in both personas and most did not realize I was the same person.

There is also the question of famous people who are featured in magazines and advertisements. These presentations are manipulated quite a bit. There are very few who criticize these adjustments. Those that do are concerned of the negative effects the “false images” have on our young girls self image as they try to achieve the “impossible image.”

What about our pictures, the ones we keep to ourselves and those that we post? I have seen se real photos of myself where I think, “That looks like a completely different person.” I will refer to my own pictures on CDH. I look at “Second Night in Vegas,” blue dress and silver heels and think I look like a different woman compare to my other pictures.

So does altering our photos present a false image? I say, “No,” if the alterations are subtle. Most of the “defects” we notice in a photo disappear when we are interacting with someone live, such as the little imperfections around the eyes. So touching them up in a photo doesn’t present a false image. Nor does a slight slimming of the waist.

Are my pictures altered? A few have been touched up but most haven’t. All, however, present me in a way that would be difficult to recognize me if we met when not presenting myself as Diana.

This subject is one I've thought much about in recent years and I appreciate you posting about it.

In general, I feel that photo manipulation of one's body and face is not healthy. Of course, this kind of manipulation predates photography itself, with subjects often requesting that an artist painting their portrait kindly withhold less flattering characteristics. Since then, especially with the advent of the airbrush and later Photoshop, how one appears to audiences can be heavily doctored.

Now, with social media apps, the matter has become very concerning, especially in terms of how young people perceive themselves physically. In particular, girls seem prone to present themselves unnaturally, something exacerbated by celebrity women constantly posting unrealistic images of themselves. We've all read accounts of how young people count the number of likes a photo gets and the visceral comments that ensue that can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, and even suicide. Philosophically, I do not want to be a part of this trend by "faking up" my photos.

Adding to this is my personal opinion regarding aesthetics, or how a particular thing looks and makes me feel. As a heterosexual man, I have to say that the current standard for female beauty (speaking especially of the cultures I identify with) leaves much to be desired. The unnaturally plumped lips, butt, breasts, cartoon eyebrows, and plastic-looking skin come off as repulsive, and cause me to wonder why many women wish to look like blow up dolls or androids. Ugly!

All this to say that I much prefer if people showed off their natural selves. Of course, we already select the best poses and outfits and so forth, but I don't like it when folks manipulate their faces and bodies with software - it's fake and can have deeper consequences (two extremes, ranging from damage to self-esteem and a delusional sense of one's external presentation to being unrecognizable when meeting people who have become acquainted via social media posts and dating apps).

Makeup and pads differ from apps in that they can be used to present oneself in social settings. These amount to costume elements, and an illusion that extends the existing "mask" and enhancements we all wear in the form of clothes and accoutrements.

This subject is one I've thought much about in recent years and I appreciate you posting about it.

In general, I feel that photo manipulation of one's body and face is not healthy. Of course, this kind of manipulation predates photography itself, with subjects often requesting that an artist painting their portrait kindly withhold less flattering characteristics. Since then, especially with the advent of the airbrush and later Photoshop, how one appears to audiences can be heavily doctored.

Now, with social media apps, the matter has become very concerning, especially in terms of how young people perceive themselves physically. In particular, girls seem prone to present themselves unnaturally, something exacerbated by celebrity women constantly posting unrealistic images of themselves. We've all read accounts of how young people count the number of likes a photo gets and the visceral comments that ensue that can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, and even suicide. Philosophically, I do not want to be a part of this trend by "faking up" my photos.

Adding to this is my personal opinion regarding aesthetics, or how a particular thing looks and makes me feel. As a heterosexual man, I have to say that the current standard for female beauty (speaking especially of the cultures I identify with) leaves much to be desired. The unnaturally plumped lips, butt, breasts, cartoon eyebrows, and plastic-looking skin come off as repulsive, and cause me to wonder why many women wish to look like blow up dolls or androids. Ugly!

