From Requests To Regrets: 35 Misadventures Of The Photoshop Troll And His Unwitting Victims

A century ago, once a picture was taken, there was no way to alternate it. If you didn’t like the result, you had no choice but to return to the photographer. Nowadays, it is easier to make changes. Acne-riddled skin can be made flawless and poreless, a few pounds can be shed, and curves added to the right places in less than a day, thanks to experts in photo editing and their tools.

James Fridman is a Photoshop master who often takes edit requests quite literally. The graphic designer from England is known for taking photo-alteration requests on Twitter and responding to them in a hilariously different way than intended and has delivered some of the best photo editing “fails.” You’ll understand what we’re saying after looking at the photos below. And if you’re already Fridman’s fan, you must be anxious to get scrolling!

17 to 71 real quick

Come on. We can’t hold the young lady accountable for this picture. Give her a break. She’s just 17! She must have been so happy at the moment, which made her not notice that she was holding the one backward. Anyways, James is always there to help.

But, James isn’t the only person available for help. The girl could’ve literally gone to anybody. Since she went to James, wanting to reverse the one, he gave her what she asked for – in his way. She’s now 71. On that note, happy 17th or 71st, Brinley!

That’s an Easter egg

The first part of the story is pretty normal. Ezgi wanted to take a good photo for a profile picture, but her friend weirdly photobombed it. Do you know what else Ezgi could’ve done? Snapped another pic! How long does it take?

Instead, she chose to let herself be trolled and went to the person who intentionally misinterprets people’s requests. That also would’ve been pretty fine and also a laughable memory. But didn’t she mention that she needs it because it’s a profile pic? Now, imagine the second image on her LinkedIn profile or any other formal platform!

Wrong request

Liam, if you are reading this article, we must tell you something. James Fridman is a graphic designer who uses Photoshop. He is not a professional photographer who can change angles. Liam clearly got what was coming to him. 

And obviously, that wasn’t the angle Liam or anybody else would’ve wanted, right? Photoshop can do wonders, but not miracles. Perhaps next time, he might not even leave the faces and end up cropping everybody out and adding the chandelier.

Take a chill pill

The teen actually looks pretty chilled in the second pic. Here’s our question to all the teens today. Why aren’t you ever happy with a regular and beautiful backdrop? Why does it always have to be something “cool,” like a club or a mall? We’re so glad James helped her.

She must have frozen with shock after looking at this picture! (See what we did there?) However, we hope she feels happy now that she is in a cool place with a cool background that’s not the lake because a freezer is where the cool kids hang out.

Dressed inappropriately for the occasion

It’s not necessary to guess why Muhammad was taking this photo, but it looks like the place he’s submitting his photo to has some strict guidelines about tie colors. We also have to wonder what’s so bad about a burgundy tie. It looks pretty good.

We feel that James went overboard here, but we love the result. It’s visible that he has pretty much exchanged the colors of the blazer and the tie. But we don’t know what’s Muhammad’s plan now since he looks like The Weeknd’s band member.

Pretty deep under the water

What has happened to senior pictures these days? You might call us old-fashioned, and it’s also true that it has been a while since we were in school, but we can say one thing for sure: floating in a lake that looks like black dirt wasn’t the fad back in the day.

It doesn’t even look like a senior picture. Instead, it looks like a Netflix horror/crime series cover photo. She’s definitely underwater now. It still looks like a cover photo for a horror series, but this one looks like it’s from the 80s. It also looks like the thumbnail of a parody video.

The bad boy

We love watching bad boys in movies, and we are pretty sure some women have a thing for them as well. Meet Greg. He wasn’t a bad boy per se, but it only took one James Fridman and a Photoshop tool to make him one.

Isn’t he the baddest boy now? Actually, he looks like the baddest good boy. Also, this photo doesn’t make him look like he wants to pay the fine for breaking the rules. That fanny pack and unicorn tattoo reveal the truth.

James is a man of culture

First things first, David, why is the only decent photo that you have with your girlfriend the one with Darth Vader in it? What were you doing all this while? Secondly, where was this image taken? What is Darth Vader doing in what looks like a Ramada Inn?

Either the background is Photoshopped, or Darth Vader is Photoshopped. However, the image on the right side is definitely photoshopped, thanks to James. We hope David has a decent picture with his girlfriend now, and we also hope we get a female Darth Vader soon.

A Boxer posing with the greatest boxer of all time

Muhammad Ali has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Now, some of you might think it’s a bit of a stretch, but boxing is a form of live entertainment. Also, Ali is the greatest of all time, so he deserves the star too!

The girlfriend wanted to do something for her boyfriend by giving him some gloves or something in the photo. James listened to the request, and he did indeed make him a boxer! Did you notice the Calvin logo on its collar?

An environmental message

Understandably, the girl didn’t want a photobomb, but in return, she got a deeper message from James than most of the others. You remove the guys who care for the trees, and you might as well end up removing the trees. 

