Transforming a Frown into a Smile

This is a pretty slick technique for taking a photo where the subject is frowning (or is expressionless) and tweaking it just a bit to add a pleasant smile insteadwhich can often save a photo that otherwise would've been ignored.

Step One

Open the photo that you want to retouch.

Step Two

Go under the Filter menu and choose Liquify. When the Liquify dialog appears, choose the Zoom tool (it looks like a magnifying glass) from the Liquify Toolbox (found along the left side of the dialog). Click it once or twice within the preview window to zoom in closer on your subject's face. Then, choose the Warp tool (it's the top tool in Liquify's Toolbox).

Step Three

Press the Left/Right Bracket keys on your keyboard to adjust the brush size until it's about the size of the person's cheek. Place the brush near the corner of the mouth, click and "tug" slightly up. This tugging of the cheek makes the corner of the mouth turn up, creating a smile.

Step Four

Repeat the "tug" on the opposite side of the mouth, using the already tugged side as a visual guide as to how far to tug. Be careful not to tug too far, or you'll turn your subject into the Joker from Batman Returns. Click OK in Liquify to apply the change, and the retouch is applied to your photo.

Before

After