On my Facebook author page, I use a variety of photoshopped images. These images are photoshopped to 1) change the context and meaning of the image, 2) capture the imagination of the viewer, 3) attempt to provide some humor, but the primary reason for photoshopping, is to 4) promote my debut novel, Boot: A Sorta Novel of Vietnam. So, are all the photos on my Facebook page photoshopped? That depends on what you mean by photoshop. A photo has been photoshopped if it has been manipulated or enhanced in any way. This could mean cropping the photo to make it fit on Facebook, or changing the hue or brightness of the photo to enhance its looks. Also, there are many photos that I borrow for reuse. Do I check to see if these photos have been photoshopped? Not always. Like the photo for this blog, is it real?

The average person will be able to look at the photos on my Facebook page and determine which photos are real and which photos have been manipulated. If you see my head in a Nun’s habit in a movie poster with Loretta Young, and you do not know that it has been photoshopped, then you should do some research. Hopefully, most people will realize that I am merely trying to promote and sell my book in a non-conventional way. I remember the very first photoshopped image I ever saw (or at least I thought so) was in Texas Monthly in 1992. It was the famous photo of Texas Governor Ann Richards sitting on a custom Harley. It was later that I found out that Ann’s head had been photoshopped onto a model because she could not be at the photoshoot in person. Later she did have some photos made of her on the Harley and I will tell you, she looked pretty damn good!

Why bring this up at all? I bring it up because we are getting close to the ‘silly season.’ The time of year where mud is slung on a daily basis as politicians vie for office. I see more and more evidence daily on Facebook that photoshopped images are being used to divide the voting population of the United States. Whether it is being done by political parties or foreign political entities, it is incumbent upon us to do some research on these manipulated photos that pop up. If a photo of a national monument has been defaced, I want to know if it’s real or if it has been photoshopped to play on my emotions. So far, all my personal investigations lead me to believe that these images of our national monuments being defaced are photoshopped.

What have I learned? Photoshopping can be used for many purposes, not all of them good. If emotions can be aroused that call upon your better angels to become involved in solving a problem, then I would say that is a good use of photoshop. If a photo can make you pause and enjoy the moment you are in, then that is a good use of photoshop. If you go to Amazon and buy my book, then I would say that is an excellent use of photoshop! However, if you see an image that arouses fear or anger in your heart, then you need to stop and start asking yourself some questions about why the image has aroused these feelings in you.

Until Next Time,

I Remain,

Just Another Zororastafarian tryin’ to figure out sick ‘em from come here…