Bitchery reader Paul did some mad Photoshop action on the hot stepping leg model, and look at what he came up with:
I did some quick Photoshop work to test your theory about the leg model and the trenchcoat. You’re 100% right, it’s the same model. See attached (I cut off the left leg, changed its angle, adjusted for the same skin tone, and then filled in the gaps).
The “Girl’s Guide” cover designer had a few more changes – impossibly flat toes in those new stilettos, and softer muscle definition on the legs.
Now, aside from the fact that there’s no way the leg model has thighs that wide that aren’t airbrushed into impossible thinness, Paul is totally onto something here. I also think that trenchcoat model’s shin – the one marching up in the air – was thinned out through the magic of editing as well. I’m fascinated by the art of retouching on the whole, and of how much of it goes on. But special note to cover designers: as Bitchery reader the high stepping lady can be used with some degree of effectiveness.
And speaking of seeing double, Bitchery reader Tez is dying to know if this is the same stock image:
In this corner, we have the re-release of Marta Acosta’s Midnight Brunch at Casa Dracula:
And in the other corner? Keri Arthur’s Embraced by Darkness.
Tez says, “Never mind that the right is left, and the left is right…I’m convinced these amorous couple is the same…. Never mind that Riley Jenson is a redheaded Australian and Milagros de los Santos is a black-haired Latina hottie… Or am I losing my marbles in this respect?”
I dunno – Tez’s marbles are on the line. You be the judge – is this the same couple?
My vote: same couple. Tez’s marbles are fine.
I agree—it’s the same picture.
I agree that it’s the same photo (and believe me, I had nothing to do with this cover). The designer smacked some bat earrings on the model and made it all yellow and said, “Ooh, vampirey!”
Are Tez’s marbles fine? Further observation is required!
I have to be honest- I first read your name on that cover as “Marta Aorta.” Pertinent, somehow, but I probably need more caffeine.
Same pic? Oh yeah. Good eyes, Tez.
Yeah, they’re the same pic. They photoshopped the woman’s nose, but they left the guy’s ear alone…
Absofreakin’ amazing what a decent photoshop monkey can do… And I’m glad that even though I’ve retired, I haven’t lost my photo analysis skills (re: my comment on the original “legs” post). Tez does have good eyes, too!
And I’m sorry, Marta. That seems to be somewhat of an industry trend from what I’m learning here. However, I think I’d read your book despite the cover. *adds said book to her TBR list*
Marta’s books are smart, funny, and all around wonderful. You’ll love ‘em, Silver James.
Ha, Dillene, I do that weird transposition of letters all the time. Aorta would be a good name for a vamp writer.
Thanks Sliver James for ignoring all of the designer’s efforts to ruin my rep.
I think photoshop makes it pretty damn easy for people to phone-it-in.
What I’m really puzzled about is those book covers with the android-weird models. I’m thinking, how drunk is someone to think that looks good?
I concur. Definitely the same couple!
effort57—Didn’t take much effort to reach my conclusion…
I’m really having to remind myself lately that Grandma always said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I know that I pick up books that look interesting, and pass over books with covers that annoy me. The more I hear that the authors have little or no input into their covers, the more I realize that Grandma was right, bless her soul.
Oh, and I absolutely vote that’s the same photo, flipped and handled a little differently.
Thanks, Esri!
SonomaLass, it always stuns me when readers trash an author based on a book cover. We can give our opinions, but we don’t have cover approval.
But it’s the covers that causes people to pick up a book in the bookstore. This is why designers frequently mimic a cover of a book that’s been successful, whether or not it is anything like the book that they’re marketing.
Readers buy an apple and are rightfully annoyed when they take it home, cut it open and find out it’s really an orange.
this is what I love about the site… the snark coupled with the killer research 😀
It’s the same image. It’s easy to flip the horizontal orientation of an image in Photoshop in order to wind up with a “mirror image” of the original—it’s a preset command in your PS toolbox where you can rotate the image in preset degrees, free rotate it, flip it horizontally or flip it vertically.
*sigh* I love getting my graphic-geek on talking about Photoshop… Now I’m feeling all giddy. May we have another Cover Snark contest, oh Wise & Wonderful SBs? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease? 🙂
Definitely the same.
It’s totally is the same image! Here, I’ve photoshopped the over the top of each other so you can see it more easily:
The couple looks similar to me as well. Also – your mention of the airbrushing immediately made me think of this:
scary.
Thank you for reassuring my marbles. However, you’ve inflated my ego so that now I think I may have some speck of intelligence after all – congratulations, you’ve created a monster 😉 My myopia is suddenly not so bad…
And you clever, crafty Photoshop crew – you can has the talent/skills/gifts, y’all! I can’t even make a LOLcat without using the site…
See you soon, and have a lovely day! 🙂
Tez Miller
Blogger, Reader, Reviewer, Interviewer & Promoter of the Urban Fantasy Genre
http://tezmilleroz.wordpress.com
Anyone else surprised by the fact that the “big guns” are using the same stock images the smaller ePubs are? Well maybe not surprised, but wondering why, they would choose to use a stock image that can be found in tens of other places, rather than coming up with something individual.
In fact (and I’m biased because I’ve had some wonderful covers at LI) I’d have to say some of the ePubs have it all over the NY giants photoshop/istockphoto offerings.
Oh and for another havent I seen this before moment:
http://www.loose-id.com/detail.aspx?ID=671
http://www.amazon.com/Lover-Awakened-Black-Dagger-Brotherhood/dp/0451219368/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210774244&sr=8-3
Aww, I got all excited thinking it was a new book, until I read it properly.
Do they re-use the same photos to save money? I mean how expensive can a new photo be?
….trench chick appears to be reaching up pink chick’s ass. o_o Time travel masturbation? Maybe a (mis)use of portals?
…*admits that she noticed that before the fact that it’s just a copy-photoshop*