Florida GOP Rep. Katherine Harris has kicked up a controversy over her assertion that newspapers doctored photos of her to distort her makeup as a way to poke fun at her. This has some MSM types snorting that such photo manipulation neeeever happens anymore because there are new rules against it.

Yeah. Well, old ethics codes didn’t stop this.

Or this.

Or this.

And as a Poynter Institute photojournalist admitted, the “dodge and burn” practice of lightening and darkening colors in photos “isn’t really a secret or a sin” in the industry.

The Ombudsgod shows how the technique would be applied to Rep. Harris and asks: Who do you believe?

Update: John at Wuzzadem reminds me of another “classic.”

Update II: Lots more examples…

The disappearing fencepost (original photo; enhanced photo)

Time Magazine’s photo distortions

Bobbi McCaughey’s perfect teeth

Oprah Winfrey’s hot bod

UW Madison’s photoshopped diversity (before and after)

More examples here and here.

(Hat tips: Sree.net, S. Hamm, S. Lundquist, aaron’s cc:, K. O’Brien)