Image Manipulation - Is It Ethical?

Image editing and manipulation, is an art used and abused extensively. How much is too much? Are image editors able to draw the line and keep image editing clean, creative and ethical? Well! The fact is that there is always another side to a coin...!!

Image manipulation, often heralded as the worst and the best thing that happed to photography, is used excessively across the industry. However, manipulating photographs and changing them in some way, is it ethical?

"After all everyone is doing it, fashion brands, interior design firms, hotel industry, jewelry designers, and every other product designer and manufacturer is using image manipulation techniques."

Then Why Debate?

The debate over image manipulation being ethical or unethical is because; often via photo manipulation the viewer is shown a picture that is way far from reality. It is often used to misguide viewers and send across wrong messages. This intent in particular is unethical.

I have been a Victim of Unethical Photo Manipulation...!!

Recently, there was a picture of some rare skin disease circulating on social media. The thumbnail was gross, and I felt really sick looking at this image. It came with a warning that using a particular shampoo can do this to you!! I freaked out and imagined all sorts of skin diseases happening to me. When I talked to friends about it!! They too shared the same feelings. Some with particularly weak heart could not get the image out of their minds.

Picture of Skin Disease Circulating on Social Media | Source: resources3.news.com)

However, when I researched about this particular image, I came to know that it was just a photo manipulation trick. A lotus pod was used and superimposed onto various body parts. Then the image was edited to make the skin and the pod, look like a deadly disease.

A Lotus Pod | Source: imgbuddy

Two Sides of A Coin!!!

While image manipulation can be used in an unethical way to spread false information amongst people and to cause emotional or social harm, or to dupe the viewer in any manner, it is by all means unethical. However, it is not the photo manipulation in itself that is unethical. What is not ethical is the intention behind using this art.

Sample of Image Manipulation (Twin Pears House) Source: cristalreza.deviantart.com

Surreal Image Manipulation

Photo manipulation techniques may be used to develop images that are appealing to the audience, however – in the process it is important to retain the essence and message of the original picture. For example – unnecessary clutter may be edited out from a picture, if the picture is too dark, it can be manipulated to look brighter, two images can be combined to create a surreal feel, and image manipulation can also be used to develop mood boards, to make food look drool worthy and to make models look chic. If not for the invention and evolution of photo editing and manipulation techniques - we would not have been able to make and enjoy such great films like Avatar, 300, Star Wars, Gladiator, Troy, Thor, Avengers and the list is ever ending.

Photo manipulation of models has triggered a negative response from all sectors, especially from the celebrities. The concern here is that altering pictures drastically to make a model look flawless, sets wrong standards of beauty and sends across a wave of low self esteem in the youth. This concern is not completely baseless.

"We are all against the excessive air brushing and drastically modifying pictures, however this is not everything what photo manipulation is about!!"

No one and nothing in this world is perfect; and there can be a thousand things that can go wrong - one cannot spend an entire day trying to get that perfect picture. Even if you click a not so perfect picture, there nothing to worry, photo manipulation can easily erase the flaws, make the lighting perfect, and add that missing zing to a photograph.