Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

They've airbrushed her mole away...

84 replies

Carolra · 11/07/2013 07:41

DD is 18mo, her nursery have photo companies come in every 6 months or so and take photos of the kids which the parents can then buy. They're very old school - in the crappy paper frame thing, all in the same traditional pose.

So I picked up DD's yesterday, its actually a nice photo, she's smiling which is practically impossible to catch on camera and her eyes are all twinkly - so yes, we'll buy the photo pack at £35 thank you very much.

Until I took a closer look and realised they've airbrushed out the mole on her forehead. Its not a huge unsightly thing, but its pretty obvious and every picture I have of her picks it up, so this can't have been a camera issue. They have looked at her face and decided to "fix" her and I find that distasteful and a little disturbing that even at 18mo her "flaws" are being wiped out.

I'm tempted to write to them and complain.... but I can't decide if I'm just being totally pfb about it. It's probably not worth my time, but it's bothering me... I intend on keeping the picture anyway, but I'd quite like to see the original pre-airbrushed version.

Thoughts!?

OP posts:
LondonNinja · 11/07/2013 08:37

X-post farewell! Grin

EvieanneVolvic · 11/07/2013 08:38

I think Devora means that randomly airbrushing facial features is as unacceptable as photoshopping skin or hair colour because 'studio' decided it wasn't right.

I think she has a point: I think racism is far worse but what the photographer appears to have done (and let's not rule out the possibility that it was a technical accident!) is part of the same 'let's all have the same regularity of features' brigade.

softlysoftly · 11/07/2013 08:38
Shock

That's horrible! Drf not pfb

Complain and also demand the nursery never use the fuckers again.

softlysoftly · 11/07/2013 08:40

In fact name and shame so no mumsnetter uses them again

Am ridiculously angry for you.

EvieanneVolvic · 11/07/2013 08:42

softly softly...you're not exactly doping as your name suggests are you Wink

I agree in principle, but OP please give the photographers a chance to explain what they did and why they did it first!

yamsareyammy · 11/07/2013 08:44

hmm
I have been somewhere, when son was older, and we were asked, immediately after the photos were taken, whether we wanted them airbrushed or not.
I am wondering whether they gave you any choice about airbrushing along the way?
Either at the time, in the blurb, or right at the beginning when you were told the photos were taking place.

EvieanneVolvic · 11/07/2013 08:48

Sorry Softly that should of course have been doing Blush

FanjolinaJolie · 11/07/2013 08:48

I imagine that when they did a quick QC/cropping etc that on first glance it was a mark on the photo, or a grubby spot on a child.

We have had school nursery photos before where they were taken after lunch and faces were not even checked for cleanliness. Hair having been lovingly done in the morning was a total birds nest. Vair annoying.

Ask for the originals.

mrsjay · 11/07/2013 08:55

dds last school picture was airbrushed she had a few spots on her face (she was 13) and the pictures come back with a clear complexion I didnt know they were allowed to alter school photies but seems they can

softlysoftly · 11/07/2013 08:57

Blush I may be a little tired this morning. I shall not be catching any monkeys today Grin

Fine ask them THEN kill them :)

Original poster
Carolra · 11/07/2013 08:57

Hi folks - thank you all for commenting. I am drafting an email to them right now and I'll let you know how I get on.

OP posts:
themaltesecat · 11/07/2013 08:59

That is a disgrace. Fucking weirdos. I'd complain and ask for the original. You might get a freebie if you sound horrified enough!

Thirty five pounds is fucking ridiculous, too. I'd scan the sample and enlarge it myself, but that's me. Maybe re-add her mole with MS Paint. :)

diplodocus · 11/07/2013 08:59

I'm sure as people said they just thought it was a flaw / mark on the photo. Don't go in all guns blazing until you've heard their explanation.

perplexedpirate · 11/07/2013 09:00

Good for you Carolra. I've got a facemole. It's super cute, I'd be livid if someone airbrushed it.

(Facemole reminds me of guacamole and has made me hungry for Mexican food Smile)

EvieanneVolvic · 11/07/2013 09:03

That's the spirit Softly Grin

TravelinColour · 11/07/2013 09:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SillyTilly123 · 11/07/2013 09:08

My dd2 had a huge scab on her head the day of the school photo shoot, i think they've tried to airbrush it as you can only see it if you know its there iyswim. That doesnt bother me (was glad actually) however I do not agree with this. :(

Geeklover · 11/07/2013 09:11

This isn't the first thread I've read on here that has said a school photo has been airbrushed. I'm sure someone posted that freckles had been removed and red hair was distinctly blonde looking in the pictures. I don't believe for one second they thought it was a flaw on the picture.
My dd has been encouraged to take her glasses off by various photographers over the years. Thankfully she likes them and says no.

mrsjay · 11/07/2013 09:16

I have just looked at dds picture and her face has a peachy complexion she is so pale in RL her skin looks blue Grin. I didnt notice the peachy cheeks before Confused

Original poster
Carolra · 11/07/2013 09:17

Right - I've just said that I think there must be some mistake as I can't see her mole, and request a copy of the original picture. I've not done my full Outraged From Twickenham just yet!! I have told them that if I don't get a response, I'll put a stop on the cheque though... Hmm

Unfortunately, they are wise to the scanning the proof shots - they came in a clear envelope with a security sticker - so if you open the envelope, you have to pay for them - it wasn't scannable through the envelope not that I tried.

DH thinks I am being a bit over the top, but I have told him that mumsnet is on my side, and he knows better than to argue with you all!

OP posts:
BuntyCollocks · 11/07/2013 09:26

I wonder if they thought it was a little cut rather than a mole? If they knew and removed it, I'd be furious.

I only wonder as my DS has a black eye (!) at his nursery photos, and the cut that came with it. If the black eye wasn't there, the cut looked like a mole/freckle, so it could conceivably be the same the other way

Fenton · 11/07/2013 09:29

There is a chance (now hear me out) that the person checking and producing the photos, having not seen the child in the flesh, might have thought the blemish was a spot of chocolate or marmite and not a permanent feature.

So he/she took the decision to airbrush it because you might have rejected all the photos because of it?

Just a thought before you go in with guns blazing (i see you haven't actually done that)

btw I wish they had airbrushed out the smear of snot from the nose on DS1's first playgroup photo - it's just lovely apart from that Grin

FrustratedSycamoresRocks · 11/07/2013 09:33

I would be totally furious. And I say that with experience as the photographer at dcs nursery airbrushed dcs hearing aids out of the photo. I was LIVID

Original poster
Carolra · 11/07/2013 09:34

Ha! Fenton - funny you should say that, because the mole only developed when she was around 6mo and I kept thinking it was food - it took DH to point out that it wasn't actually washing off Blush. She has a tiny one on the tip of her nose which is not in the pic either, but that one doesn't show up a lot of the time unless the light is right. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt on that one.

I agree they probably thought they were doing the right thing, and I'm sure they deal with plenty of adults who actually want this kind of alteration... We'll see what they say!

OP posts:
RestingUnderTheSun · 11/07/2013 09:44

Most All photos now are airbrushed.
It has been done for years on adults and is clearing spreading to children too so that parents have 'the most wonderful' photo of their kid.
And having a mole isn't on the list of 'nice' things to have (I have 2 very big ones on my face. I got a few comments before incl the fact they would people off if I was putting my photo wo airbrushing on my website Shock).

I personally think it's a shame, especially with children but I can see that a lot of people would be happy about it.

Swipe left for the next trending thread