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I once met a woman who has her photo prominently displayed on her blog and eNewsletters in the header - similar to the way you do on JimsMarketingBlog. PROMINENT.
I learned after meeting her in person that the photo was from several years ago (by the looks of it), and that she is now a brunette, instead of blond.
Weird.
Loose trust? Yes, I think so.
I think the "bend, don't break" approach is best in a case like this. Your image is a representation of you, both in a literal visual form and the more figurative subtext that the visual appearance communicates.
I agree with your friend: doctoring your image to the point of total makeover (e.g. Photoshop in lieu of plastic surgery), is dishonest and shallow. Using an outdated photo (more than 1 year old) earns the same dubious distinction). Of course, for those involved in online pursuits, anything more than five minutes is generally considered outdated!
Admittedly, I spent some time yesterday "enhancing" recent family photos with Photoshop (I event tweeted about it). However, I was careful to, as your friend suggested, only "clean up" what was already there (blemishes, dirt from the scanner, etc.).
For fun I actually "went extreme" on one picture of my son and, in doing so, made him look exceptionally different just by changing a few key features. But, I am always careful to ensure that any changes I make help to better communicate the underlying image and don't drastically change what that image actually is.
Shock value is lessened in the world we live in with doctored photos. There is initial shock then adaptability kicks in quick. Virtual is so strong that is it different than an animated avatar? Trust and gut reaction will always be a measurement - if it stops at the image, it's bound to happen again soon enough in ones next step. I think it's clever when someone makes themselves look 'hot' and 'good'.
There is dealing with looking at the photo of yourself that exists for the universe to see, and when it is appealing it feels better. My FB photo is not doctored but was taken before a MTV Best Week Ever party - what year was that the Big hit. My friends thankfully say it looks recent.
If anyone hasn't noticed "brick and mortar" has entered cyberspace and about time.
Don't know about you but the deceivers are dropping fast and the "white hat" approach is it.
If you don't service your people and make it about "them" you'll drop as fast as you came in.
You have great value here and am going to follow your site.
You are on the mark, brother... keep up the great work here!
Blessings
Ya know how I'm bald, heavy and kind of 'worn' in my pictures - I look just the same in 'real-life!'
Just like using an image from when we were 17 and we are now 45.
Lots to think about.
Thanks!
I'm all for making things look a little btter, but to do it to make yourself look 25+ years younger is wrong in my opinion.
Trust does take huge knock in this circumstances, it makes you think, what else has this person embellished about themselves? Is there another surprise about to be sprung.
As already pointed out, it's fine to photoshop out a spot on your face, but thats where it should end.
My goal is to create a portrait that makes people look warm, friendly, approachable, and most of all PROFESSIONAL.
I use Photoshop much like all my other tools - lighting, angle, makup, lenses. A photograph is a representation of something at a specific moment of time (shorter than the blink of an eye), yet the viewer can literally study that image. Every person on nearly every magazine cover has has retouching done to the face. It's my job to make that person look as good as possible and avoid 'cartoon'. Despite my best efforts, I've had clients in te past DEMAND their face look like a Barbie doll - I find that completely unnatural and show them how even a 20 year old will still have folds and 'wrinkles' in their skin. It's certainly fine to reduce and over the years have developed my own techniques to make people look great, but absolutely recognizable.
I find the 'Glamour Shots' look ridiculous for a professional shot - fine if you want to have a 'fun' portrait, but not for a business card.
I feel I also must point out that the other end of the spectrum is also insane - how many avatars and online photos do you see with people doing their headshot with a cell phone, or cropped out of a group shot, or standing in front of a wall with hard lighting, side shadow, holding a phone, and looking completely UN-professional? What's the point of that?
Want a great portrait? Treat it the same way you treat your clothing or hair - find a competent professional, discuss your needs, and update it every couple of years.
Some GREAT points there from a professional photographer's perspective. Thank you.
I agree with you totally regarding the use of 'glamour shots' for business. Unless the man / woman works in a suitable profession, they always look completely inappropriate to me.
I think the balance you mention, making people look great but absolutely recognizable, is about right.
