would you do this?

[ChristineS]

My poor dd #1 -- 13 yrs old and body conscious, like we all were, poor thing: she see this scrapbook page I'm working on that I really love and she practically shrieks "you can't use that picture!!" and I cannot for the life of me figure what she means!! Well, she thinks she looks chubby on her side. Admittedly, not a flattering photo, but you REALLY have to be looking for it. The lighting didn't do anything for her and she was flying through the air, halfway bent sideways. The girl wears a size 3 jeans, for crying out loud. The scrawniest of people get a "bend" if they go over sideways like that. But, feeling so bad for her, I told her I could touch her up a bit because otherwise it's a really cool photo. (See it full-size in the layout here (http://www.thedigichick.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/29060/cat/500/ppuser/1772))

But here's the before and after --
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v609/asimpleworkofheart/before-after.jpg

Would you do this for someone who asked you -- especially your teen daughter? We discussed her weight and eating habits in a healthy way many, many times. She's physically active every day and while conscious of her looks, doesn't seem to be any more obsessed that what's the usual for a teen in today's visually thin world!!

[sinead]

I probably would just because she'll obsess over the layout and hate it every time she looks at it if you don't. When you look at the closeup shots, the change is dramatic, but when you see it in the layout itself it's much harder to see that you edited the photo. She's a normal 13 yr old girl...most 13 yr old girls don't want to see any photos of themselves at all so it's not really all that hard to believe that she doesn't want to see what she sees a flaw, especially since she knows you post your layouts on the web and such.

Besides, you talked to her and you feel ok about where she's coming from with this, right? Trust your gut. :regular_s

[meganmecrazy]

I guess I would if it bothers her that much! Gee, I wish I looked that good "un-photoshopped" LOL!

[scrapsandsass]

I would if I knew how. My DD is overly conscious about stuff like that too. She's always asking me if I could hide her arm fat or clear up her skin or whatever. It is so hard to be that age. I think that if you have the conversations about image and what is healthy and what is normal, it is the best you can do. I like what Sinead said about trusting your gut. As moms, that is our best option.

[meganmecrazy]

Ya know what, I don't know how to do that either!! I must learn! I wanna give myself a makeover! Teeeheee!!!

[KimberlyGiarrusso]

I probably would too. It sounds like she just doesn't like the picture. She looks perfectly healthy and it sounds like she isn't obsessing over her body. I think that touching it up for her, while also discussing eating habits shows you are a very well rounded mother and have a strong household. Lord knows all my photos are touched up before you all see them! HAAAAAA

Great photoshopping BTW.

[AmyK]

Wow, Christine - you did a great touch up! If it bugs her that much (especially considering that she *knows* you are putting it in a public gallery), then it's all fine and good. She is a skinny mini! If I were honest, I'd tell you that I touch up every photo of myself before I post AAM layouts too. :embaresse That's the fun of Photoshop, right?

[MarshaZepeda]

I would do that for me........ eeeehhhh! lol! I would do it... except that do you know how many people ask me if I can make them skinnier? lol! I'll touch up faces and stuff but generally don't like to take away the "realness" of someone. (For example, I'll remove pimples and blemishes but I try to leave scars and moles alone... kwim?) I hate when I see a "beautiful" person (ie: hollywood) and then in real life you see them and you're like "what the...." lol! THAT is what gives "normal" people a complex....

OH! and by the way... tell your dd that she is BEAUTIFUL! :) (and you did a great job with the touchup! lol!)

[Lauries815]

I would, I don't have a problem with it at all, I love the layout.

[tamra]

I would totally do this for myself in a heartbeat (never have, but would!) If it were me, I wouldn't for my teenage daughter because I wouldn't want her to think that I was making her "better" by changing/touching up her body. They really are so self conscious and all - plus all these little skinny minnies plastered everywhere! KWIM, I would be afraid that she would think that she had something wrong that could be fixed. All that being said, I wouldn't think less of you if you did it :) Love ya! She is really a beautiful girl!

[~ashleigh]

I don't see anything wrong with it, as long as she is okay with her body IRL. Well, as okay as a 13 year old can be. It was just a strange angle, adn if it makes her feel better, than I think it's fine. It is not like you made her look skinnier, you just changed her position.

And more importantly, I think you could use this as and example to show her what every movies star and model has done everyday. None of them are as skinny and as perfect as they look in pics. Everything is photoshopped, and I think understanding that helps cut down on using those ideals to shape your own self image. Did that make sense?

[k23m]

My first instinct is no....but I dont have kids! So I cant really say anything from that point of view. But personally I would use the original photo - YOU love her just the way she is! She doesnt need any photoshop! And I think looking back she would want to see how she REALLY looked at 13 and not some photoshop version of it.

just my 2 cents...

[AngelinaS]

Here's the thing, she really is a healthy girl who is not overweight to begin with. And the reason the photo came out that way is simply because of the odd angle. And, it's gonna bug her FOREVER if you don't fix it. So, YEAH. I would definitely fix it (if I knew how, roflol). I don't think fixing it changes her significantly. You're not making her "skinny" when she wasn't already...My mom has a photo of me when I was thirteen in a bikini, and the way i was sitting I had an "accordian fold" in my tummy. I was so self-conscious about that photo that I would seriously have burned it if my mom would have let me get away with it.
Oh, and fyi, I touch up photos of myself, too...

[jencaputo]

I think you did the right thing, especially since she would hate the LO otherwise. By the way, you captured some awesome shots! That one of her diving/belly flopping is so cool!

[lauren grier]

I'm entirely torn on this one.. I don't think I would have touched it up but I definitly would have had *that* talk with my kiddo. I think it just sends out the wrong message if you are "fixing" her body kwim.

[JennStar]

I think I would Christine. I've touched up blemishes on my face before. And you say she's a size 3, so clearly the photo is not a great representation of her in that way (although bending yourself in half like that will bring about that kind of result :o) LOL!)
Tell her that this is her one free pass!! LOL!

[ChristineS]

thanks for the feedback, everyone
Jenn, I love this

Tell her that this is her one free pass!! LOL!