I showed this picture back in March and I was completely sure it was the real deal – not Photoshopped. Alert reader Diana from Long Island chimed in on Comments, “The fake ‘picture’ purporting to show Elvis and Lisa is awful–yuch.”
But I still wasn/t convinced and commented back, “A week before you, other reader claimed the Lisa and Elvis picture is Photoshopped. So, I asked him to help me out and send something that would prove this. It just seems unlikely that someone could find separate photos of both people in those unusual positions. But if you can find the originals, I would love to post them.”
Well, neither Diana nor Tony, the other detractor, sent in the proof — but I stumbled into it on Facebook.
I think this was cropped from a larger photo, but there is still enough left to figure out what the Photoshop jockey did. He/she lifted the two bodies off this picture and found a nice shot of the Graceland living room to paste them on. The he found profile shots of Elvis and Lisa that were age appropriate and added them to the bodies. Diana, you and Tony were right. Sorry I doubted you.
I’ve always liked Photoshopped Elvis photos like this. There’s no attempt to fool anyone to think it is real. Just a cool image.
And I don’t know what kind of special effects would produce a picture like this, but I love it.
I get a kick out of the ones that are genuinely funny.
I have a file with 19 Photoshopped variations of Elvis in his Jailhouse Rock outfit. I recently found number 20. I like this one, too.
Not bad, is it?
But, the realization that a number of people are trying to fool us fans is starting to p— me off. We cherish Elvis so much that we’re inclined to want to like these warm and fuzzy pictures. We wish they were real.
Thanks to my friend Troy in Virginia for setting the record straight of the above photo of Elvis and a dog: “Unfortunately, as you suspected, the one with the dog has to be a fake because he is wearing a Jeff Gordon #24 NASCAR collar, and Gordon did not start racing until the early 1990s.” Good catch, Troy.
What I really don’t get are these manufactured photos of Elvis and Priscilla. Why take a picture of Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood and put Elvis and Priscilla’s heads on them? Aren’t there hundreds of legitimate photos of Elvis and Priscilla already?
This is even worse. Why would anyone want to switch Elvis’ head for Vernon’s in a photo with Gladys? Maybe it was a Photoshop rookie getting some practice. It sure is a crummy job.
I mentioned finding the original picture used in the Elvis and Lisa fake on Facebook. You wouldn’t believe so many sites are devoted to this. The one above supposedly has 572 photos, but I gave up after scrolling through 10 % of them. Here are three other Facebook pages like this:
Elvis – Fake Photoshopped Pics Revealed
Fake Photoshopped Elvis Pics
Elvis Presley – Fake Photoshopped Photos
There is a good bit of duplication, but you might want to take a look at one or two of them if you are curious about the original photos used to make the fakes.
You can also go on Pinterest and search for Fake Elvis Photos. You can scroll for a long time looking at them, but there doesn’t seem to be many of the ‘before pictures’ used to make them.
Let’s end with a photo a graphic designer made for me as a favor. It looks sort-of like the famous picture of Elvis on the Steve Allen Show singing Hound Dog, except that is my dog Molly on the stand. This is the avatar I use on PHOENIX – The Elvis Forum.
This Photoshopping of Elvis pictures certainly seems to be a big growing phenomenon. It better not get too big, or Graceland will jump in and make it a part of Elvis Week, like they do now with the tribute artists and Elvis memorabilia auctions. Maybe there will be a big exhibit at the Guest House ballroom, or maybe a competition for the best Elvis Photoshop Artist.
Don’t dismiss this idea. They already have named Betty Harper, Joe Petruccio, and others as Official Artists for Elvis Presley Enterprises. Maybe someday there will be Official EPE Photoshop Artists as well.
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