In today’s world where filters and beauty apps are ruling the social media scene, international clothing brands like ASOS are publishing untouched photographs of the models. The trend, which is going viral, has caught up in India too. As we are slowly learning to encourage going natural, there is also the concern of what sells in the advertising scene.

Karthik Srinivasan

“Before a decade, we used to tell our models to workout in the gyms or get a smile correction done. Now the models tell us to make their body look thinner, face smoother, smile proper and hair shinier. Times have changed, but I don’t know if it is for better or worse,” begins advertising photographer Karthik Srinivasan.

With the advancement in technology, where everyone is a photographer, the need to bring out quality pictures with real lighting and surrounding is lost. Karthik continues, “Everyone wants to be fair and doll-like. They ask us to compromise on what’s real and create a new form of themselves, which they think is beauty!”

Gayathri Reddy

But there are some models, who are open to raw and unedited photoshoots. Shreya Gupta, who collaborated with Nagoor Gani recently on a rare raw shoot, flaunted her natural body with all the stretch marks and scars that were present. The   confident youngster speaks up on the concept saying, “The stereotypical notion that smooth is beauty, fair skinned is beauty and more should be eliminated. I like it when models are comfortable in their own skin and with what they wear without overdoing of make-up or editing. With a lot of editing, one’s identity is lost. I like the artistic storytelling photo series of Arjun Kamath. I wish more brands are up to such shoots. I’ve done a few ad films with minimal makeup and I am open to more!”

Hoping for a change, model Gayathri Reddy also pins her hope that people will break the wrong stigmas they have about beauty — “The stretch marks and the scars are one’s identity. You’re born the way you are — dark or fair or thin or healthy. One can be health conscious, but not insecure about themselves. In modeling, more than looks, the confidence that one has matters more.”

While retouching is becoming digital manipulation, people are also changing their screen presence and how they look on social media, from real life. “Photographers need to stop doing a lot of afterwork. One can get however creative they want with the composition, setting and lights before, but Photoshop work needs to be lesser. While you need to satisfy the clients too, one shouldn’t compromise on his art. The advertising industry has taken a full round and is going back to how it was before — and more models are willing to show their natural beauty,” concludes Karthik.