Photoshop Disasters
March 6, 2008 7:20 AM Subscribe
Photoshop Disasters - a showcase for the most egregious examples of Art Direction gone awry. [via mefi projects, some pix nsfw]
How about a NSFW warning?
posted by byronimation at 7:33 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by byronimation at 7:33 AM on March 6, 2008
Wonderful.
(I still find I need a primer on this stuff, so these are perfect...)
posted by Jody Tresidder at 7:47 AM on March 6, 2008
(I still find I need a primer on this stuff, so these are perfect...)
posted by Jody Tresidder at 7:47 AM on March 6, 2008
The Yakuza finger FTW!
posted by tommasz at 7:49 AM on March 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by tommasz at 7:49 AM on March 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
Ah, but it isn't NSFW: all the nipples and buttcracks have been clone-stamped away for your safety and convenience.
posted by ook at 7:51 AM on March 6, 2008 [5 favorites]
posted by ook at 7:51 AM on March 6, 2008 [5 favorites]
This is great.
I wonder, how did they make women look unnatural and gaunt before Photoshop? Good old fashioned starvation?
posted by DU at 7:55 AM on March 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
I wonder, how did they make women look unnatural and gaunt before Photoshop? Good old fashioned starvation?
posted by DU at 7:55 AM on March 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
Hah. This is great...just needs more!
posted by cowbellemoo at 7:58 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by cowbellemoo at 7:58 AM on March 6, 2008
The disembodied hand on the shoulder and the shots without belly buttons made this post a win for me. Then I saw Ashlee Simpson looking like death-warmed-over. Wow.
I admire all the artists that actually have to deal with these images and make them look perfect. It's no wonder some of them go awry, with all the little blemishes, freckles, folds and bulges they have to smoothe over.
posted by misha at 7:59 AM on March 6, 2008
I admire all the artists that actually have to deal with these images and make them look perfect. It's no wonder some of them go awry, with all the little blemishes, freckles, folds and bulges they have to smoothe over.
posted by misha at 7:59 AM on March 6, 2008
This reminds me of one of my favorite mefi posts.
posted by yeti at 8:02 AM on March 6, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by yeti at 8:02 AM on March 6, 2008 [2 favorites]
Best five bucks Cosmo7 ever spent.
The Ann Coulter one is a mindfreak. She does have unnaturally long palms though.
posted by iconomy at 8:05 AM on March 6, 2008
The Ann Coulter one is a mindfreak. She does have unnaturally long palms though.
posted by iconomy at 8:05 AM on March 6, 2008
That's some mighty fine Photoslopping, son.
posted by porn in the woods at 8:06 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by porn in the woods at 8:06 AM on March 6, 2008
Obligatory link to before/after animation of the Faith Hill Redbook cover.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:10 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by Thorzdad at 8:10 AM on March 6, 2008
Some good posts there. It is about time someone compiled these hideously airbrushed movie posters full of glossy, glass eyed zombie actors.
posted by fire&wings at 8:11 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by fire&wings at 8:11 AM on March 6, 2008
After all the posts we've had in the past about the heavy heavy retouching any magazine photo goes through, and seeing the skills of the photoshoppers involved (yes, put to an evil end, but some of the work is very techincally proficient), I for one am happy to see that not everyone is better at Photoshop than me.
posted by echo target at 8:16 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by echo target at 8:16 AM on March 6, 2008
Re NSFW: It's not just naughty bits that make something not safe for work.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:24 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by blue_beetle at 8:24 AM on March 6, 2008
Blue_beetle, the whole concept of NSFW depends entirely on where you work. I can't access proxy sites from work, but I don't demand they be labeled as NSFW.
posted by slimepuppy at 8:34 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by slimepuppy at 8:34 AM on March 6, 2008
Besides, if your boss catches you you can just explain that all the nipples and buttcracks have been clone-stamped away for your safety and convenience. That's certain to work.
