I just met with a bride tonight about her album. She really loves this image and wants it in the book, but she said her mom abhors how her stomach looks and will throw a fit if it is included "as is."

I don't have the option of cropping her stomach out because it would also force me to crop out their hand squeezing. So, how can I fix fix her little tummy buldge? It's not bad AT ALL; mom is just super picky....

I've no idea how to "liquify" something, or if that could even be used here.

Any thoughts???

How is this?

Could be better with more attention to detail but--

Select her tummy area with feather at 20.

Then go to filter-- distort--pinch. Use a little clone stamp to touch up.

She should have chosen a better dress lol

I would try using liquify --the pucker tool.

I tested your image and it does improve quite a bit.

Here's my quick shot at it...

Wow you guys! You're fast, and that is a great improvement! Oh how I wish I had more advanced photoshop skills! Perhaps something to tackle during the winter's slower months....

Okay, so Chelo, I'm not sure what you mean when you say to select the image with feather at 20. Autumn, is that what you did??? It looks great!

David....NO KIDDING! She couldn't have chosen a dress that would be any less forgiving. I spent most of the day wondering "Why...???" I wouldn't have worn it myself.

*edit - okay, I just figured out how to select with feather at 20. When you say "tummy area," are you saying to select her whole waist on both sides?? Sorry, this is new to me.

haha! Sounds like a case for spanks!

Autumn's version is much smoother but I took the rectangular marquee tool and feathered it at 20... Once you select this tool you'll see an option to feather at the top.

Plug in 20 and you're ready to go. Basically it rounds the edges of your selection to make the adjustments look smoother.

I tried the liquify tool like David suggested and it worked pretty well too. You have a ton of options since her tummy has a nice clean area of space around it.

Before doing the liquify take a minute or three and learn how to use the freeze tool to mask the parts you don't' want to affect. It's what really makes the liquify tool work so well.

Oh boy....yes, I have a LOT to learn. So, where is this "freeze" tool located...?



Okay Autumn! You win!! What did you do and how can I replicate it?? I played around with the pinch tool and can't get mine to look nearly as good as yours.... Not only did you take out buldge on both sides of her tummy, but you also managed to reduce the bulky look in the middle of her tummy above those pleats!!

Melanie-

Nevermind the tummy, this is an awesome storytelling shot. I LOVE it, no wonder they want it!

ps... while you're at it, I would smooth out her arm too. It look a little blotchy (cellulite-y)... If she;s picky about her tummy, I would bet she would be picky about that?

and smooth the dress in the ...uh....nippular area.

Thanky you, Meredith! I wish I could take credit for the image, but I can't. My second shooter grabbed this one.

Yes, you are right about her arm. I will give some attention to it was well. Thanks for pointing it out!



HAHA...yeah....I've debated about that one. What you're seeing are actually pleats in that particular area...very unfortunate pleats. You think I shoudl just remove them altogether?

It took me all of maybe 2 minutes total. I opened in PS, went to Filter>Liquify and zoomed in on the problem area. Used the pinch tool and just tapped my pen on the tablet lightly over and over until I got it where I liked it. Then exited Liquify and hit save. If you send me the full res I'd be happy to do it on that one. autumnthomes at g mail dot com.

I don't usually, but these are very unfortunate pleats....

Sending it!! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!



yeah.....

Melanie,

I am not necessarily an expert, but if you are ever in Dallas with time to kill, I'd be glad to share with you what I do know about Photoshop, I've been using it around 6 yrs. You already got lots of help here, but I'm always happy to pass on my knowledge.

Brandi, that sounds awesome! I will totally take you up on that. I'm in Dallas constantly (here right now, leaving tomorrow, returning on Thursday, leaving again on Sunday....). And I DO usually have a bit of time to kill when I'm here. I'll let you know when I am next here for a few days!! Plus, I've been wanting to hook up with you anyway!

People should take the photographer WITH THEM when they go shopping for the dresses. And I've yet to meet a mob or mog that belongs in strapless ANYthing, especially at a wedding where people will be taking a million pictures.

I

just

don't

get

it.

WOMEN UNITE. We have a responsibility to educate mog's and mob's about what not to wear!!!

AMEN!!!

Think we could turn this into a reality show...?

"What not to be Photographed In"
"The Photographer's Guide to Style"
"How Do I Look... In Photos?"

Teehee.. Uh, can you tell that fashion themed TV shows are what I watch?

See, I would be losing sleep over the fact that all those people at that wedding actually saw me in that dress, will remember how horrible I looked, and then laugh at the liquified album picture that makes me look sorta skinnier. Oh puhleeze. Is there really any fixing of that dress? I don't think so. The damage was DONE when she walked out of the dressing room.

Don't get me wrong. It really is a cool picture! I love the MOMENT. That's awesome! It's just that...THAT DRESS...is there anything that's good about it? I shudder to think what it must have looked like from the *gasp* back.

And the *gasp* side.

And, oh heavens, don't look down on her from the *gasp* top either.

What kind of snarky sales lady sold her that? FIRE HER GREEDY BUTT.

I hope you're charging the client for the ps work. Seriously. And you should charge her a LOT. How much did the dress cost, you think? Charge her triple what the dress cost. By the way, you guys that are doing the ps work on this are fantastic! We should all walk around as holograms, getting ps-liquified as we go and eating as many chocolate chip cookies as we want.

Be careful. Cient's CAN find these posts.

I'm not saying you are wrong, the dress is less than flattering, but.....

OP (original poster) can ask Matt to move this thread to the clients section so it's not viewable by guests or searchable.

And oh yeah, that dress is just screaming "look at me"... interesting choice for her daughter's wedding...

Ok Ginger, the dress was inconsistant as to form for photographical pursuits on the day in question.

have you taken like comedy pills lately, cause your just too funneh!

oh i soooo wish we could talk about how guests choose to dress for weddings - i think its psychological. i wish i could post pics. jogging suits, bed slippers, jeans, and dresses that make the girl look like she is 5 pounds of sugar in a 2 pound bag.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&clie...art=40&sa=N

page 5 and second post down.

google works fast eh.

See if this works:

Click to view attachment

Of course, now you'll have to call a carpenter to fix the moulding.

Okay, this thread is just cracking me up.... it's like, did the woman not look in the mirror before she picked her dress? When her daughter hired a photographer, she didn't pack a magic wand in that camera (though we all know Photoshop does indeed have this tool)...

Haha...good luck girl - it is a fun shot!

What's wrong with the moulding?

I just had to have a play


Lol, just noticed, with the reduction of the stomach, the filesize went down!

HA- Tami, you are so right. this cracks me up atleast once every weekend. This past weekend I saw a great combo: red and white cowboy boots + dressy skirt and blouse (light blue) + green zip up hoodie sweatshirt= ??? I also saw someone wearing what appeared to b a headband from a flapper halloween costume (with sequins and feathers) as a real part of an outfit. she looked like a gypsy hooker.

you're comment about 5lbs of sugar in a 2lb bag made me think of that line from steel magnolia's where they are talking at the wedding about how wrong it is for that lady to not be wearing a girdle and when she is dancing it looks like "two pigs wresting under a blanket"

kate

It never ceases to amaze me--you are right, there is at least one at every wedding.

yup! at least....

I hav some horrible guest pictures. we all could make a book, I'm sure...

Most of the time, people dress nicely for the occasion, here in the UK.

Unfortunately, our bugbear is pink cerise. You can lay money on at least one person (usually the mother of the groom) to wear a bright cerise pink hat, coat or god forbid a skirt!

It's gotten so bad, I have bets with my assistant who is going to be wearing it!