Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

to not get the 'fury' over school photo airbrushing service

18 replies

ReadtheSmallPrint · 21/10/2015 08:56

I saw an article on this on the local news this morning. This is the only link I could find:

www.mirror.co.uk/news/mums-fury-photographer-offers-airbrush-6653197

Apparently the photography company has apologised and withdrawn the service.

I'm looking for other opinions as I'm really struggling to understand the 'fury' at the company offering the service, but I am probably very biased for the following reasons:

when DS was 2 the nursery photographer visited just after DS had returned to nursery with chicken pox. Although DS looked gorgeous, his face was a general disaster area. The photographer offered no 'touch up' service and I tried to do it myself (with very limited success).

when DS was 3 the nursery photographer visited 3 days asfter DS had split his chin open on a park bench. The hospital had glued the wound together but food (spag bol) had discoloured the glue and it looked awful. The photos were beautiful. The photographer (local independent studio) touched them up and removed the glue splodge from the photos.

School/nursery photographers only generally visited once per year and, should a disaster occur, I don't see a problem in them offering a service to touch up photos.

What do others think?

OP posts:

MyNameIsSuz · 21/10/2015 09:00

I think those instances are totally fine, I think the problem comes if it extends to things like airbrushing birthmarks or something, that would be insulting. There have been a few cases of that, maybe people assumed that's what was being offered here?

BarbarianMum · 21/10/2015 09:06

I don't think that owning a photo of your child with chicken pox scabs or a scar is a "disaster" to be honest. It's part of their history. Personally one of my favourite pictures of my dc is the one when he was 3 and had taken the nail scissors to his fringe. Yes he looks a fright but it makes me laugh and now age 9 I have plenty of other "perfect" pictures of him.

Chrysanthemum5 · 21/10/2015 09:17

Having read the article in your link I think the mum was right in what she said. How can we tell children we accept them completely if , given the chance, we 'touch' up pictures to make them look better.

Anyway school photos are a total rip off so I don't buy them

TheOriginalWinkly · 21/10/2015 09:22

I don't see why the OP doesn't understand it. I think the parent in the article expresses herself very clearly. These 'blemishes' are part of the child, part of their life; why are we telling small kids they need to be digitally reworked ffs?

Also, why does the article need to highlight that she's a single mother in the photo caption? Could it be so that some readers sneer and dismiss what she's saying?

MrsJayy · 21/10/2015 09:22

Dd2 had bad skin as a young teen 1 of her photos had her with peachy skin and not a mark it wasnt even the colour of her face powder she had on she was quite upset about it and sighed that at least she knew what her skin will look like when it cleared up. I felt sad for her school photos are meant to be warts and all imo

Thefitfatty · 21/10/2015 09:23

I understand it. Photoshopping has already created unrealistic standards of beauty, why start imposing it on children? I've got quite a few blemishes on my old school photos and it doesn't bother me at all.

sharonthewaspandthewineywall · 21/10/2015 09:26

I think its bloody absurd to give the impression so early on that we need to get rid of our flaws. Pathetic in fact.

Gileswithachainsaw · 21/10/2015 09:26

of course they shouldn't be airbrushed .

being battered and bruised is part of being a kid I'd want that moment and that memory on the photo to laugh about later on.

so what if trees birthmarks bruises or feeding tubes or surgery scars. none of it is to he ashamed of and should he left there. I want a picture of my child not what someone tbimgs my child should look like

sharonthewaspandthewineywall · 21/10/2015 09:28

Isn't it a rite of passage to have school photos that you will look back on in years to come and think 'omg'???? The only ones ive really wanted to buy are the ones where the kids are gurning and have dragged through a privet hair etc

SoupDragon · 21/10/2015 09:35

I think that people need to stop assuming that they have the right to decide what any other parent can do.

If you want to remove a scrape or bruise or their lunch time yoghurt, why shouldn't you?

If you don't then, er, don't.

I think there is a difference between proper full on photoshopping a photo and removing temporary stuff like a scab or dinner.

Grazia1984 · 21/10/2015 09:40

There shoud be no photoshopping of school photos.

waitingforcalpoltowork · 21/10/2015 12:03

it depends my dd had a horrific fall on school photo day scraped the crap out of her face i would have like them to do something with it fortunately she fell over after the photos were taken

school photos are ok but if i dont like them i won't buy them

yeOldeTrout · 21/10/2015 12:59

They airbrush because it sells more pictures.
My parents would have liked my pictures a lot less with all my true acne revealed.
Just don't buy the damn things. The product they are offering is stylised, so be it.

Nataleejah · 21/10/2015 13:23

I wish they did this when i was at school. I have several school photos when i had a disaster spot or bruise. Its not a funky haircut that you can laught about years later. Its just... not nice to see

Caboodle · 21/10/2015 21:50

I have some good school pics of DCs and some not so good. I will not be airbrushing any. I don't need a 'perfect' image.

Mmmmcake123 · 21/10/2015 21:58

I have one of my DD with a really grubby orange cast on her arm, it's part of life. Have to say tho, her hair colour has rarely been remotely accurate in any of her school photos. Still bought them, must be a sucker!

Mmmmcake123 · 21/10/2015 22:03

I once got a tourist photo done in London and the guy asked if I wanted anything photoshopping. My fringe had a big few strands heading north, sticking up, so I asked if he could just remove that bit. Oh dear, took him ages and he more or less cut a triangle off the top of my head. I paid !!!!!!

Thefuckinggrinch · 21/10/2015 22:13

I feel that this option can be akin to telling kids they "should" be photoshopped to "avoid blemishes and lines" and is a disaster waiting to happen. I'd rather see photographers who can actually take a photo get one that doesn't have a scrunched up face/closed eyes or other easily avoided thing which spoils it.

If school photos come home and look awful because they have untidy hair/gravy on their top/cuts and bruises/a ridiculous expression/closed eyes etc I simply don't buy them. Job done. It is not compulsary to buy school photos. I have 1 photo of all the DCs from the official photographer and my eldest is in year 6. It's the only one that has ever come out nicely. I take the obligatory kids in uniform in front of a door or fireplace photo each year. That's plenty good enough for us and them to see how they have grown in future years.

Flip