Originally Posted by marcop

No... some photography does reflect reality more than other kinds of photography, but it varies depending on the situation.

Photographers who shoot for newspapers and other kinds of journalistic outlets have strict guidelines as to what kind of retouching/enhancing of their images they can do--which is usually restricted to enhancing brightness & contrast (aka Levels) and some sharpening.

If a photographer is shooting a portrait or a wedding, etc., then it's common practice for him/her to make the subject look as good as possible which means choosing flattering lighting and angles, and doing post-production (usually Photoshop) to make the subject look as good as possible. That ranges from the kind of minor PS work I do on portraits that removes the worst of the subjects flaws--like zits, bad skin, etc., while still making a 50 year old woman look middle aged, to the over-the-top retouching you see on magazine covers such as Cosmopolitan and Vogue.