James did a solid one there. It wouldn’t hurt to think a bit about the so-called invisible people. We take the unfair liberty of taking these things for granted just because these people care for these trees. Next time, she should wait till the guy is done with his work.

Good game

We think that the couple that made the request could have gotten a better photographer. From the image, it looks like these two gentlemen have been playing chess for a long time, and the couple popped up in the middle of their game.

James did a great job fixing things up. Those two chess players must be delighted after looking at this place since he practically gave them a better stage to play chess. We feel kind of sorry for the couple, though.

You look like trash. Can I take you out?

First things first, Frangoula is an excellent name. We don’t know what’s going on with her left hand in the image, though. However, it looks like she didn’t either, so she requested James to add a bag in her hand so that it didn’t look weird.

We couldn’t stop laughing. She wasn’t happy with the photo she took earlier, and we know for sure that she wouldn’t be satisfied with the picture on the right either. Also, we must point out other things in the edit, like the restaurant signs, that make the whole trash bag scenario realistic.

Countdown!

It might not be our place to comment, but we want to put this out there. Dear Kim, here’s what is more manageable than photoshopping your son’s crooked bowtie: enjoying the moment. It’s just a bowtie! We wouldn’t have noticed.

Yet, Kim went to James and got trolled. Sorry for this one, but the son actually looks like he’s about to be launched into the air, and the family is trying to click a picture with him before that happens. These edits are just too hilarious.

Showing him the view

Let’s just stop and take a moment to appreciate two things. First is James’s Photoshopping talent, and second is his wit. If this guy had asked somebody else to edit this image, they would have simply airbrushed the glasses off. 

But that’s not at all what James is famous for doing. He took the other approach by showing him what he would see if he had not been wearing his glasses that day. He went really far with this one, and we applaud him!

An unprofessional photo

After looking at this photo, we hope that a friend or relative took this photo of this newlywed couple. A professional photographer would have at least said something about the pole or would be able to edit it out themselves.

However, what’s done is done. The couple thought of asking James rather than using a different picture. He did as asked, and it looked as if the pole fell on the couple. On second thought, this picture is pretty nice, even if the couple isn’t there. The trees are beautiful.

When reality hits you in the face

Tanner, we should let you know that those wheels are in dire need of a fresh coat of paint. But you should never have to pretend to be something you’re not or be embarrassed by the stuff you have. Congratulations on graduating!

That’s a pretty real joke that James played on Tanner since student loans are a lot more expensive than high-end cars these days. That’s a reality check for our buddy here. We hope Tanner gets through it. He asked for something expensive, and he got it.

Weirder now

Great job, Erik. Everything about this photo seems to be off. Firstly, his girlfriend is standing on a small rocky outcropping that makes her look like a giant next to him. Next, it seems as if Erik only has one arm, and a disembodied hand is holding his girlfriend’s hip, of all things.

But the photo on the left is actually better than the photo on the right. We have no clue how James came up with the extra person, but he makes the picture look hilariously weirder. This photo is just off-putting. We have no words.

Weirder now part 2

Firstly, the pic on the left is pretty cute, and no, her arm isn’t really ruining the picture. Now, we know that James will always twist things up, but we also couldn’t have imagined what he would do with her request.

The photo just looks way weirder now. What was a rather okayish pic is now something in which she looks like she’s tired of standing on the bus. And can we take a moment to appreciate James’s pun abilities? Epic.

Not Jurassic Park

In the Jurassic Park documentary, Jeff Goldblum famously said, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” Now, we don’t think that’s the best line for this situation, but we thought of dropping it in since it fits the theme.

We aren’t really sure about the Jurassic Park connection here since there’s nothing so special. So, the costume party dresses are pretty relevant here. They do look like they’re having a fabulous time now, though! Those are some sweet costumes, dudes.

Slippery floor ahead

Good Lord, this whole thing just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it? The entire junior high vibe that this photo has takes us back. From the dresses, it looks like this photo was from the 8th-grade dance or a similar event.

This is an epic editing job because it looks as if the girls were running down the lobby, and they suddenly slipped. The wet floor sign is edited, but we think that the girls in the photo on the right could have used it.

Bigfoot request

Rebecca here isn’t so clear with her request. Let’s just put it out that Albert Einstein never said that everything is relative. He also didn’t like the name “theory of relativity;” instead, he wanted it to be “theory of invariance.”

Despite the photo request, these two make a lovely couple. But Rebecca really needs to let this feet thing go because they aren’t so long. They are pretty okay, and so are hers. Maybe James agrees with us, and twisting things up was his way of explaining the same thing to her.

Dress issue

This clothing item does many things. For starters, it makes the woman look beautiful, even if the stripes do weird things to our eyes. That’s mainly because there is some optical effect near the top of the dress. It might be many things, but it’s not so short.

Also, this thing isn’t a dress. We aren’t trying to be geeks here, but that is called a tunic. Either way, we hope that she is now enjoying the “short” dress with someone who doesn’t care what she wears.

Happy now?

