To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Photoshop, Adobe conducted a survey looking at the current state of photography worldwide. This is a great indication of the way the public think about photography in today’s digital realm. I found the results interesting, and I’m sure you will, too!
A total of 1,306 people over the age of 18 were given a 5-minute survey in early February 2020. They were asked to give their thoughts on four questions related to photography.
The first question talked about celebrities. Adobe asked which celebrities people think most frequently edit their online photos. The results were overwhelming, with the Kardashians being the overwhelming top choice. A total of 42% believe that the Kardashians edit their photos before posting them online. Other celebrities included Jennifer Lopez (5%), Taylor Swift (3%), Beyoncé (3%) and Donald Trump (2%).
The second question looked back at our history, and asked which famous art pieces or landmarks people would like to see Photoshop editing applied to. The Mona Lisa took home the top prize with 9%, followed by Mount Rushmore (6%). The Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and White House tied for the third place vote, all with 3%.
Other votes included The Last Supper (2%) and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, The Scream, the Grand Canyon and Trump Tower, all at 1%. Other landmarks mentioned included the Washington Monument, Empire State Building and Great Wall of China. Other pieces of art mentioned included Starry Night, American Gothic, Water Lilies and Dogs Playing Poker.
The third question dove into photography compositing. It asked, if you could use Photoshop to create an image of yourself next to anyone else (living or dead), who would it be? Political figures were the most common response at 16%, broken into Barack Obama (3%), Donald Trump (3%) and Abraham Lincoln (1%). Friends/family was a close second at 11%, including parents at 6% and grandparents at 2%). It tied with musicians (including John Lennon and Elvis Presley at 1%).
Actors (8%), religious figures (2%), athletes (2%) and television stars (1%) also placed in the survey. The most popular actor requested was John Wayne (1%), while the most popular athlete was Kobe Bryant (1%). Other responses rounded out the survey at 11%.
Finally, the last question asked if people had ever experienced joy or laughter at an image that was edited in Photoshop. Fifty-seven percent of U.S. adults said they experienced this. Broken out into age groups, Generation Z (ages 18-22) were the highest at 74%, followed by Millennials (23-38) at 62% and Generation X (39-54) at 58%. Boomers (55-73) scored 51% with those 74 and older scored 40%.
Surveys like these are certainly fun, but also help to summarize current world views. While Photoshop can be used for editing photographs, it can also be utilized for creating or enhancing a wide array of digital art. I asked Adobe about this, and here’s the statement they provided:
“Photoshop has made and continues to make a profound impact on popular culture. Over the past 30 years, people all over the world have made exciting and inspiring creations with Photoshop that continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in publishing, art and visual media.
“We were delighted to find in our survey that 74% of Gen Z’ers have experienced joy from images created in Photoshop and we look forward to continuing to spark joy through the power of Photoshop for generations to come. We’re very proud of the Photoshop brand, its place in culture and the role it continues to play in fostering ‘Creativity for All.'”
To learn more about the Photoshop updates released earlier this week, click here.
Photos by Kelly Castro
