The luminous skin Photoshop technique, which, by the way, Bossy has not yet perfected.
Bossy thinks no one does it better than Heather Armstrong, who, when processing her photos, routinely creates an alabaster daughter.
Bossy likes her daughters alabaster, and so she has been experimenting with photoshop layers such as screen and multiply, and experimenting with various ways of masking those layers so the technique only applies to the desired areas.
Here is a before and after of the photo in question, and hello friday morning legalese!
Can you even tell the difference? Is it worth it? Back to the drawing board.
psjdp says
February 13, 2009 at 8:50 amExactly what I hate about phony digital photography (and digital music too, but I won’t pontificate about that now). One never knows if a photo is “real” or manipulated. Imagine if Ansel Adams had photoshopped the clouds.
MariaV says
February 13, 2009 at 8:53 amSeen side by side, I prefer the before. The after looks overexposed to me.
Joie says
February 13, 2009 at 9:23 amShe is already alabaster. Beautiful, beautiful girl.
MidLifeMama says
February 13, 2009 at 9:33 amI don’t know about Heather Armstrong’s photos, but in this example, you lost some of the detail when you alabastered Bossy’s daughter. They are both beeeautiful, but the first one gives more detail.
Lauren says
February 13, 2009 at 9:50 amThis is so cool!! Your alabaster daughter is purrrrrrrty! I love Photoshop.
rikki says
February 13, 2009 at 9:53 amBoth are gorgeous. (Whoo, thanks for your awesome input Rikki. You have clearly helped Bossy choose a direction. Dumbass.).
imom says
February 13, 2009 at 10:03 amYou have mastered more of photoshop than I have! That’s not saying much since I don’t know how to use it at all! Both pictures are pretty, but I like the first one better. Looks more natural to me.
Asthmagirl says
February 13, 2009 at 10:04 amI like both as well. However the after is clearly headed in the “alabaster” direction. I think if you went much further and took the “rose” out of her cheeks it would look over exposed.
She’s lovely as always!
Cheri @ Blog This Mom! says
February 13, 2009 at 10:04 amSo so lovely.
I am inspired to email you a photo. You’ll see why.
XOXO
pamela says
February 13, 2009 at 10:21 amBossy’s daughter is perfection.
dgm says
February 13, 2009 at 10:22 amOf course Bossy’s Daughter is lovely any way you look at her. I vote for the before pic as well, though. Too much of teh alabaster looks ghostly to me. Which is to say pasty. (But then again, my perspective is skewed because I’m of the brown-skinned persuasion.)
Cat says
February 13, 2009 at 10:40 amII see Pajama Bottom Girl has moved on to wearing pajama tops as well.. The is a blogger called Bethany Actually who takes the most stunningly beautiful pictures of her daughter. I wish she’d come over and take some of mine.
Heather R says
February 13, 2009 at 10:40 amAt least Bossy has Photoshop, and can develop Photoshop skills… I work with paint.net (hello poverty party!), which does not have a luminous skin option.
abby says
February 13, 2009 at 10:41 amI dunno about the alabaster daughter part, but as a flannel jammy connoisseur, i applaud the pink ice skating elephants!
kerry says
February 13, 2009 at 10:55 amAlabaster or not, your daughter is gorgeous! I will say though, I prefer the before- more natural and she’s got lovely rosy cheeks!
Kathy from NJ says
February 13, 2009 at 11:27 amBoxxy’s daughter is beautiful just the way she is. Don’t mess with perfection.
Smalltown Mom says
February 13, 2009 at 11:43 amBossy’s daughter is perfect either way, but I prefer the before. Because it’s real.
rebekah says
February 13, 2009 at 12:44 pmThis effect is creepy. See Tim Burton’s remake of Willy Wonka…It looks like the rapture is about to take her. Eek!
Lisa says
February 13, 2009 at 12:47 pmMy daughter has beautiful skin….like a china doll and I love it. She doesn’t like it. She wants to be all bronzey and tan. Tanning just made me all wrinkly and dry…..
Elsewhere says
February 13, 2009 at 12:51 pmHa! I guessed before I pressed and I was right!
(and btw, the before picture is way more beautiful, stop fooling around with photoshop and take more cloudpictures)
Windy says
February 13, 2009 at 1:12 pmI have those pajamas… I’m 35. Is that a bad thing?
Zandor says
February 13, 2009 at 1:14 pmI like the before picture better, but they both look good.
Momo Fali says
February 13, 2009 at 1:37 pmThe prosecution rests. That picture looks spectacular.
Fabs says
February 13, 2009 at 2:04 pmI prefer the original photo!
Andrea's Sweet Life says
February 13, 2009 at 2:39 pmI’m always blown away by Heather’s photos of Leta, but I didn’t realize they’d been “alabastered” (is that a word?). Little Miss Sunshine looks beautiful as-is, but what better subject to practice photo shop skills?