We don’t understand what is with these people who would call James Jamie. This person here seems to be mortified by the thought of being perceived to be holding the hand of another man, even though he is clearly his friend.

But he’s right. It does look like those two people are holding hands. But, you know what could be worse for him than to be perceived as holding the hand of another man? Holding the foot of another man! Just for him, though, because it’s hilarious for us.

Sharp jaw

We don’t want to go all-out on accuracy here, but her face isn’t that round. We can’t understand why people want to alter themselves so much. It’s more oval, and it’s a great face shape. There isn’t anything wrong with it.

Even if it’s oblong, she isn’t the only one with that face shape. However, James was kind enough to provide the same perspective by literally squaring off her face as if she were a Minecraft character. On second thought, she looks more like a Lego figure.

Friendzoned

We actually feel for the guy in this picture because the friend zone isn’t a thing! What’s not cool is that some men become good friends with these women in the hope of some romantic development in the future and feel jilted if they don’t get their way.

The girl didn’t like her friend’s pose, but we think he looks fine. We like what James did here because we also totally got the vibe that he did. And we can’t help but marvel at how natural the shirt looks!

Ice bucket challenge?

We must say that this guy is pretty polite and soft-spoken for someone sporting a black jacket with heavy metal band patches. But his request for a waterfall to be closer or bigger sounds like an easy fix for James, doesn’t it?

It looks like the natural version of the ice bucket challenge. His request was fulfilled. What’s funny about this picture is that it looks like water is violently gushing on him, but he just looks as calm as can be.

Magazine cover

Before beginning, let’s stop and take a look at this picture. Now, let’s think about what Lindsey is even trying to do in the original photo. Her hands are in a pretty weird position since they aren’t touching her hair, nor are they touching her face.

Her hands are only hanging in the air in front of her. It only looks like she’s posing for a yoga magazine cover photo. This one could also be the only time when James gives someone what they wanted without twisting things up… too much.

Turn around

Austin here played himself. He was the guy in the background the entire time. Although he did, it doesn’t seem like James twisted things up. Austin is in the background if the lady is in the foreground. It’s as simple as that.

Once again, James does a great job by paying great attention to detail. He didn’t entirely wipe Austin out of the picture. His hands are still lurking around. You can see his arm bones eerily sticking out behind the girl.

Hot and juicy wings

We understand why this girl requested wings. It’s evident that she wasn’t going for fairy wings. But, we get that she only wanted wings that would help her take flight and carry her to a place where she could get a better photo.

She got the wings. She got the tasty ones, although it wasn’t what she wanted. Now, she won’t be flying anywhere, but she definitely won’t stay in that place, and she definitely won’t feel hungry. Only if the chicken wings were real.

Pretty strong

We often think that the people in these images are looking for perfection instead of letting the moment be. The problem is that some people are a bit extra. But we’ve all been there, overanalyzing selfies and picking out every minute flaw.

She’s holding the pole, but it looks like she uprooted it. Even in the image on the left, in which her hands allegedly look weird, she looks great. Out of all the things that she could ask for, she wanted to hold the pole. We want to know what she envisioned.

Weird kissing scene

We’d like to tell you the story’s moral before beginning: always close your eyes while kissing. When you don’t do that, you might look shocked or just plain odd. When you look weird, you could put up a Photoshop request to James.

And, when you put in a request, you could get a response like the above from James Fridman. So, avoid looking weird in the first place and prevent everything else after that. The problem is solved. Honestly, James’s Photoshop does help, but we’re pretty sure that’s not what the other person was expecting.

The cutest photo ever

Anastacio seems to be a pretty fancy name. Thanks to these requests, we are learning so much about the art of Photoshop and all it can do. We are confident that Anastacio is the gentleman in the hat and the sunglasses.

Jamie here did a solid and removed Anastacio from the picture. Also, the cute dog, which looks pretty sad in the first pic, seems equally happy in the second pic! We never know that maybe the doggo was planning to get rid of the owner.

Best friends forever

Teens are amazing. It looks like these lovely ladies on the left side got a great photo clicked in nature. But, teens have this thing that they always want more. So, they thought that they wanted to look older and at a party.

At first glance, you might think that it’s a random photo of old ladies. But, if you take a closer look, you’ll realize that the two women at the far right and the middle in the back row are wearing shirts with the same patterns as the teens’ tops.

Went too far

These days, many of us want things to be perfect, especially our photos. But really, the least we could expect from Raquel was at least to refer to the guy (who is way in the background and hardly noticeable) as “him” and not “it.”

However, the “it” sounds pretty bad and also reduces the clarity. Maybe that’s why James removed her head instead of removing the boy. She looks like a headless mannequin in the photo on the right side. This deserves the slow clap.

Surf’s up

This one looks like those silly photos they give at theme parks when you finish the ride. They often put you against some funny backdrop. If you ask us, this Photoshop job is even better than the girl could have asked for!

The noodles added to the end of the oar are a priceless addition in our books. This is, by far, our favorite of James’s artworks on this list (and yes, we think this guy is absolutely an artist, as well as a pun master).