Ashley Graham Photoshopped By Maxim? Photographer Accused Of Shaving Down Plus-Size Model’s Appearance
Model Ashley Graham made headlines when she spoke out about the term “plus size,” and was universally applauded for starting a conversation about the problems within the modeling world. It was her thoughts, not just her looks, that made Graham an “overnight sensation.”
Soon after Graham became viral and changed the face of the term “plus size,” Maxim decided to feature her on the cover of their magazine.
Now, the photographer who shot the cover is being accused of photoshopping Ashley Graham’s figure for a less-than-authentic look.
The Sports Illustrated swimsuit model looks stunning on the cover, but many fans have said that Graham looks touched up. High-fashion photographer Gilles Bensimon is the man in question, but according to him, he’s denying that he touched up any photos of Ashley Graham — even the cover.
Maxim put a size 16 model on the cover for the first time – but fans think she was Photoshoppedhttps://t.co/AqUHWttC9X
— Indy People (@TheIndyPeople) March 29, 2016
The photographer hit back at Instagram users that went on to criticize how fake Ashely Graham looks in her photos for her Maxim spread. The French photographer responded, “I shoot this image of Ashley,and we don’t slimmer [sic] her at all!!! Sorry because you sound so convinced.”
He continued to defend himself in a different response to another Instagram user, “In fact (almost no photoshop) sorry to disappoint you.”
People are not happy with Ashley Graham’s allegedly photoshopped Maxim cover: https://t.co/FvLPiotpWZ pic.twitter.com/Ewslt4OO6P
— Mic (@micnews) March 29, 2016
If Ashley Graham was photoshopped on the cover of Maxim, she wasn’t telling a soul. The model was happy to share the cover with her followers on Instagram:
A photo posted by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@theashleygraham) on
Fans even took to the model’s Instagram page to comment on her slimmer appearance. One user wrote,
“Her hips are so narrow in this pic! I was shocked! Compared to her other pics, where her hips are way curvyer. Why must they photoshop.”
While another user wrote, “It’s a shame they photoshopped her to appear slimmer. They should have left her be. What’s the point of featuring a plus-size model on the cover if they’re just going to make her look like the generic girls you see on their magazine.”
Another user offered their opinion on the shoot. “This photo does not show your lusciousness my friend. It’s definitely too photoshopped, and not in a good way. You are one of the rare instances where the Before is better than the After”.
So far Maxim hasn’t released a statement on the curvy model’s photos for their spread. That said, since she’s been nabbing headlines left and right no matter what she does, it sounds like Ashley Graham knows a thing or two about curating a specific brand to get people’s attention. During her Maxim interview, she spoke comfortably about building her empire.
“I know these celebrity entrepreneurs are just people. They’ve just been given the right opportunities and have soared with them. And that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m in total build-the-empire mode right now.”
As for the alleged photoshopping, Graham hasn’t said whether or not she’s photoshopped, but her comments to Entertainment Tonight about photoshopping in general point to Graham being against extreme photoshopping post photoshoots. She said that she does believe in photoshopping, but not in a way that reconstructs the entire body.
“When you’re reshaping my hips and my thighs and you’re taking certain cellulite away — Hello! I talk about it! I got cellulite. It’s like, don’t do that, because the customer realizes and the girl who follows me realizes it’s just overdone. There is a tasteful way to do it.”
Do you think Ashley Graham was photoshopped for the article?
[Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated]