You look like what you look like and no amount of doctored or retouched photos is going to change that. In addition, no amount of physical alteration is going to make you a better person.
When you are happy with yourself, then it's as if a switch is turned and beauty can shine from within, regardless of whether or not society finds you naturally beautiful.
I think it's perfectly natural to mistrust anyone who mistrusts themselves so much as to hide who they are from the World.
If you don't have faith in yourself, how can you expect others to have faith in you?
But there is another way we can see this. It's quite possible that the person had to no wrong intentions in uploading such a pic. It also shows that he's actually good at the work he claims to be good at.
Traditional advertising is different. In our experience, pictures that are not Photoshopped for traditional advertising end up looking somewhat sloppy.
That's an interesting perspective, especially as I recall you have a beauty product business.
Thanks.
While I can admire that kind of talent...I don't think I could or would trust that person to be on the up-and-up with me regardless of initial intentin altering one's online appearance.
Showing off your photoshop skills is great for a portfolio - not cool for a representation of YOU.
I have been marketing online for ten years now and DID accidentally do the "same pic for 8 years" thing but just did not think about the fact that I was, in fact, maybe misrepresenting myself by leaving my pic from age 44 on all of my web sites until 2007 when it was called to my attention. Though it was never my intent to mislead and they are all business sites, I may have, in fact, have been misleading. Everyone who saw only that "younger version" of me pic still recognizes me when they see me face to face but that really is NOT me any longer, so I fixed it. I HATE to get my picture taken and really LIKED that one but the point is that is no longer me and I could not expect anyone to not notice that now.
In her case I feel even if it did not ruin the trust issue the fact that she was made so uncomfortable by his omissions would turn ME off the business connection. Just MHO.
Most will never meet anyone in real life. Did the person said he looked like his picture or the other just assumed it? I understand the disappointment of someone that expects a completely different person, but also understand someone that wants to look good on a small picture on twitter!!
BTW my pictures look better than I do in real life but it is me and in the last year.
It reminds me of a story about Picasso when someone asked him if he would paint a picture of his wife "but as she really was" , and he asked how does she really looks like .. the man took a picture from his walled and showed to him ... and he answered... oh she is really very little and FLAT isn't she?
so, in my opinion, unless there was false statements like I am 30 and someone of 60 appears that would be no big deal...
I haven't had the visual dissonance problem since, pre-Twitter, I knew someone offline before connecting online. But, these are different times - and maybe more interesting. Don't know if I would have reacted as strongly, but I probably would have.
So, like books, you cannot tell a person by his/her/it's avatar. Although, as some of the previous commentors are pointing out, beauty suggests goodness, I would never assume appearance from an avatar - that's why when I'm meeting someone for the first time, I describe myself first, the kind of car I'm driving, etc. An alteration of appearance may appear to be deceiving... but do we fault newscasters who sometime appear shorter in real life than they do on the news broadcasts? Of course not (though human nature is to be shocked at a marked difference).
That's why I like using non-human avatars for my various twitter profiles. This isn't a rule for me... but it helps to provide a non-prejudiced voice to the maelstrom - we don't need to be prejudged from the get-go on whether our hair is white or brown, whether our skin-tone is green or violet, whether our teeth are bright or missing, etc. :-)
The larger issue is the disconnect in priorities. If someone felt that they needed to alter some part of their appearance in order to present a more compelling business case, we are definitely out of sync and if we're out of sync that early in the process, we're not off to a good start.
Saw a great comedian the other night talk about the frequency with which people post altered or older photos. He suggested that photos be taken while holding up the day's newspaper, with date prominently displayed.
That aside, I do think there is a valid generational issue here. My fellow baby boomers were brought up being taught to never share too much personal information for safety/privacy reasons, so the idea of ultimate truth and transparency can be a challenging leap for some. It is second nature for others raised with this notion. Admittedly, I've come a long way with this myself, but it has been a learning process. I'm now on board the WYSIWYG train and have my photo plastered everywhere. Don't like it, don't call me - I'm OK with that.
Not only do I use an obscure photo of myself, I use one with our baby to "borrow his credibility" I guess as "social proof" that I too can nurture something therefore I must be likable, credible? Something like that... after studying under Dan Kennedy, DK disciples like Scott Tucker and reading Robert Cialdini's "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" is it any wonder that we start to market ourselves in the best favorable light?
