by Jessie Culver

Editing photos seems like the norm for the everyday teenager. Whether it’s whitening teeth, removing blemishes or adding a filter, teens are constantly changing and posting pictures. But what if someone else edited your photos of you beyond the point of recognition?

STA seniors became outraged when they realized that their senior portraits had been revised to the point the picture did not even resemble their true self.

The immediate reaction was to blame the photo company, because they were the only people to blame. As seniors, we knew that our school, who has been empowering our individuality as women since freshman year, would never do something like this. However, I believe that it was an honest mistake. My explanation comes from a photographer’s point of view.

Being a photo editor myself, many people don’t realize the details and process it takes to edit photos. For a photographer to adjust colors and brightness, it takes a few minutes. However, for a photographer to change necks, eye shape, smile and smooth over skin, it could take up to an hour. With the mass quantity of people in our grade, this entire process would take hundreds of hours. DeCloud is a very popular photo company for schools and outside persons, and they wouldn’t have enough time to edit everyone’s photo.

Don’t get me wrong, when I witnessed some of the mass differences in student IDs, I was livid that a photo company would even consider doing it. I began to analyze the photos and noticed that they all seemed to fit a certain proportion. DeCloud stated that it was the program changed the seniors’ faces and I realized that this statement is true.

The question circling the issue is directly toward Decloud. “Why would DeCloud do this?” This question should transform into “Why does a photo program like this even exist?”

I completely understand the blemish removal option. I don’t want those things in my pictures, and I’m sure other teenagers would agree. However, why does society create a program that gives an unrealistic image of ourselves?

As students who are empowered to love ourselves for who we are, it disgusts me that someone actually created this editing program. At St. Teresa’s we are in a bubble in which all members support each other and our differences. It shocked the senior class because of these ideals of self-empowerment we have learned from attending STA.

What surprises me even more is some parents and students of schools request this program.

The question that resonates in my mind is why would they choose this option? I would have to blame modern society’s influence to be perfect and beautiful. Society puts such a large emphasis on perfect body image that some are willing to completely change their face to fit such an image.

DeCloud was not intending to say we are not up to society’s standards to the point the company changed our faces. DeCloud honestly just hit the wrong button, which led to the uproar created by students but mostly the media.

Yes, DeCloud made a mistake, but don’t we all?