Make Katie Couric Thinner

Alter Katie Couric's photo just as the CBS people did

 

1. Download this Katie Couric side-by-side photo to your desktop--notice anything strange?

Katie Couric Photoshop

(Image accessed from http://sayanythingblog.com/2006/08/29/the_photoshop_diet on 8/30/06)

 

2. Open the picture in Photoshop.

 

3. Zoom in (View-->Zoom In from the menu at the top of the screen) once or twice to make it easier to see.

 

4. Select the Lasso Tool:

Lasso Tool

 

 

 

5. Using the Lasso Tool, select the "left Katie's" body and neck just below the chin.

Hold down the mouse button and keep it down as you draw a line all the way around Katie's body (except for her head).

Include some background on both sides of the body when you make your selection--that way, when you shrink her body, you won't be able to see her original body underneath.
 

 

6. Copy, then Paste.

It will appear that nothing happens when you paste; don't worry about that. Photoshop just created another layer over the regular picture with the pasted body on it.

You can see the new layer by looking at the bottom-right corner of your screen.

Question--why did it make a new layer now, and not when I copied-and-pasted on the other image? Photoshop only makes a new layer when pasting on images with millions of colors. The blimp image had only 256 colors.

 

7. Click on Edit-->Free Transform from the top menu.

Move the left and right sizing handles until the new body looks the way you want. When you're happy, double-click on the center.

           

8. Use the smudge tool to blur the edges of your paste:

The smudge tool looks like a finger pointing. It's on the toolbar on the left--you might have to right-click on the blur tool to see and select it::

smudge tool menu

 

You can adjust the size and brush at the top just the same way you did with the Clone Stamp.

After you've selected the smudge tool, move the mouse while holding the mouse button down to blur the border between your pasted body and the background.

Remember that you can click on Edit-->Undo or Edit-->Step Backward if you screw up.

 

9. When you're happy, save the file on your desktop under a different name.