Denying the Man in the Mirror behind Social Media Photoshop

Denying the Man in the Mirror behind Social Media Photoshops

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t is rather sad that people have not brought themselves to reconciling with the man in the mirror. Clever editing and photo manipulation that pass for retouch are rampant on Instagram. Others on Facebook and Twitter use celebrity portraits you would be forgiven that they do not have a head themselves. Or the head and shoulders are too ugly to show off?

By MUSYOKA NGUI

Social media is interactive, fun and cool. It is the next frontier for long lost friends meeting and sharing their experiences. It is where tech savvy businesses meet customised niche markets in various groups, online chat rooms and assured youthful population who make up the most number of social media users.

As a media professional I love working with amateurs and non-journalist professionals who upload both grainy and crisp photos. Thanks to their smartphones they can upload pictures in real time for immediate consumption by their friends.

The beauty of being a freelancer or an amateur is that you are not tied by bureaucratic media house rules and equally boring sharing policies which also risks denying you the much needed credit for your 15 seconds of fame in the virtual space. The photo is yours. It is your scoop. No one can take it away from you even if they plagiarize your fans still know where to go to.

MAKE MISTAKES

Another sweet side of free publishing is that there are millions of rooms for us to make mistakes. I don’t care if my follower’s profile photo is posted sideways, upside down or zigzag. There is no tradition, precedence or conformity. Creativity means trying, failing and eventually learning the best practices of lighting, cropping, white balance and expert editing.

Readers are a lazy lot. They require telling photos which don’t need a caption to explain. They don’t want loooong and sophisticated descriptions. After all they are the judges and customers who eventually turn their adoration to comments, likes and cult-like following. Speak to their preferences and balance that with freedom vs responsibility of expression, media and thought.

It is rather sad that people have not brought themselves to reconciling with the man in the mirror. Clever editing and photo manipulation that pass for retouch are rampant on Instagram. Others on Facebook and Twitter use celebrity portraits you would be forgiven that they do not have a head themselves. Or the head and shoulders are too ugly to show off? Bare your fundamentals. Your assets.  Get me right, I did not say nudity that leaves to nothing imagination. Exception to this rule: socialites, I understand the desperation.

Social media is the new addiction. The notifications cigarette, the attention drug and the ultimate hook that hopelessly grips us. Moderation please. For now, let me “eat” those data bundles.