The Badge Archive

Fulfills Step 4 of GSUSA Outside the Mirror badge requirements.

Info Needed: Media images often use lighting, makeup, angles, and editing to change how someone looks, sometimes dramatically.

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Items Needed:

• Smartphone or tablet with basic photo editing tools.
• (Optional) Props, accessories, or clothing to help express a theme.
• (Optional) Mirror or consistent background for both photos.

Instructions (Estimated Total Time: 20 min):

1. Choose a location with good, even lighting. (Estimated Time: 2 min)
   • Find a spot with natural light, a plain background, and no heavy shadows.
   • Take both photos in the same place and angle to keep things consistent.
2. Take a simple “before” selfie. (Estimated Time: 3 min)
   • No filters, styling, or posing—just a neutral, natural photo.
   • Save this photo without making any edits.
3. Pick an editing theme for your second photo. (Estimated Time: 2 min)
   • Choose a fun style like: “Hollywood Glam,” “Rock Star,” “Coolest Filter Combo,” or “Best Black & White.”
   • You’ll use this theme to guide your edits.
4. Take a second selfie with the theme in mind. (Estimated Time: 3 min)
   • You can change your pose or facial expression, but keep the location and angle the same.
   • (Optional) Add props or accessories that match your theme.
5. Edit the second photo using simple tools. (Estimated Time: 7 min)
   • Read the Simple Photo Manipulation activity for basics on how to edit a photo.
6. Compare your “before” and “after” selfies. (Estimated Time: 2 min)
   • Look side by side. What changed?
   • Which edits made the biggest difference in how the photo looks?
7. Reflect briefly. (Estimated Time: 1 min)
   • Write or think about how editing can change how someone looks and how that connects to what we see in media.
   • Do these edits show something real, or just a filtered version?