No matter how often the huge number of professional Photoshop screw-ups are pointed out to a very amused world, more just keep cropping up. Why is this phenomenon still going strong? Short deadlines are a sure cause, along with this very powerful photo manipulation tool being put into the hands of less-than-experienced graphic designers. But let’s not forget the last-minute change of instructions from a client that results in a highly unusual finished product. For all of these reasons and more, we have an endless source of hilarious Photoshop blunders upon which to feast our eyes.
Legendary Editing Fail
(images via: Engadget)
When the top image appeared on Microsoft’s US site, it was mostly ignored as another boring piece of corporate marketing photography. When the bottom image appeared on Microsoft’s Polish site with the African-American gentleman’s head (but not hand) clumsily replaced, everyone noticed. Microsoft quickly took down the offending photo and make a public apology for the apparent racism…but not for their complete lack of Photoshopping skills.
Incomprehensible Anatomy
(image via: Photoshop Disasters)
If you squint and tilt your head – and then forget everything you know about human anatomy – you might see that the two missing legs in this picture are cleverly concealed by the coats on the bench. (The bench, incidentally, looks very sophisticated in this home of four-foot-tall people.) But for those of us who are unable to use our imaginations, it’s obvious that this is a portrait of a loving legless father sitting with his daughter who, due to some freak elementary school science-class accident, has one tiny leg and one (slightly damaged) adult leg.
Another Baby for Brangelina?
(image via: Photoshop Disasters)
We all knew that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had a whole mess of kids, but the last time we looked there was only one Zahara. InTouch Germany broke the story that the couple actually have twin Zaharas, both of whom can be seen here on a rare outing with their family.
Dominos Uses Anne Boleyn as Model
(images via: Slice.SeriousEats)
Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII’s second wife, was said to have six fingers on one hand. Domino’s must be a big English history fan, because they used a six-fingered model for their special “American Idol” pizza boxes. How very worldly of them!
Foot Envy
(image via: Photoshop Mistakes)
When Maxim featured the lovely Jennifer Love Hewitt in their May 2009 issue, they apparently felt the TV star’s feet needed a bit of retouching. They simply didn’t look cartoony enough in the original pictures. Their crack team of retouchers took care of that, though, then threw in some improbable shadows and neglected to add Jen’s reflection in the water for good measure.
First Class Fail
(image via: Photoshop Disasters)
This airline would like you to know that they fly to exotic locations. And your adventure begins before you even leave the plane, because there is no landing gear in the front. Passengers are expected to parachute out from a safe distance, because this plane isn’t coming down anytime soon.
Confusing, and Slightly Disturbing
(image via: Photoshop Disasters)
There is just not one thing right about this Coke ad. From the clumsy crop lines to the half-missing grill to the fact that the woman appears to be surgically connected to the bottom half of the seated man’s leg, this is one of the most truly terrible pieces of professional Photoshopping the world has ever seen.
Failure of Presidential Proportions
(image via: Jezebel)
Not all Photoshop failures are so glaringly obvious. Sometimes you just get a sense of overall wrongness about an image. Take this magazine cover picture of the U.S. First Lady, Michelle Obama for example. She’s a beautiful woman, but apparently the photo editors at Good Housekeeping felt she needed a little facelift. Unfortunately, no one taught them how to decide that enough is enough, and Barack’s wife turned out looking more than a little cartoonish.
Something Fishy About that Furniture
(image via: Sears)
“For Sale: Amazing Gravity-Free Vampire Patio Furniture! Won’t scuff up your floors OR leave a shadow!”
Curious Clothing and Perplexing Purses
(images via: Photoshop Mistakes and Photoshop Disasters)
In two separate feats of Photoshop magic, Victoria’s Secret have managed to make almost half of a lovely long pink sweater and nearly all of a woman’s handbag disappear.
Thrown Together
(image via: Jezebel)
Surely there’s nothing amiss in a photograph of four beautiful actresses! Several different light sources, not-quite-right shadows and a heavy-handed airbrusher make these lovely ladies look like they were all standing in separate universes to have their pictures taken, then as an afterthought someone stitched them together.
Raising the Bar
(image via: Photoshop Mistakes)
Apparently, having a nude Nia Long simply wasn’t racy enough for Peta’s “I’d Rather Go Naked” ad campaign. But not to worry – their master graphic designers simply plopped her into a fake train car background and invented a handrail for her to wrap herself around. Problem solved!
Anatomy Lesson
(image via: Jezebel)
Crystal Renn is a beautiful plus-size model with a womanly figure. Seen here in a Lane Bryant ad, though, she looks a bit off-kilter. Specifically, her belly button is all the way over there, above her right hip. Whether someone got a little too happy with the liquefy tool or her body parts were pasted together from several photographs, there’s definitely something off-center about this photo.
