Have these Daylesford school photos been airbrushed?

The debate has sparked national attention, after students reported drastic changes in their school photographs. 

Many said piercings, blemishes, acne, monobrows and freckles were photoshopped out of portraits, leaving students and parents outraged. 

Principal Graeme Holmes last week conceded the school "took the wrong approach in removing piercings" and said original portrait photos would be provided at no cost to families.

But a letter sent to parents on Tuesday said other personal attributes were not altered. 

"The photographer explained the lighting effect reduces the visibility of these features which may make it look like these features have been removed," the letter from Mr Holmes reads. 

"I will emphasise there has been no airbrushing of skin tones, freckles or blemishes." 

Jacki Lipplegoes, who had her piercing airbrushed out of her photo, argued it "could not just be a matter of lighting". 

She said some students' freckles had vanished and her friend's monobrow had been removed. 

"We paid for a photo to show how we looked in 2015, but this isn't how we look," she said. 

"Our identities have been changed and it doesn't make you feel too good at all."

Another mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said there was no doubt the photos had been airbrushed to remove blemishes.

"We know what our kids look like and it's not this," she said. 

"We all opened up the photographs and got such a shock. It's hard when what you see isn't your son or daughter." 

Youth Council of Victoria chief executive Georgie Ferrari said photoshopping images of teenagers without consent took away their power and played into a damaging discussion already present in mainstream media. 

“This tells them they’re not okay as they are and no one has the right to decide how an image is portrayed,” Ms Ferrari said. 

“It’s a dangerous trajectory and is reinforcement of all those messages already being sent to our youth that without photoshopping, you’re not good enough.”

Ms Ferrari said it was the first time she had heard of a school photoshopping photos, which was backed by many principals across the region. 

While many remained reluctant to comment, Catholic College Bendigo acting principal Michael Chalkley said the school had never discussed photoshopping as an option.

He said school photos had nothing to do with how students "should look". 

“To be honest I don’t believe it’s our right to say what is and isn’t acceptable when it comes to school portraits,” he said. 

“I certainly haven’t heard of schools in our system doing this because the photos are for the parents and for identification."