The holidays are coming… the holidays are coming… time to grab those cameras and all those friends and relatives who flee at the sight of a photographic device while whining: “Don’t take my picture I look fat.” (I’m guilty of letting the phrase slip from my lips as well, though I am usually the one holding the camera trying to wrangle loved ones together so my daughter has documented proof that they exist long after they fly back to their respective homes—but I digress.) Let’s face it; there aren’t very many people who like the way they look in pictures. But now that could soon be changing. Several new cameras that have recently hit store shelves promise they can help you put your best face – and body – forward.
The new cameras come with specially designed features that offer “beauty” or “portrait enhancement” modes. One of the enhancements is called “soft skin,” which aims to take the focus off fine lines and blemishes.
Another new “portrait enhancing” mode is called the “slimming” feature. According to camera manufacturers, mechanics in the camera shrink the center of the image, which gives the perception that the subject is a bit thinner than in real life. The nice part about both features is that they are part of the camera’s automatic settings. So if your subject is afraid of looking fat, all you need to do is cajole him or her to appear in front of the camera and with one touch of a button—viola—the slimming feature is activated.
My local camera store has a huge display featuring photographs shot with a traditional camera and ones taken with the new camera’s specialty modes. In my opinion, the results of the slimming feature were very evident. Several other customers in the store agreed that the woman featured in the picture taken with the new camera looked two dress sizes smaller than she appeared in the photo taken with the traditional camera.
As for the soft focus feature, the changes were subtler. I really had to study (at close range) the shots to see any noticeable smoothing out of skin tones. I was a bit disappointed with the soft focus feature, but overall the camera’s high tech wizardry was quite impressive.
Hewlett Packard offers the slimming effect on its cameras… and claims it will “take off 10 to 15 pounds.” It will cost you about $400 dollars, but if it helps to capture a priceless smile then it may be worth the expense.