This is a second test of your sarcasm detector. If it fails to go off, please take it to your nearest maintenance and service department.
posted by ook at 8:37 AM on March 6, 2008
This is a second test of your sarcasm detector. If it fails to go off, please take it to your nearest maintenance and service department.
posted by ook at 8:37 AM on March 6, 2008
Great post. And another vote for NSFW.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:47 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:47 AM on March 6, 2008
My daughter has this poster on her wall and whenever I look at it I can't help but think that young Chad's right arm is terribly broken just below where Hilary is grasping his shoulder.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 8:49 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by Turtles all the way down at 8:49 AM on March 6, 2008
You know how sound engineers like to try to sneak the Wilhelm into movies that they are working on? I like to believe that photoshop graphics people are trying to start their own version of this, just with severed body parts instead.
posted by quin at 8:55 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by quin at 8:55 AM on March 6, 2008
I almost posted this over in the Paul Raymond obit posting: way back in the 90s, I found some Paul Raymond men's mags where, for whatever reason (possibly due to the country where they were intended to be published?), each instance of an anus had been Photoshopped (or, given the year, possibly just airbrushed) out. All the other feminine pink spots were still there. It was very odd, and more than a little disturbing. I still sometimes wonder what the intended effect was, and whether it proved counter-productive in whatever country it was intended for.
posted by kimota at 9:01 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by kimota at 9:01 AM on March 6, 2008
I love the first one...what exactly was the artist planning to do with the severed head, before he so obviously got distracted? Was he planning on removing the rest of the body as well? Replacing the head with somebody else's? Or was the body only 7/8ths of the way into being introduced into the shot? I can't even think of a plausible answer to any of these questions. It's all wrong.
posted by iamkimiam at 9:04 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by iamkimiam at 9:04 AM on March 6, 2008
What's wrong with the Over Her Dead Body one?
posted by Doofus Magoo at 9:12 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by Doofus Magoo at 9:12 AM on March 6, 2008
What's wrong with the Over Her Dead Body one?
"Eva Longoria's gravity-defying, anatomically incorrect disaster of a pose"
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:20 AM on March 6, 2008
"Eva Longoria's gravity-defying, anatomically incorrect disaster of a pose"
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:20 AM on March 6, 2008
her spine is in a weird shape, her hips don't touch what she's laying on, and her breasts are simply impossibly positioned, sort of lifting sideways.
posted by shmegegge at 9:28 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by shmegegge at 9:28 AM on March 6, 2008
Hi every one. After ten years or so I finally delurk! The last time I tried to join Mefi the membership rolls were closed.
Thanks for all the kind comments. I did make a decision at the start of this project to be SFW; all of the images are from mainstream media. I sincerely hope that no one confuses this with pornography.
Thanks also for the suggestions!
posted by Cosmo7 at 9:29 AM on March 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
Thanks for all the kind comments. I did make a decision at the start of this project to be SFW; all of the images are from mainstream media. I sincerely hope that no one confuses this with pornography.
Thanks also for the suggestions!
posted by Cosmo7 at 9:29 AM on March 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
Also, her head's definitely been photoshopped into place. The hair isn't hanging at the right angle for someone lying down, and the fist in her hair is fuzzy from trying to blend it into place. That whole arm looks out of proportion with the other one.
posted by iconomy at 9:30 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by iconomy at 9:30 AM on March 6, 2008
If you are of a certain age (such as myself) you may have had the honor to have watched old-school photo-retouchers work their craft. The guys who, armed with airbrushes, single-hair brushes, dyes, and paints, were able to perform some quite amazing transformations without the use of digital gadgetry.