All this to say that I much prefer if people showed off their natural selves. Of course, we already select the best poses and outfits and so forth, but I don't like it when folks manipulate their faces and bodies with software - it's fake and can have deeper consequences (two extremes, ranging from damage to self-esteem and a delusional sense of one's external presentation to being unrecognizable when meeting people who have become acquainted via social media posts and dating apps).

Makeup and pads differ from apps in that they can be used to present oneself in social settings. These amount to costume elements, and an illusion that extends the existing "mask" and enhancements we all wear in the form of clothes and accoutrements.

I'm just a little disappointed that you had to Google search the image of my favorite starlet of the Golden Age of Hollywood!!
Her's is a tragic story of too much, too soon that often a companies Hollywood fame.

I'm just a little disappointed that you had to Google search the image of my favorite starlet of the Golden Age of Hollywood!!
Her's is a tragic story of too much, too soon that often a companies Hollywood fame.

Disclaimer: This is not directed to anybody in particular. Specially not to the author of this article, Smartina.

While using different apps to morph our image can be amusing, similar to the old school house of mirrors at the state fair, doing so and presenting an image different than how the person is able to make herself look in person and the posting that image in social media and not even disclose that is a morphed image is borderline dishonest, imho.

Hopefully those who have been members for more than one year have noticed a difference in the public photos section which started one year ago when we decided to disallow faceapp/Snapchat or cyber makeup apps (etc) in the public photos. Until July 2021 people was supposed to disclose if their images had been cyber-enhanced. Yet, very few did so. And no, we are not pros in photo forensics, but I’d say that we catch about 90% of the manipulated photos.
Those which make it through, shame on you for accepting well intended compliments for an irreal image of yourself.

Anyway, as the Assistant Managing Ambassador in charge of media, I am glad and proud that we decided to ban faceapp and all the other photos and of our success in doing so. And yet it is almost daily that we get phony images submitted, and happy to decline them. No, it was not retroactive. Older photos which were accepted before last year were not affected, as there was no rule against them. And no, we are not perfect. But for that same reason, If one of your photos gets rejected and you believe we are not being fair, contact me or any Ambassador and we will re-evaluate the decision.

Disclaimer: This is not directed to anybody in particular. Specially not to the author of this article, Smartina.

While using different apps to morph our image can be amusing, similar to the old school house of mirrors at the state fair, doing so and presenting an image different than how the person is able to make herself look in person and the posting that image in social media and not even disclose that is a morphed image is borderline dishonest, imho.

Hopefully those who have been members for more than one year have noticed a difference in the public photos section which started one year ago when we decided to disallow faceapp/Snapchat or cyber makeup apps (etc) in the public photos. Until July 2021 people was supposed to disclose if their images had been cyber-enhanced. Yet, very few did so. And no, we are not pros in photo forensics, but I’d say that we catch about 90% of the manipulated photos.
Those which make it through, shame on you for accepting well intended compliments for an irreal image of yourself.

Anyway, as the Assistant Managing Ambassador in charge of media, I am glad and proud that we decided to ban faceapp and all the other photos and of our success in doing so. And yet it is almost daily that we get phony images submitted, and happy to decline them. No, it was not retroactive. Older photos which were accepted before last year were not affected, as there was no rule against them. And no, we are not perfect. But for that same reason, If one of your photos gets rejected and you believe we are not being fair, contact me or any Ambassador and we will re-evaluate the decision.

Hello beautiful ladies!

As a Photoshop artist for the past 30 years, I’d like to add my two cents in. It’s true that many out there consider the manipulating of photos as taboo. And I can guarantee you that there isn’t a fashion magazine out there where the front cover model hasn’t been re-touched to some degree. But, when it comes to crossdressers, please tell me what is so different about gluing on false eyelashes as opposed to a skilled Photoshopper, drawing in thicker eyelashes with the brush tool? Why is it ok to insert foam hips and butt cheeks into our undergarments, but it’s a crime if I enhance the hips and derrière of a crossdresser in Photoshop? I have a couple of photos in my portfolio where I look a bit younger than I really am, but I’ve disclosed this in my description. Don’t we use highlighting and contouring to give the illusion that our faces are more oval, which is considered the optimum face shape? At my age, I have to tape my face before applying makeup so that I’ll look younger than I really am. Yet, if I make my face younger in Photoshop, it’s criminal. Same thing with legs. It’s not ok to airbrush out the blemishes and age spots that Father Time has been so generous to give us, but using leg makeup, or wearing heavy denier pantyhose to cover them is just fine.

