How to Change Body Shapes in Photoshop Using the Warp Tool — Dowager's Hump

The dreaded "Dowager's Hump." It's a staple of old age and adds unwanted years to a woman's portrait. It creates a look of "stiff-ness", tension and discomfort — anything but glamourous, right? Work some magic in Photoshop with the warp tool and wazaaam! 90 just became the new 70!

This beautiful woman modeling for us below is Dorothy. She is 92. She collects singing teddy bears, her home is decorated with ornaments saved from her time in India and she has has a fab sense of humor. You can read more about Dorothy's photo shoot here. 

Check out my step-by-step instructions (see images below) on how to change body shapes (like the Dowager's Hump) in Photoshop using the "Warp" Tool.

{My Happiness Project} Intro

Dear Friend,

This month I'm embarking on my very own Happiness Project, inspired by Gretchen Rubin's two books that have rocked my world (and I haven't even finished reading them yet):

1. The Happiness Project
2. Happier at Home

Summary:
spend a year experimenting with how you live your life
so you can learn how to be happier.
Dedicate each month to an aspect of life,
a theme that will guide your research, studies & practice.
See what happens....


 
I've decided to come up with my own monthly themes. Rather than sitting down and forcing myself to come up with a list, I'm letting themes pop into my mind organically. I've been observing my behavior, feelings, reactions etc... and each day I seem to discover a new topic that just feels right, something I need to work on. So far this is my list:

1. September — CELEBRATE

2. October — BELONGING

3. November — LOVING

4. December — FUN

5. January — SIMPLICITY

I'm so excited to get going! I feel like I want to tackle all of these topics at once. Patience, patience....
Focus on the task at hand. Celebration.

When I was a little girl my mom took me to ice cream every Wednesday to celebrate 'Hump Day'.
This first month of my project, September, is dedicated to celebrating so I'm going to start celebrating Hump Day again. Maybe not with ice cream since I'm trying really hard to be a heath-nut but I'll find something equally tasty.

Resolution 1: Celebrate Humpday with Brownies

HAPPY Wednesday lovelies :D

Great Tips for Helping Women Feel Comfortable in Front of the Camera

A few months ago I wrote a blog post and then forgot about it. I found it in the archives tonight.  Better late than never! .... 

I was just photographed... like an hour ago & now I'm happily recovering from the whole experience with jasmine tea & granola. My friend Alena Nieves is starting her boudoir photography business; she needed a model & I needed to experience what it's like to be in front of the camera. OMG sooo much harder than I'd expected. When I'm the photographer behind the camera, I have all my fancy tricks and today I finally appreciate HOW important these little tricks really are.

Here are my little SUPER TIPS!

1) Embrace Your Inner Chatterbox! When I'm taking pictures, I try to talk the whole time — reassuring the woman, coaching her into poses & making subtle adjustments. I want to talk constantly to keep her attention focused on me so it doesn't wander (wandering mind = blank stare instead of super sexy eyes) or worry about how she looks (worried mind = fear & discomfort showing in the face). 

2) Share the Game Plan! I know all about photo shoots and I thought I wouldn't need much direction. Well, the joke's on me as I stood there wondering "what next?" So to all you  photographers: Give your women TOO MUCH INFORMATION.... more information than they need so they know what's happening next. This will make them feel informed = comfortable = happy!

3) Positive Positive Positive Even though you're staring at the back of your camera with frustration & panic. Even though the woman's body looks weird and frumpy. Even though you have no idea what to do next. The women don't need to know that. Keep your poker face and keep working through it. This is NOT to make you look professional, cool, or perfect. This is to keep her relaxed and confident. If she sees you shaking your head at the camera, muttering 'no, that's not good' under your breath, or biting your nails, she's going to instantly blame herself for not being a good enough model. These are your problems to deal with. Keep a brave face on for her during the shoot and then spill your secrets afterwards and laugh about it together. 

BIG CRAZY NEWS — We're Moving to Maui!

Alright my friends..... the decision has been made... tickets have been purchased....

WE ARE MOVING TO HAWAII!!!!!!!!!!

Our ONE WAY flight leaves at 10am on Tues Sept 17th 2013!

We arrive at Kahului airport on Maui at 1pm and our Hawaiian life begins!

A couple weeks ago I wrote a horoscope for myself. I felt like all the planets in the universe were colliding directing over my head — churning up all sorts of crazy emotions, realizations and childhood leftovers. Where was all of this coming from? Well, it seems that in the midst of the cosmic chaos, stars were also aligning in my favor. Listen to me, I sound like Professor Trelawney.  But you know that feeling when you're on the right path and everything falls into place as if it's sprinkled with fairy dust? It's just like that. 

We'd been calculating and deliberating for weeks. I'd applied to 10 jobs in Hawaii and California — no luck. I was getting frustrated and antsy - ready to move and waiting on Miggy to take action. Last Thursday, I had tea with my neighbor Heather. We talked for 4 hours about my options and by the end of the conversation I was empowered and knew what I wanted. My mind was clear and I could take a stance for what I wanted. I had to go home and buy tickets to Maui. California would feel like a compromise - what I really want is a tropical adventure. Why Maui? Because Heather said so and anything Heather says is golden plus, it seems like a nice balance between wilderness & civilization and everyone ravs about it. Heather said, "Go home and buy tickets to Maui."

So 5 minutes later I was at my desk looking at flights. Then I opened a tab for craigslist and searched for jobs on Maui. And there it was, right at the top of the page — a perfect job just for me. 

The ad was offering a full time job as a wedding and portrait photographer in Wailuku, Maui. It included shooting, blogging, album design, slideshows, culling (all the fun stuff). Are you kidding me? What an opportunity! This is nuts — I swear I must have the luck of the fairies :D So I applied, heard back within an hour and accepted the job at the end of my Skype interview. Everything just feel into magical place. What an adventure! WE. ARE. SO. EXCITED. 

So that's the big news my friends. We're moving to Hawaii. Obviously, MUCH MORE to come!!