Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition Editing: Then and Now

We love Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and we’re going to guess by you clicking on this story that you feel the same. We’ve gathered up a few hilarious blasts-from-the-past covers and a few more recent covers and it got us thinking about how things have changed in swimsuit photography over the years. 

From the discretion of the photos selected for the cover, to the lighting, and the editing- it’s almost hard to believe that it’s even the same magazine. Check out the ten covers below to see what we mean. 

The first ever Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition from 1964.

Holy metallic! We love the sunny, smiley snapshot-y elements of this picture. There’s what seems to be no filter used and minimal editing. 

Bleach blonde and a sunny beach – quintessential SI even before the graces of Christie Brinkley and Heidi Klum. I wish I could track down what camera this was taken on; I love the grainy and slightly overexposed combo. 

Okay, brace yourselves for the following cover:

What? Is? This?

If this above photo left you confused, you aren’t alone. I’m somewhat perplexed as to how this was ever selected as the cover photo. It’s like an awkward paparazzi shot from People Magazine if People Magazine even did paparazzi shots in the 60s. The lighting isn’t good and there’s seemingly no editing as far as our eyes can see. 

I find the above both bizarre and wonderful and I love it. The editing used in the kitsch-y backdrop looks very much its age- old school. 

Alas, the first cover that is recognizable of today’s magazine. There’s strategic lighting and maybe even some prehistoric Photoshop used. What do you guys think? 

Again, no more broad daylight unfiltered snaps. With the texture and glow of the picture, it has what seems to be a nice filter effect. 

The first cover that has clear airbrushing, although done with a very natural effect. 

A night shot with strobe lighting and what we’d guess to be strategic ISO and very minimal editing. 

Holy Photoshop! I really don’t understand this and neither did Lee when this issue came out in 2012 (see his explanation of the editing breakdown here). There are just so many issues here; it’s been Photoshopped into looking like plastic: the chin, the arm, the hair, I could go on. 

Thankfully, the Photoshop has been taken down a notch (or 10) since the 2012 blunder, but I still feel like it’s a little too edited for what I expect from SI. It looks mildly cartoon-esque to me, I much prefer the covers from the 90s and early 2000s for their dewy, natural feel to them.

What are your thoughts on the editing and the style of the covers? Do you like them more every year or do you prefer the less-fuss photos?