Adobe Updates Photoshop's Face-Aware Liquify Feature

In the latest updates from Adobe for Photoshop CC 2017, not only is the software faster, but Face-Aware Liquify comes with a new feature.

If you haven’t see the new face-aware features under the Liquify tool, Photoshop now auto-detects facial features and helps you adjust them. You can modify the subject's expression for a bit more of a smile and tweak the size of their eyes or other features for that prefect portrait or creative spin for some fun. So far, it has worked pretty well in recognizing the subject's face as long as they are mostly facing the camera.

Well, what is the new feature? Now, you can independently or symmetrically modify the settings for the subject’s eyes. Looking to exaggerate a stern look with one eye slightly larger? This will help. Maybe one eye is slightly larger than the other and you want to change it to make it more symmetrical; now, it is much easier.

Have you used the new Face-Aware Liquify feature yet? What are you thoughts? I have used it a few times in my work for some slight tweaks. I haven’t ventured into some creative caricature-style portraits yet, but these features will be very handy.

There were some other improvements and updates along with this one; you can check out the rest of the updates for Photoshop on Adobe's website.

Alex Ventura's picture

Staff writer Alex Ventura is a professional photographer based out of the Houston area that specializes in automotive and glamour with the occasional adventures into other genres. He regularly covers automotive related events for Houston Streets & Spekture with some publications in the United States.

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16 Comments

Great! This sure beats running liquefy twice and masking in the layer to even out eye size.

Also called the Instagram plugin where everyone frankensteins their face yet gets uptight when they see a publication adjust a models features. CS6 still does everything I need. (and I have Instagram for all the goofy stuff.) Maybe next update they can add unicorn and puppy overlays like snapchat.

dude relax. some people might do different work than you do and actually think this is quite useful. i'm thinking fashion and commercials. perfectionists will surely be thankful for this. not all pictures are about the truth. Photoshop can be a tool for a different prespective on people. you might not agree, but its the reality.

Then by all means, keep paying for that one new feature a year. Some of us don't fall for gimmicks.

A "gimmick" is something you have no use for.

Exactly.

Stunning new upgrade from Adobe. It really justifies the subscription model and the promise of continuous upgrades. It really encourage innovation and new features. My favourite being Auto Renew. Adobe just knows you want to keep paying for it. They don't even have to notify you. All you have to do us wait for stunning upgrades like CC 2017. It was really worth waiting two years for. The new changes are so well blended in to current version you hardly notice it's improved at all.

Haha...I like you, your sarcasm put a smile on my face :)

Wait until you see the newly designed "Photoshop has experienced an error and needs to be restarted" screen. It doesn't show up as much as it does in Premiere but when it does it's way more legible than in CC2016.

These kinds of things may seem gimmicky to some folks but when you make portraits of real people with less than model-like features, it's a real time and photo saver.

Um, why do real people have to look like models? I mean, where does the distortion of reality stop? Why not get an app that "Photoshops" a portrait by simply replacing the photo of your subject with one of Heidi Klum or Pierce Brosnan? This pushing and stretching and morphing and liquefying and transforming and misrepresenting of people's shapes and colors and expressions into idealized stereotypes just really bugs the hell out of me. Real people matter, and a cartoon world is not a better place to live in. I retouch my portraits, too, but it seems to me our culture has crossed a line from reality into ego-crushing unattainable fantasy.

Had to get that off my chest.

I can't speak for everyone but I do a lot of corporate portraiture. For good or bad, prospective clients will judge a company on how their employees look. If someone has negatively distracting facial features or just can't manage an engaging pose, it needs to be fixed. I'm not trying to make anyone look perfect, just as good as their best day.
A lot of times, the things I'm fixing won't be noticeable during a personal interaction but they kinda jump out at you in a static image.

Of course. And I minimize (but don't remove) wrinkles, moles, etc. And, I don't feel I'm altering reality because the result is how the person really looks to an uncritical viewer in the right light. Liquify seems to me a step beyond. Anyway, I don't mean to be critical of anyone's working methods here. I'm just disturbed by our pop culture's obsession with making real reality look like virtual reality.

Agreed.

Pffffttt..... I still believe in get it right in camera.......I use toothpicks to shape my subjects' eyes...............then photoshop the toothpicks out :P

in the meantime, people are try to ban photoshop surgery.