The Photoshop disasters seem even more egregious when viewed from this historical perspective.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:31 AM on March 6, 2008 [4 favorites]
The Photoshop disasters seem even more egregious when viewed from this historical perspective.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:31 AM on March 6, 2008 [4 favorites]
I don't see where the first one is Photoshopped. The seated guy has his head tilted back, so it's partially occluded by the shooter's foot, but they both definitely have heads.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:34 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:34 AM on March 6, 2008
My favourite is the bathroom tile problem. Without that clue I would have believed the image. Note to model photographers: no straight lines in the background, please. No pattern either. Really, just photo on a bluescreen. We'll take care of the rest.
posted by Nelson at 9:36 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by Nelson at 9:36 AM on March 6, 2008
Some of these are stretches on the part of the compiler. The Kelly Osbourne one, for example. Sure, the poster has been retouched, but the kid did get more fit in the interim between the bloat pic and the promotion.
And some of these are lazily included, like the Eva Longoria one. Listing at least one specific call-out other than the green screen pose at top would have given it so much more.
All up: some of these are great finds. They'd stand out more if they weren't also trying to out-snark themselves.
posted by batmonkey at 9:41 AM on March 6, 2008
And some of these are lazily included, like the Eva Longoria one. Listing at least one specific call-out other than the green screen pose at top would have given it so much more.
All up: some of these are great finds. They'd stand out more if they weren't also trying to out-snark themselves.
posted by batmonkey at 9:41 AM on March 6, 2008
Coulter looks like she's been caught at the start of her werewolf transformation....
The Buffy one looks so artificial it may as well be the front page of the spin-off comic.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:46 AM on March 6, 2008
The Buffy one looks so artificial it may as well be the front page of the spin-off comic.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:46 AM on March 6, 2008
Coulter looks like she's been caught at the start of her werewolf transformation....
We call that "Thursday".
posted by gimonca at 9:58 AM on March 6, 2008 [4 favorites]
We call that "Thursday".
posted by gimonca at 9:58 AM on March 6, 2008 [4 favorites]
Yeah, in the basketball picture, the guy's head is there. If you look closely, you can see the line of his neck tilting back--he's looking up at the basket.
posted by EarBucket at 10:11 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by EarBucket at 10:11 AM on March 6, 2008
Almost all of these are photos of women. Kind of telling.
posted by Mister_A at 10:11 AM on March 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Mister_A at 10:11 AM on March 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
"Puss out." Is that puss as in abbreviation of pussy? I read it as the bodily fluid (ew) - only just thought of the other possibility as I was about to type.
We say wuss, in Oz. Possibly you crazy 'Mericans and Europeans say it too? Wuss as in rhymes with the 1st syllable of pussy.
Er, anyway, if they're gonna pic on Eva Longoria's 'shop job, then they may as well pic on just about every other poster and magazine cover of a lady. It didn't seem a standout example for mine.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 10:50 AM on March 6, 2008
We say wuss, in Oz. Possibly you crazy 'Mericans and Europeans say it too? Wuss as in rhymes with the 1st syllable of pussy.
Er, anyway, if they're gonna pic on Eva Longoria's 'shop job, then they may as well pic on just about every other poster and magazine cover of a lady. It didn't seem a standout example for mine.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 10:50 AM on March 6, 2008
OK, seriously, is this poster even *supposed* to look like a photo? It can't, right? It's like a really bad drawing.
posted by tristeza at 11:07 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by tristeza at 11:07 AM on March 6, 2008
Cosmo7: I initially came here to ask you to turn off comments on your blog, or at least anonymous comments, because they were seriously obnoxious. But actually, the more I read them, and the stuffier and offended the comments become, the more I'm enjoying them.
posted by Ian A.T. at 11:42 AM on March 6, 2008
posted by Ian A.T. at 11:42 AM on March 6, 2008
Here's what I think the Sports Illustrated artist was trying to accomplish before that pesky deadline hit.
posted by dgaicun at 12:14 PM on March 6, 2008
posted by dgaicun at 12:14 PM on March 6, 2008
This is effectively the photographic nerds equivalent of spotting continuity goofs in movies... Cool stuff.
posted by benzo8 at 1:14 PM on March 6, 2008
posted by benzo8 at 1:14 PM on March 6, 2008
OK, seriously, is this poster even *supposed* to look like a photo? It can't, right? It's like a really bad drawing.