I am also guilty of using an alias "azmike", as if nothing that Mike Feddersen has to say is worth reading? Self-esteem issues, probably. It's funny though because I did a search one time of azmike on google and darned if a ton of gay sites or porn came up, I'm not into either but evidently I am even using that to lend credibility? Funny(sad) right?
Oh well, time to go find a more representable photo of myself and maybe add "Mike Feddersen" to my @azmike twitter description.
AZMike... er Mike Feddersen
P.S. I know it's not very observant of me but when I first linked to you on twitter I did not realize you were as popular as you are. hmmmm? Using Jim's blog to lend credibility to myself by posting there? (Probably.)
I am fortunate to have a wife who is a realist and she prompts me to get professional photos every five years.
Although my face has not changed much in the past 15 years, you can see the steady march of the hair as it moves further and further back on my head.
Yes, it's best to "keep it real". This way people who meet you in person for the first time don't have to make the require "cognitive shift" between fantasy and reality (and they don't sit there thinking, "my god, where's all his hair?").
Disappointment and loss of trust to the audience aside ... beauty is subjective and you may have robbed yourself from being liked, loved and respected for exactly the person you are.
Love your post Jim.
My own philosophy is to try to make my clients look their best, without lying about who they are. I definitely believe you should be recognizable from your avatar.
I often do excessive "artistic" processing of my own pics (see my Twitter av), but still hope people would recognize me if they saw me in person.
Fun post!
I've met a few people who end up looking nothing like their web identities. It's so fake. And as you can see from the comments, a bad move!
But I guess Photoshop is cheaper than lypo.
i dont use photos of myself any more...if someone does look me up online the photos are 4-7yearsold and i tell them that.I am vain enough to only want the world to see me as i want to be seen. but not so vain as to deceive myself...
Krissy :)
If you were to meet a potential client for the first time would you make sure that your hair was in place? Would you wear nice clothes or would you wear what you wore to clean out the garage over the weekend?
Looking sharp and professional is not a sin - just as Don Draper. I think the photo you place online should look like you, but not be so bad that it makes you look bad either.
Think about this: If you were asked to appear on a national TV show for an interview would you refuse the makeup and styling and appear on camera like you just came home from a night of partying or just rolled out of bed?
If the answer is no, then why would you choose that look for your avatar???
I agree with the others that the designer was wrong to mislead the person he was meeting. It strikes me as a little funny because he had to know that she would be looking for someone like the photos. Extreme PhotoShoping is definitely dishonest.
My photo is the way I look, I even wore that jacket to church this morning! Someone commented on changing hair color etc. I do think that with women, in particular, it isn't fair to expect a photo that is totally a match. Women color, perm, change lengths, and more so what could be current one day might be different the next.
I know that there are people who think you should put up more candid shots as your online presence. I don't know if I'm ready for that.
As usual your blog gives plenty to think about.
Although I do know one guy who refuses to have any photos on his blog that you are able to tell who he is. He is very very protective of his identity on line. Almost paranoid if you ask me.
But yes I think that any image you have on line should be accurate and truthful.
I see nothing wrong showing older images as long as it is clear that these are old photos.
I kind of find it strange. I would see it as an insecurity issue and hope it wasn't done with dishonest intent. I may wonder what else is real. I also know we constantly hear sex and youth sell. In a business situation I would hope it was done with business in mind and not a lure for other things. I have seen this myself on business cards of Realtors. I don't think most of the people that get it done look much better. They might. They should have saved their money. lol
I have not retouched any photo of myself. I guess it's because I really don't care what others think one way or the other. Even when I worked in the corporate world I pretty much did and dressed as I wanted and not what was often expected of me. Luckily I was good enough at what I did that my eccentric behavior was tolerated. I was one of the lucky ones that survived the US public school system even though they tried to turn me into a cookie cutter working zombie like all the others:)
Basically when it comes down to it I don't care why or if they do or don't do it. I have photoshop and could easily take away my battle scars but it's not going to happen I earned them.
