This is botherson in portrait photography, but it is unfortunately here to stay. People are obsessed with perfection and marketing firms know how to sell to them.

The problem for me is when this practice overflows into photo journalism, as it did with the commuter train bombing a while back in Madrid. There was a very popular photo that most outlets ran as their cover, however, it had body parts photoshoped out to 'sterilize it' for public consumption, as if tradegy of this or any other kind could ever be sterilzed.

News is news and if an image is too graphic to be shown, then it should not be shown. Period. Unfortunately, just as we see in todays portrait photography...marketing always wins.