“Bro, Just Give Them What They Want”: 50 Hilarious Photo Edits By A Trolling Photoshopper

In case you weren’t aware, Photoshop trolling is an interesting Internet phenomenon where a person fluent in Photoshop edits photos upon people’s requests. However, instead of delivering an expected result, they interpret the requests too literally or put a comic twist on them. As you can see for yourself, the results are quite hilarious!

The graphic designer OscarKDesign, who crafted these photos on the list, was probably inspired by the original Photoshop troll James Fridman. He’s a British graphic designer who takes photo editing requests, and instead of giving into vanity or superficiality, he started poking fun at the requests and turning them into lighthearted jokes. 

His Photoshop trolling journey roughly started in the early 2010s and amassed great popularity by the mid-2010s, which continues to grow to this day. 

"I don’t consider myself a graphic designer, it is more of a hobby," he told the Telegraph. "When I first started using image manipulation software, it was something new and not as widespread as it is now, so everyone was learning and experimenting. I did some funny edits for friends and family, and they ended up on the internet. Apparently, people found it quite entertaining and asked for more – that’s how I ended up creating my Twitter account."

However, he’s not your typical troll, as he managed to transform trolling into an art form that seeks to defeat online narcissism armed only with Photoshop and a sense of humor. He also refuses to complete requests where photo owners ask to remove their insecurities and instead leaves them with inspirational words, encouraging them to love themselves as they are.

So by trolling people, he’s not making fun of the person who has sent their submission, but rather our society that makes people feel like they should adjust their images to appear flawless.

In fact, after gaining popularity, he has done a lot of good work for society. In 2018, he established the James Fridman Foundation to help and support children and young people affected by social issues.

“We raise public awareness and understanding of the issues children and young people are facing today. We promote healthy interests, values, and morals by inspiring, engaging and involving children and young people in enjoyable, unique and innovative projects and creative programmes,” their website writes.

And that’s far from all. In 2019, he collaborated on a campaign with dating app Bumble to support the criminalization of nude images sent to someone without their consent or agreement.

In 2022, he collaborated with Netflix to create a comedy sketch where James upgrades comedian Taylor Tomlinson’s social media content, with unexpected results, of course, further spreading his ideas about social media culture.

Lastly, in 2023, he partnered with Maybelline, promoting a brand-new Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer and challenging typical notions of perfection and aging.

As we can see, Photoshop can be used not only as a way to conform to societal beauty standards to make ourselves feel better but also to challenge these often harmful perceptions.

James is doing important work, as excessive use of FaceTune or Photoshop for some individuals can contribute to negative body image and low self-esteem. At the same time, the highly edited photos we see on our feeds create unrealistic beauty standards that can hurt mental health and cause anxiety and other related issues.

To solve this rising issue, some laws have been passed that require advertisers to label retouched images, like in France and Israel. In solidarity, Getty Images also banned "any creative content depicting models whose body shapes have been retouched to make them look thinner or larger.”

Of course, it’s important to note that not everyone who uses Photoshop experiences adverse effects on their mental health. For some, it’s a tool for creative expression or a form of entertainment. But if you find that photo editing tools are starting to affect your self-image, it may be time to consider limiting exposure to editing tools and seeking support from your loved ones or mental health professionals.