My head shot on twitter as you now see it(minus the Santa hat) was taken in late September so it is about 3 months old. I had it taken-as a professional business shot-by Glamour Shots. I use it everywhere I am online.
I have had more than three people comment (on Twitter)on my "perfect" skin. In each case, I wrote back to tell them-on the public timeline-that the shot was a Glamour shot and the final shot has had minor touch ups which is why my skin looks as it does in that photo. My real skin is not quite so perfect, but I look very close to that shot in real life except, now, my hair is shorter.
I think it is VERY important to be transparent about your image on Twitter because I think many people, whether right or wrong, make assumptions about you based on that first visual. If it's been HEAVILY doctored, people will automatically know that you are insecure or uncomfortable with your age or the way you look. I, for one, don't want to present a false impression right out of the gate.
I have also stated my age, 52, earlier in my public Twitter timeline and believe it is important for women,especially, to be transparent re: their age.
The wonderful friends I've made online, both in my professional and personal lives, feel, hopefully, that they can trust me BECAUSE I am so open and honest with this information.
I am not going to let someone think I have perfect, dewy skin, am 35 or so..if I simply said thank you to a few of the compliments that have come my way re: my skin in that picture-I would be purposely leaving false impressions.
So, why did I choose a Glamour Shot for my pro portrait? Because they DO know exactly how to portray people in the VERY BEST light and they do know how to do your hair and apply your makeup in the most flattering way possible for portrait photography. That WAS worth my money because I wanted to look my best for this shot-as long as "looking my best" represented the authentic me-smoothed out a bit!
It's wonderful to see how much richer the discussion becomes; when a group of people decide to contribute with such great comments.
Thanks!
Thanks for the great post and the GREAT Lesson, for everyone to learn from.
Anytime we are expecting one thing and get something different (especially that different) we are going to be disappointed and NOT trust the source.
He should have at the very least sent her a recent picture of himself (before meeting) and told her he had other pictures on his site for publicity/business reasons. He also could have put a note under the pictures on his site, saying:
"This is me 20 years ago!"
I think that would have made the younger looking pictures more acceptable.
Personally, I believe in HONESTY and to put pictures knowing they look nothing like him at the present time, to me is dishonest. And it would be hard for him to build trust with people if he needs to meet them in person.
Thanks again for the great LESSON for us to all learn from!!!
To your health,
Edward Moore
The other side is that there are those who deliver in spades in person & are limited in online venues by the representation of single photo.
For example, I'm rarely hit on online whereas I'm hit on chronically in person to the point where it’s a major pain in the ass and my 18 yr old daughter complaints profusely about it, laughs about it and purposely embarrasses me at family gathering by recanting stories about it. If I get the interview I get the job ...keeping it or course is another discussion.
The material point being that in both cases onliners aren't getting the full story, either to our advantage or to our disadvantage.
So, is it only false advertising if we show up worse than expected? What if we show up far better than our picture represents? Is if still false advertising or does that just make it your lucky day?
a doctored photo says to me "interested in image" and I want to network with those who are interested in people.
and that includes not setting up unrealistic expectations of what a person looks like.
Partly out of laziness because it would mean changing it in so many other places and partly because I don't have a more recent photo handy (if I even possess one, since it is always me taking the pictures)I have just gone on using the same photo without giving the honesty question any thought.
When I look at the picture it represents the me I know but I was 42 then and now I'm 55 and am considerably more weatherbeaten I'm sure, to say the least!
I'm not going to rush away from this page and scrabble desperately for a more recent photo to change to all over the Internet but you have certainly made me realise that, if I ever agree to meet anyone who knows me from the Internet, I must remember to warn them that they have seen a very old photo and to expect an old wreck by comparison! LOL
and i recently met a blogger i would not have recognized from their picture because it was so outdated and smoothed up.
kind of funny, actually....and at the same time pretty important since it's the only way people can know you online--through your picture!
my twitter avatar is a piece of my artwork, not a picture of me...and the artwork is real and really mine ;-)
Thanks Jim, your blog and tweets are great.
