Hello
We are living in a visual world of airbrushing pictures and using filters in videos and pictures.
My profile picture on my website was taken over 10 years ago. Age has taken its toll. I have wrinkles, less elastic skin not so perfect teeth colour. I am thinking of updating the pictures to reflect my age.
From Apple's App store on one of its Airbrushing apps:
"Remove pimples, smooth wrinkles, even out skin tone, whiten teeth, and more to get the perfect photo every time."
In other words, made up picture-perfect person is not the real person as people would see.
When I met some clients I was surprised to see the real person as compared to their picture. I think they were equally surprised to see an older person than what my profile picture portrayed.
I am looking into refreshing my website. It is important to get small details right.
On your website is your picture Airbrushed? Does it reflect your current age or near enough?
Is the trend airbrushing now? I do not know what the trend is now. Is Airbrushing profile picture acceptable for professionals?
Thanks
Replies (16)
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Tzu Chang asked Confucius about jen. Confucius said, "If you can practise these five things with all the people, you can be called jen." Tzu Chang asked what they were. Confucius said, "Courtesy, generosity, honesty, persistence, and kindness. If you are courteous, you will not be disrespected; if you are generous, you will gain everything. If you are honest, people will rely on you. If you are persistent you will get results. If you are kind, you can employ people."
Looking older is generally a bonus in this game so I wouldn't over do the brushing up.
Its the one time when you want to add the grey to your hair, not take it off.
So you want to start your relationship with potential client's with dishonesty? Why would you want to do that?
My guess is you're going to do it anyway. Your whole OP sounds like you are trying to justify it to yourself, meaning that is the decision you have already made. I'm curious how you intend to respond to future queries if you do. Personally I'd prefer to be able to honestly say a picture was taken a few years back than try to explain why a new picture does not look like the real me.
I don't have my picture on any of my professional profiles, but if I did, it would be warts and all. Of all those who view your profile, you are probably the only one who cares what you look like.
Don't think I'd airbrush, but I would choose the most flattering light and do my best to look my freshest.
How vain.
How false. Might as well leave the old picture up.
If you are that embarrassed about your picture don't put one up. Or get some therapy.
My sis in law's phone automatically airbrushes any picture she takes, which is fine, unless you know her, in which case you'd think she's mental.
Everyone does it, well I don't.
You'll get better results from a well lit well composed photograph than airbrushing something amateurish, so be sure you or the photographer know what they're doing.
If it were me I would make sure I was wearing my best gear and had brushed my hair and I suppose clone stamping any pimples would be more or less the same thing as that, being temporary in nature.
I'd never do my wrinkles though, it'd be obvious to anyone meeting me I'd done so, and that's more embarrassing than being wrinkly.
Just leave the old picture be. I believe a lot of people on social media sport pictures from half their lifetimes ago.
That's certainly been my policy towards my driver's licence.
I only have a pic on LinkedIn - it’s about 10 years old and ‘cos of the bad angle made me look pretty chubby. TBF I have put some of that weight on in the last decade, but not as much as that photo!
You could model it on an Old Master painting perhaps. You know the type, one hand resting on a calculator, a stack of Tolleys to one side, your framed certificates on the wall behind, and a hint of the shadow of Death/HMRC looming in the background somewhere.
Much more entertaining than a bog-standard cheesy grin, best suit jacket and a naff tie.
Less F-factor more Max Factor perhaps? A skin primer can work wonders to flatten out the deeper shadows without being obvious. And make sure your skin is mattified too - you don’t want to look sweaty and shiny.