One of these days I’ll get me one of them thar photo shops.
Wendy says
February 13, 2009 at 4:15 pmCall me crazy, but I really like the 2nd one best…
Say What? says
February 13, 2009 at 4:37 pmBossy’s daughter looks goh-jus in any color!
And those pj’s rock!!
Amysprite says
February 13, 2009 at 4:38 pmScreen is my absolute most favorite Photoshop trick to making every slightly underexposed photo look fabulous. You can even rescue a horrendously dark one with it. I never called it the “Alabaster skin” trick, but It has more of a ring to it that “Oooh! ooooh! I just used screen!”
julie says
February 13, 2009 at 5:31 pmPersonally I think the alabaster ones (especially Heathers) look over-exposed. Like, if I accidentally get a shot like that on my crummy point-and-shoot camera I complain that it’s washed out. I love texture in a photo. I like to see the little peach fuzz hairs on my son’s plump cheeks to where I want to nibble on the photo.
Now, I’m not a photo-savvy person by any means, so my opinion is of little value, but I would vote for the “real” photo. yes I can see the difference, but I prefer the original.
JenKneeBee says
February 13, 2009 at 5:45 pmI’m not usually a huge fan of this technique in photoshop, but I think you do a great job of keeping some detail while making the skin luminous.
jandondi says
February 13, 2009 at 6:46 pmNO. Not worth it. Only on bossys mom, who really really really needs it.
jandondi says
February 13, 2009 at 6:50 pmI am SO with what #1 said. Right the hell on.
except for bossys mom, and she should be photoshopped within an inch of her life.
cactus Petunia says
February 13, 2009 at 7:12 pmBossy’s daughter has beautiful skin because her loveliness comes from inside…and Photoshop’s got nothin’ to do with it!
nellie says
February 13, 2009 at 7:51 pmI *love* your photos so much more than Dooce’s. Her’s are so obviously reworked that they’ve stopped being family pics and are only art pics for her blog.
Gigi says
February 13, 2009 at 8:18 pmHer complexion is so pretty she needs NO photoshopping. Oh, to be young and luminous….
Lesley says
February 13, 2009 at 9:26 pmI can see the difference in the luminosity. But the “pretty” of Miss Bossy’s daughter? It is equally lovely in both versions.
Lesley says
February 13, 2009 at 9:28 pmOh: And I must chime in to agree that I have ALWAYS loved the look of your photos much more than those posted on Dooce. Yours are filled with such warm tones (as opposed to the more “cool” visuals on Dooce) and while both are nice, my particular taste just prefers the warm and cozy.
Maria says
February 13, 2009 at 9:36 pmI want alabaster….does photoshop do “Make old sagging double chin look brand new like baby’s bottom” effect? It must. If it does, I want it.
HAGERDASH says
February 14, 2009 at 1:52 amI’m sick . . .
. . . of Botox and Desperately Seeking Perfection and Sarah Jessica Parker and her forever faux locks and people who parade their children around like little Barbie princesses.
Which you don’t, Bossy.
I love your daughter just the way she is, and you and your Dane and your son’s winter coat.
Imperfection and is the new perfection. I mean, really.
Bossy\'s Friend Martha\'s Sister says
February 14, 2009 at 7:54 amcute pajama girl!
The Domestic Goddess says
February 14, 2009 at 1:38 pmI don’t know…I like them both because I HAVE THE SAME PJS!!!
martha says
February 14, 2009 at 1:48 pmThe first one is waaay better. Your daughter doesn’t need fancy tricks. She is awesome alabaster au-naturale.
Matha
Stephanie says
February 14, 2009 at 5:31 pmI agree, first photo is better.
second looks over-exposed.
Bossy’s daughter is lovely without photoshop.
caleal says
February 14, 2009 at 5:57 pmBossy’s Daughter is gorgeous without photoshop. Alabaster daughters scare me…
But, uh, I could use some alabastering. So if you need someone to practice on, you could Alabaster me all day Bossy.
I think that may have come out wrong.
amy says
February 14, 2009 at 9:27 pmAhh I agree, to be young and have completely gorgeous skin! She is lovely.. I could use some alabastering though.
Really? Leta has been worked over consistently? For shame!
Bush Babe of Granite Glen says
February 15, 2009 at 1:34 amShe is lovely… and while I do admire HA’s photo work, I like your style just the way it is. It’ll give her a complex if you need to ‘blast it before you plaster it’ on the blog.
BB
dawny dee says
February 16, 2009 at 12:28 pmi like them both (how can you go wrong with that grogeous face) although the second has a bit of a radioactive glow to it. i didnt know alabaster could do that.
Unemployed Susan says
February 17, 2009 at 5:51 pmI know a certain unemployed, post menopausal, largely decaffeinated almost 49 year old suburban mommy with a potty mouth that could use a little alabasterin’.