To me it looks more like a really unimaginative logo turned on its side.
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:56 PM on March 6, 2008
To me it looks more like a really unimaginative logo turned on its side.
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:56 PM on March 6, 2008
And there's no way I'm not linking this once more. Safe for work, but you'll never sleep right again.
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:59 PM on March 6, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:59 PM on March 6, 2008 [3 favorites]
Becky has a special "dead eyes" filter for that, right?
posted by InfidelZombie at 2:07 PM on March 6, 2008
posted by InfidelZombie at 2:07 PM on March 6, 2008
Britain's Royal Opera House has agreed to stop using a picture in its advertisements after an actor complained his penis had been airbrushed out of a nude image.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:09 PM on March 6, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:09 PM on March 6, 2008 [2 favorites]
InfidelZombie: you'd be the expert on that, right?
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:09 PM on March 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:09 PM on March 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
tristeza: OK, seriously, is this poster even *supposed* to look like a photo? It can't, right? It's like a really bad drawing.
UbuRoivas: To me it looks more like a really unimaginative logo turned on its side.
Tch... kids today.
posted by Auz at 2:20 PM on March 6, 2008
UbuRoivas: To me it looks more like a really unimaginative logo turned on its side.
Tch... kids today.
posted by Auz at 2:20 PM on March 6, 2008
tristeza: OK, seriously, is this poster even *supposed* to look like a photo? It can't, right? It's like a really bad drawing.
UbuRoivas: To me it looks more like a really unimaginative logo turned on its side.
Auz: Tch... kids today.
Yes, but the dude's muscles are still messed up. Not John Lennon. That Dane whatshisface.
posted by Xere at 4:16 PM on March 6, 2008
UbuRoivas: To me it looks more like a really unimaginative logo turned on its side.
Auz: Tch... kids today.
Yes, but the dude's muscles are still messed up. Not John Lennon. That Dane whatshisface.
posted by Xere at 4:16 PM on March 6, 2008
Tch... kids today.
Even allowing that the link worked for you, and you assumed he was referring to the poster (instead of a broken link graphic), and you assumed he meant that Dane Cook looked like "an unimaginative logo turned on its side" ... what about even that interpretation of the comment implies an ignorance of that cultural reference? Would anyone truly familiar with that image never undervalue it by likening it or its phoned-in derivatives to a substandard rotated logo? Please elaborate.
posted by dgaicun at 5:37 PM on March 6, 2008
Even allowing that the link worked for you, and you assumed he was referring to the poster (instead of a broken link graphic), and you assumed he meant that Dane Cook looked like "an unimaginative logo turned on its side" ... what about even that interpretation of the comment implies an ignorance of that cultural reference? Would anyone truly familiar with that image never undervalue it by likening it or its phoned-in derivatives to a substandard rotated logo? Please elaborate.
posted by dgaicun at 5:37 PM on March 6, 2008
Finally, I understand what was going on.
I was having real trouble understanding the connection between John & Yoko, and this.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:50 PM on March 6, 2008
I was having real trouble understanding the connection between John & Yoko, and this.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:50 PM on March 6, 2008
"Even allowing that the link worked for you, and you assumed he was referring to the poster (instead of a broken link graphic), and you assumed he meant that Dane Cook looked like "an unimaginative logo turned on its side" ... what about even that interpretation of the comment implies an ignorance of that cultural reference? Would anyone truly familiar with that image never undervalue it by likening it or its phoned-in derivatives to a substandard rotated logo? Please elaborate."
I think you assume things too much.
posted by Auz at 5:44 AM on March 9, 2008
I think you assume things too much.
posted by Auz at 5:44 AM on March 9, 2008
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posted by slimepuppy at 7:32 AM on March 6, 2008 [2 favorites]