For those of you out there who have taken cell-phone selfies, or better yet, photos from a more sophisticated camera, and thought… “Ugh.. do I look that bad???”, do not be discouraged. Our eyes are amazing organs! There’s not a camera/lens combination that exists that can capture what our eyes saw. Matter of fact, cameras and lenses have a tendency to distort things… some more than others. And remember… photography is all about lighting. Poor lighting, or lighting at the wrong angle, can destroy a photo! So, when working on a portrait, what I strive to do is correct the imperfections of the camera first, and then maybe take a few years off to make them appear slightly younger. I then ask the person if I went too far…. and if they’d like me to put those years back. To this day, I know of no person who has answered “yes” to that question. 
     

Hello beautiful ladies!

As a Photoshop artist for the past 30 years, I’d like to add my two cents in. It’s true that many out there consider the manipulating of photos as taboo. And I can guarantee you that there isn’t a fashion magazine out there where the front cover model hasn’t been re-touched to some degree. But, when it comes to crossdressers, please tell me what is so different about gluing on false eyelashes as opposed to a skilled Photoshopper, drawing in thicker eyelashes with the brush tool? Why is it ok to insert foam hips and butt cheeks into our undergarments, but it’s a crime if I enhance the hips and derrière of a crossdresser in Photoshop? I have a couple of photos in my portfolio where I look a bit younger than I really am, but I’ve disclosed this in my description. Don’t we use highlighting and contouring to give the illusion that our faces are more oval, which is considered the optimum face shape? At my age, I have to tape my face before applying makeup so that I’ll look younger than I really am. Yet, if I make my face younger in Photoshop, it’s criminal. Same thing with legs. It’s not ok to airbrush out the blemishes and age spots that Father Time has been so generous to give us, but using leg makeup, or wearing heavy denier pantyhose to cover them is just fine.

For those of you out there who have taken cell-phone selfies, or better yet, photos from a more sophisticated camera, and thought… “Ugh.. do I look that bad???”, do not be discouraged. Our eyes are amazing organs! There’s not a camera/lens combination that exists that can capture what our eyes saw. Matter of fact, cameras and lenses have a tendency to distort things… some more than others. And remember… photography is all about lighting. Poor lighting, or lighting at the wrong angle, can destroy a photo! So, when working on a portrait, what I strive to do is correct the imperfections of the camera first, and then maybe take a few years off to make them appear slightly younger. I then ask the person if I went too far…. and if they’d like me to put those years back. To this day, I know of no person who has answered “yes” to that question. 
     

I love using apps as part of the feminization fantasy, such as faceapp, but I appreciate online spaces like CDH which are kind of an oasis from the rampant photmanipulation that goes on all over the internet. You'll never weed it out completely, but to have websites with strong principles around the subject is very important for not only crossdressing culture but culture at large. There is plenty of Wild West out there. Whenever I post manipulated images I'm pretty upfront about it. My motives are just to look hot and make art. It is also important for me to be grounded in reality and to love and accept myself. So natural, unfiltered crossdressing is very healthy.

I love using apps as part of the feminization fantasy, such as faceapp, but I appreciate online spaces like CDH which are kind of an oasis from the rampant photmanipulation that goes on all over the internet. You'll never weed it out completely, but to have websites with strong principles around the subject is very important for not only crossdressing culture but culture at large. There is plenty of Wild West out there. Whenever I post manipulated images I'm pretty upfront about it. My motives are just to look hot and make art. It is also important for me to be grounded in reality and to love and accept myself. So natural, unfiltered crossdressing is very healthy.