“Even I don’t wake up looking like Cindy Crawford.”

By Polina Roytman

I received some incredible feedback to the Anyone Can Be Photogenic! 8 Easy Steps to Looking Great in Photos post, but have also gotten some feedback from young girls stating they love the article because they want to look “like the models in the magazines do.” Reading that pushed me to write this post.

It is important to know that every editorial photo you see in a magazine, unless stated otherwise, is retouched. It is a fantasy and that is why you are buying the magazine. The problem today is that most people get down on themselves when they view those photos and feel they don’t measure up. First thing to know and remember is that no one looks like those photos, not even the model herself. It takes an incredible team of hugely talented individuals to make that photo look as good as it does. The makeup, the hair, the clothes, the photographer, the lighting, the airbrushing. Cindy Crawford said it best when she stated “Even I don’t wake up looking like Cindy Crawford.”

The photo above on the left has been retouched. The photo above on the right is the original. There’s nothing wrong with the original, yet the retouched photo is what you would end up seeing in a magazine. I did a slight experiment and posted the original photo as my Facebook profile and it has gotten more likes than any other photo I have ever posted. Even more than a photo of a ridiculously cute baby. Keep this in mind the next time there’s a camera pointed at you and shine that natural smile, knowing that you look great just as you are, no team necessary!

Photographs and retouching by Kyria Lydia Abrahams

A note from Polina: If you like this please let me know using the social media buttons below. A like, a tweet, a share, a comment all go a long way. If you’d like me to write about something specific be sure to let me know by leaving a comment below!

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