Bert
Bert
Having been in lots of sales positions, first contact can be startling for both parties. One over the initial shock, with the real person you can really sum up a lot with real eye contact etc. Image isn't really everything. Trust is an on-going relationship. I might look marvelous or awful at first contact. However if I can follow through, keep a committment, and get the job done: then my client has a greater base for trust or not.
Life is full of surprizes and unexpected connects.
Fortunately, I've been able to overlook pre-packaged presentation, or even outrageous personality traits, and have found common ground to work with.
Boy, twiiter is powerful. Mary
www.about-albuquerquenm.com
A snapshot is just that, a glimmer of a moment in time.
But, you're correct: as funny as it may seem to some, altering a photo and promoting it as if it is a truthfully correct image of you is not funny - especially if it looks nothing like how you currently look.
Along a similar vein, I recently wrote about a Linkedin member who's openly IMPERSONATING another culture:
http://mylinkingpowerforum.ning.com/forum/topic...
The member was calling himself "Bob Smith" but, when in my phone conversation with him I noticed his speech pattern, he revealed to me his real name - which, by the way, was nothing close to "Bob Smith".
Of course, such impersonations completely destroy trust - the very essence of all business dealings...
Thanks and, Keep STRONG, Jim!!
Vincent
People really need to think twice before editing pictures as it's such a basic form of deception. If your picture is online, it can easily become your brand. If they don't match up, what kind of trustworthiness are they exuding??
Thank you for a fantastic post!
- Taryn
Great post again! I would lose my "trust" in someone if I was to meet them and they looked nothing like the photo that they have on the internet. Gets me thinking, "What are they hiding when they doctor up images?"
Photo retouchers can indeed make your point-and-shoot photos look better, but that's not saying much. The difference between a retouched bad photo and a photograph that was styled and shot well in the first place is huge.
How do I know? I've done both. I made my living for a while as a photo retoucher, and now I'm a professional photographer. I believe strongly that you should get it as close as you can on camera, and use retouching either very minimally, or in creative and expressive ways (such as hyper-reality composites).
Also, to those who think any photoshop is bad, your photographs used to go to film processing centers where they were exposure corrected and color balanced in a lab. Now your camera does a crap job of it. As a professional photographer who used to develop photos in darkrooms, I can tell you that a photo isn't really finished until it's been through a digital darkroom.
I've rarely seen a photograph straight from the camera that couldn't use a little help, with color, contrast, or the odd zit removal.
This is especially important when your business is online. You are marketing yourself either through a service or a product and if you are altering your own image that way it could easily cause potential customers to wonder what else you may be altering. Just my thought..
Lisa
I did go to a professional, of course - it's a professional site, and he gave me so many to choose from I was boggled. In the end we chose the one that family, friends and colleagues said looked most like me and I thought was the most honest representation. But this has reminded me that I probably need to add a new one in 2009!
In this case, the person seems to be technically savvy enough to be able to update their website to add current pictures, plus as a designer is aware of their impact. It also sounds like he purposefully changed the pictures . . . All a bit questionable, I'll agree.
That said, some folks may not update pics as frequently, rely on their company's corporate bio pics or be a bit out of touch with the reality of aging/weight gain/etc.
Personally, my hair style and weight both fluctuate - the constants are usually my smile & my sunglasses! My blog includes photos from the time I was born through last week, so hopefully people have a pretty accurate picture of who they're talking to!
Great post - loved reading the comments as well!
We recognised each other just fine. I was taken aback though when he said "You look much less severe in real life than in your profile picture."
"Oh really, I wasn't trying to look severe." I replied.
"Yes," he went on "I could have guessed that." stating back to me the bleeding obvious that I had just laboured upon him.
After that curious opening we got on very well. I still haven't revisited the profile pic...
They might also use a photo in fancy clothes that makes them look better. Then you have that 'perfect' photo, with just the right angle and showing a wonderful smile.
In the above cases they're trying to 'look their best', yet they probably don't look the same in public.
With the advent of software that allows photos to be altered, anyone can now produce a 'best look' photo.
In the end, if you Ever plan to meet people in public, there should at least be a very Strong resemblance, or you run the risk of there being a trust issue.
