Airbrushing Fails: Why Models Shouldn’t Airbrush Photos

After reading Yahoo’s latest airbrushing fail article, we decided it was high time we approached the topic of airbrushing photos in the modeling world; because in modeling, image is king.

As Jodi’s post on the Keep it Real Challenge describes, women feel badly about themselves after seeing advertisements and celebrity photos airbrushed to perfection. But, instead of trying to challenge the industry, many models mimic these images by airbrushing their own photos! Consequently, airbrushing photos has begun to negatively affect not only the self-esteem of models, but their careers as well.  Here is why.

Airbrushing Fail #1: Airbrushed photos keep models from getting hired

At first glance, an airbrushed photo seems perfect and beautiful. But, then you start to notice how unrealistic the image is. The model’s skin is a little too flawless, her legs a little too long, and her hips… do they exist? These small details begin to sit uneasy with clients and agencies, making them question the actual appearance of the model. Does she actually look like her photos? Or is it all airbrushing? In the end, many agencies will hire promotional models, print models, or runway models that have mix of natural photos over all airbrushed photos because agencies cannot guarantee that a model will look like her airbrushed photos.

Airbrushing Fail #2: Airbrushed photos keep models from getting rehired

Occasionally, highly airbrushed images will make it past the first round of eliminations and may even be the reason a model is hired for a gig. But, this situation usually turns out badly. Once hired, the natural, non-airbrushed model will show up the day of the promotion, runway show, video or photo shoot and the client may be disappointed with her appearance. Many times clients will then send these models home and choose to never hire them again. No matter how beautiful the model is, it is impossible to live up to the high expectations of airbrushed photos.

Airbrushing Fail #3: Airbrushed photos are a poor representation of a model’s confidence

Airbrushed photos send off a vibe that the model is not confident in her appearance and instead conforms to industry expectations. But, agencies typically want to hire models that are confident, especially in the trade show industry. Thus, a conflict arises. Whether the model lacks self-confidence or not, airbrushed photos send off a poor representation her personality traits.

Airbrushing Fail #4: Airbrushed photos have a tendency to “go wrong”

Finally, when it comes to airbrushing photos, it seems more often than not, something goes wrong. From awkward poses to poorly cropped images, airbrushing photos can lead to tacky images that models shouldn’t put their names on. These are the types of images that can damage a model’s careers.

So, the moral of the story is to avoid airbrushing your photos as much as possible. Love who you are. Your best features and your flaws. Because, when it comes down to it, we are all human.