To think Mum complaining about school photo retouching is being a bit, er, touchy

[justgoandgetalife]

School photo retouching service has been withdrawn after one Mum complained? Never mind that the company says it's a popular service. If she doesn't like it she can ask for the photo to be left untouched. It's all digital now after all.

When I ran a photo to canvas business we always asked the customer first if they actually wanted certain things retouching (sensitively of course) so maybe the company could just have asked?

Still up to the customer as we often used to remove whole people (ex-partners usually!) from photos or add people in so it's perfectly do-able. A pain for the photo service but that's why they cost!

Our school photographer sends out a form the week before the photos are taken giving parents the option to note whether or not they want to opt in, out partially or totally out of retouching (e.g. retouch freely/lose scabs & dinner stains, but keep birthmarks/ no retouching at all). He is a local independent photographer though, so that might make a difference..?

My daughter had chicken pox when her pre-school photo was taken. The photographer airbrushed them out without asking us. So we asked her to put them back in. We were pretty annoyed to be honest. Lien other have said, it's a part of her life. She looks at it now and likes to talk about when she had chicken pox

www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/13886483.Southampton_photo_company_withdraws__retouching__service_after_mum_s_complaint/

I think there should be an option to retouch, I personally do not want a expensive school photo, with dc with dirt on their face, or a spot on their face, or stained jumper. I understand many of you wish to leave the photo as it is, but some of us would like to alter temporary things.

I'm absolutely sure one studio did with without asking a couple of years ago. DD1 - 7 at the time - has the most phenomenal peachy skin (well, the bits that aren't covered in twigs or scratches) and she didn't have a flaw to be seen on photo day. The photo came back looking weirdly plastic, and there had to be some airbrushing going on. And I know she didn't have food on her face as her class went immediately after registration. I have to admit I was quite affronted by the assumption, but as it was a terrible photo (she was going through that 'can't smile without looking like she's attached to an instrument of torture' phase so we just kept the proof and didn't order. I'd object to it happening automatically, but if it's just an option then other people can do what they like.

I wouldn't want school photos touched up. Although saying that there is a school photo of me aged 5 and I had been gluing and sticking that morning, somehow I managed to get a a bit of rolled up glue on my face which looks like a bit of snot. My aunt has the photo but if I had it I would definitely scan it and photoshop it out.

I don't think the school photos I've had over the years have been retouched or maybe I am naive. When we last had professional photos they asked if I wanted a mole removed, if they hadn't asked it wouldn't have occurred to me so we said no. In fact now I come to think of it, they can't be retouched as DS had a scab on his nose from playing jungle animals with a friend and they left it there.

My son's (then 6) school photo was airbrushed a couple of years back, to whiten his black tooth (he fell and hit it when he 3). We're not in the UK but we are at an international school though in a photoshop obsessed country.

DH was especially pissed off and emailed the school. DS was quite sensitive about the black tooth and the last thing we wanted was for him to think he wasn't just fine the way he was, black tooth and all. I'd hate to think a child should think their looks need to be altered. And I quite like the messy-haired, not-perfect photos. That's an accurate reflection of my child. And doesn't everyone have a school photo where they look lovely, but their eyes are shut?

My children's school just have a retake day. Seems easier than all this angst. Having said that I think we've bought one ever. I don't really like posed pictures.

Whilst having an opt in touch up service seems fine, removing children's facial features depending on the prejudices of the photography studio does seem deeply dodgy.

All my school photos are awful. No photoshop could really have done anything about the terrible haircuts my mother gave us! They are on the other hand an authentic part of my childhood.

DD had a black eye for her nursery photo, having had an accident the day before. We considered having it retouched and TBH I kind of wish we had. I don't think there is anything wrong with that kind of stuff, retouching to just make your LD look "better" would be weird though. Find the woman going to the papers a bit odd. It is not like her photos were retouched against her will r something.