Before there was PhotoShop
Robert J. Avrech has a post up on Seraphic Secret about women, the perils of still photography, and the work of Hollywood glamour photographer George Hurell, who made Joan Crawford look like this by retouching negatives (yikes!). To see the unretouched Joan, click here.
I tried photoshopping a relatively good but very textured photo of myself to see if I could achieve the same kinds of luminous effects with modern technology, but found I don't quite have the chops to get that glow on. My Hurrell-ization after the jump...
Not a Hurrell (the original is here):
May not be a Hurrell, but your photoshopped version is definitely an artistic view of an already lovely woman. Just sayin'
Posted by: NurseExec | July 24, 2008 at 05:02 PM
Not bad!
It's a really great picture of you, even if it has been shopped.
Posted by: Mikaela | July 24, 2008 at 05:32 PM
As a freckle fan I'm really not into this sort of retoucing (though Hurell's photo is gorgeous when "perfect" as is yours). I'd like to see more acceptance of freckles and the things that make us individuals and less of a feeling that makeup exists to make us all uniform and perfect (less of the sales assistant/makeover artist mentality that foundation exists to cover everything and leave thick, uniform beigeness behind).
Posted by: MJ | July 25, 2008 at 09:22 AM
I agree with the others. Photoshopped or not, That's a great photo.
Posted by: Cam | July 25, 2008 at 01:17 PM
Hillary:
Thanks so much for the link.
You are lovely in both photos.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech | July 27, 2008 at 07:56 AM
MJ, I'm with you. I refuse to see freckles as some kind of blemish which should be removed.
Posted by: Jacq | July 28, 2008 at 06:07 AM
I personally have always loved freckles and wished that I had them as a kid and even now. It's a shame really, that it's the unusual and original that people don't always accept.
Posted by: Jennifer | July 28, 2008 at 04:18 PM
Maybe it's because I know you (and love you as you are), but in the photo-shopped photo you look sort of like an alien. That, or an equestrian out of Town and Country.
Posted by: Nancy Rommelmann | July 29, 2008 at 05:02 PM
Retouching negatives is such hard work. One of the first things I learnt in my photography course at school actually.
I think freckles are cute. I wish I had some. Hillary, you look much better unretouched!
Posted by: Franziska | August 04, 2008 at 07:30 AM
The picture really is amazing, the nice even glow but I think that these alterations to pictures is what began the "ideal" woman/look. It's a beautiful photo without the touch up. www.btwice.wordpress.com
Posted by: Bridget | August 07, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Speaking of airbrushing, I saw this company on the Today Show called It Cosmetics(www.itcosmetics.com) that basically brings all the pre-photoshop beauty secrets to the public for the first. Things like using contouring to make your stomach look smaller, your breasts bigger, legs more defined, etc (I guess they're the company that makes products that we would buy and then never admit to owning). It's funny, I would have totally thought it crazy had I not seen it on the Today Show with the beauty editor raving about it.
Posted by: Sue Danner | August 26, 2008 at 12:30 AM
I consider myself a good artist, but everything looks better (even my work) with the help of retouching! It is amazing. .
Posted by: Annie | August 27, 2008 at 01:56 PM
http://yfrog.com/15crawfordglamourg
You have to duplicate the layer then change the blending mode to soft light then blur the top layer to get that glow.
Posted by: Maggie | May 16, 2009 at 08:13 AM