Letter from the Editor: Hamlet’s Photographic Dillema…

“To Retouch, or Not To Retouch, that is the question.”

Here’s the rub, I’ve been painting nails for over 10 years, Women & Men. I am not a beautician, nor have never claimed to be. My retouchers abhor it. Truth is, for better or worse, the camera captures everything in my photographs. Five o’clock shadow at 2pm, cracked hands from sun tanning, flyaway hair, subtle stubble everywhere, that broken nose scar from when you were checked on the ice, that time the curling iron got to hot and burnt your hair…last week.

When you’re back stage, excited to see the audience as an early performer, you’re told, “If you can see the audience, the audience can see you. No matter how dark it is.” The same rings true for photo shoots. If you’re questioning whether someone will see that XYZ issue, chances are, if I don’t, you will.

Fear not young thespians, Prospero has your back! Yes, we can take care of it all by ways of photoshopical magic. The real question is, how far do we go, and at what financial cost? Yes, I can take 10 years off, but then again, what’s the point? I hate to break it to you, but that broken nose is you, and I love you for it. Quality retouching is a balance, as with everything. This week’s edition covers the journey of finding balance amidst the creative chaos that plagues the performing arts community. The written journeys that follow rival Orpheus, but I assure you the payoff, transformative… just like those new nails.