Whilst I can understand the need for people wishing to remain anonymous (for personal security perhaps) I think as soon as you are in the business of selling 'yourself' you need to use a real photo. (I even dislike cartoon avatars on forums and such like.)
My own photo was taken by my son about 6 months ago in front of the fireplace in our local pub. I ain't changed much since then. LOL!
At the other, there are those with shots that look like something out of "Zoolander", which is just plain creepy.
I'm interested in doing business with real people who care abut their work. This does not include people who think crap is okay, nor does it include people who place style before substance.
Then again, I have also read about how plastic surgery is the new tool for career advancement...so there you have it.
At least she found him to be a fake early on.
h
and as a designer I see nothing wrong with him looking 5 years old... 20 or 30... I would not have a problem at all with that unless I was flirting...
WE ARE NOT OUR PICTURE! we are much more than that ... no matter how we look at the pictures, good or bad. You just saw people saying they don't even have pictures of themselves... they use any they can find .. it is not relevant ... or a trust issue to me.
Did she ask him if it was how he looked like or asked his age? it takes 2 to tango and 2 or more to get disappointed... I tell my friends in video conference online you get up to 50% of the information the rest is your mind filling the empty spaces!! just think a little about it!!
LisiSilveira
Thanks for the comments. My friend does not use a picture of herself in her avatar, it's her business logo.
The guy admitted deliberately trying to fake his age down, because he thought people only hired 'young' designers!
then it is a completely different story! I feel sorry for him but now I understand better your friend's disappointment... Is there any truth that older designers are not the best? well I am 56 :)but I am not selling anything!! Anyway this was a super nice Blog and we all learned with it ...
Back to my birthday time :)) Hugs,
Lisi
Before meeting it wouldn't hurt to send a note that you have onlne persona and this is your real picture...
Meeting with friends that would be acceptable with knowing beforehand. For business it is INEXCUSABLE.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
One of the wonderful things about blogs, is that we get to see what the majority of people think.
This can be a good way to learn if OUR thinking is in line with our prospective clients / customers.
As you can see from my picture on the blog; I'm neither young (Im 43) or thin / handsome (Former heavyweight boxer) - BUT I don't believe it's held me back.
Or has it?
I've had a couple of similar experiences and I agree. As much as I'm into the substance of issues and people I couldn't help but have that little doubt in the back of my mind.
In a competitive world you just don't need to create this situation for yourself.
BTW - Great blog, really good content. Thanks for following me on Twitter, I followed you back. Look forward to interacting in the future.
Cheers
Flynny
Advice from my mom - "Beauty is only skin deep"
Advice from me - "What you look like on the outside isn't nearly as important as what you are carrying on the inside."
Syydster
Makes me wonder how many of the people I engage with on Twitter really look like that. But, I also understand that people like to talk to good looking people. Especially if they're unable to connect with people like that in real life, if they can do it online it's got to be a tremendous ego boost -- both to the follower and the followee. I see why people would want to make themselves attractive. Personally, I always have more pictures of myself when I'm physically at my best. When I'm not, I avoid the camera -- I'd say that's pretty vain. Don't want any "bad" photos showing up on somebody's Facebook album. Come to think of it, maybe I better skip that local Tweetup so folks don't see what I REALLY look like ;-).
Nice work, Jim. Appreciate your sharing this with us.
Lesson: Never use ads as a judge. You're real and, for a lack of a better expression, they are not.
Look, the guy in question is a designer, obviously an expert using Photoshop. I'd say that his online image is a PERFECT MARKETING TOOL, as an example of how adept he is at using the tool to create whatever look is needed!
Truth is I've always neglected having photos of myself taken and I have no current pictures, but the last thing I'd want is to deceive someone and lose their trust.
On a lighter note, I remarked to my wife that we are fortunate & look relatively young for our ages. She retorted that it may be my features are smoothed into looking more youthful by a little extra weight.
Ah, so tough to be a real person, but here we are!
For me, I've only experienced that twice and both times I felt weird about it. Sure, we all use the "better" pictures of ourselves rather than the "dear heavens, how sick were you?" pictures - but if you go beyond reality, what else are you denying about yourself?
