Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Pictures that Lie


I chose the July 1992 cover of TexasMonthly that shows Gov. Ann Richards riding a motorcycle because it looks very real, but is so ridiculous it's funny. It was originally a picture of a model on a Harley-Davidson, and the governor's head was pasted over the model's head. From the magazine cover, I assume the croppers made this picture to give Richards that tough, "I'm in charge" look because of her power and prestige as governor. I would not call it a harmful Photoshop job because it was not offensive, and Richards herself was able to joke about it. If the people involved in the photo are not hurt or offended, I do not think there is any harm in playing with photos.