I wear makeup. I color my hair (randomly!) and use other 'appearance enhancing' items, including clothing. But while I do those things to enhance my appearance, I have no desire to go down the Michael Jackson route of altering myself beyond recognition with plastic surgery - so why do it with Photoshop either?
That said - I will admit to having gained some weight even since the business portrait I use was taken in September... I plan on losing that and more this year. When I do? New photo.
Same old wrinkles tho... I won't ever be 19 again! :)
I LOVE your analogy about Michael Jackson :)
I think that it's perfectly OK for any of us to use a flattering picture; but we have to be recognisable.
Otherwise, it ceases to be a representation of 'us.'
Here is the before + after:
http://www.twitpic.com/ps2g
Having a pic photoshopped so the person looks 25 years younger may be "too much", but would one have made fuss around one who's gone for cosmetic surgery to make himself look 23 to 40 years younger?
That is a good question about trust, although: I thought it is common sense to expect people to use already-photoshopped pictures of themselves and especially by a designer.
On the flip side, this designer shoulda warned that he didn't look close to the pics he had on his site, blah blah and that they were photoshopped.
If people didn't like who or what they see, they can't blame the person for not saying so in the first place. Blatant honesty is always good!
this story is typical though of this new photoshopped society we have here. It's all so fake seeking perfection like this. Young women and men are going out and cutting themselves up trying to emulate the perfect they see on magazine and screen. They never will and never can and its immoral and tasteless
There. Sorry *off my block now*
Whether it's a headshot for acting or a publicity shot for a business, your photo should look like you - now! - on a good day.
Jeremy
Is it strange that my avatar wears sunglasses to remain incognito?
LOL!
Personally, I think cleaning up blemishes, brightening, and such are perfectly fine. However, I have not done that personally. I can understand why some would.
Of course, I think that it is out of the question for one to heavily doctor into another person entirely or take off 25 years. It certainly hurts your credibility if discovered like in this case.
Unfortunately, this goes on very frequently online. Many are never discovered because they don't ever put themselves in a place to meet any of their "customers" offline.
Personally, I think that it is great to get an opportunity to meet any of your customers or followers in an offline setting. It really takes the connection to the next level creating more trust and loyalty.
To Success,
Joseph Parton
I agree with what many others have said that small alterations (blemishes, flyaways, etc) are acceptable. However, I would think twice about someone who had no problem using massive changes to portray themselves. It strikes me as deceptive. If the individual has no problem being deceptive with their avatar, where else will they have no problem using deception?
I guess this is just another example of where we need to be cautious online. How you choose to portray yourself may have consequences you didn't anticipate.
If you are meeting someone from Twitter on a professional basis, it is common practice to ask "what do you look like?" or "what will you be wearing?" Or even "Can I find you based on your Twitter avatar?"
Forming a business opinion about a Twitterfriend based solely on their avatar "looks," airbrushed or not, is superficial and I feel quite inappropriate.
I totally am for trust and there are many slippery slopes building trusted online business relationships. But "trusting" someone or not because of the avatar they are using is simply not smart business.
Personally, I think a 50-something guy touching up his avatar to look 25-something is akin to the 50-something who pulls up to the Starbucks in a flashy Corvette. I'll recognize the mid-life crisis moment but certainly won't hold it against him in business.
Yes a little bit of touching up is ok, I admit I have done it with mine. But digital cosmetic surgery is just a bit to far and would completely break any trust built up if it happened to me.
While I am not self-employed, my mind-set isn't any different than if I were self-employed. That I give my all to the job so that hopefully by the time it reaches the client, their expectations have been exceeded and this encourages returning clientele. Now that is my mind-set, but throughout the years I have observed at work that most fellow workers work grudgingly, always critical, nagging that this isn't right, that isn't right and how can they possibly do their job when the customer hasn't done this or that. Like the customer is a real obstacle/problem to them!
Why is it that when we purchase something, we "expect" value for our money, but when the roles are reversed, and now here we are the ones offering a service, the mentality becomes the opposite? This is the one draw back to being employed by others I think anyways. We tend to turn off something in our brains when it is our turn to return the favour we expect others to do for us when we part with our money in return for a service or product.
Go figure.