Mertailor pic from DA

[AniaR]

http://th00.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2011/214/c/b/otakon_2011_cosplay__88_by_i_hate_the_world-d42grdy.jpg

Found this on deviantart http://i-hate-the-world.deviantart.com/art/Otakon-2011-Cosplay-88-246005926?q=sort%3Atime%20mermaid&qo=512 doesn't fit, typical fluke issues etc.

[Princess Kae-Leah]

I LOVE the royal purple color, but, yeah, it doesn't look as good as the Photoshopped pics on his site. The scales end too low on her fluke, the whole thing looks kind of plain for a $500+ realistic tail, and the fit is terrible.

[Blaze]

Maybe it's not her tail but she borrowed it?

[AniaR]

even so, I think because there's no PS you can really see the general complaints about the latex tails. You can see at the bottom how the side of the fluke bubble up around the monofin (and it's not even in the water) how it bunches around the ankles, AND it looks like exactly the same crappy neoprene mine was made out of.

[RêveD'eau]

Agreed Raina. I don't think it matters if it was someone elses'. It looks like mine looked before I changed it. You can see the monofin, not much fluke texture, scales go sooo far down. I do love the purple though too Kae-Leah! I've seen some of his newer ones with the REAL scalloped edges and those look nicer because they were sewn together at the bottom (instead of "tattered", which meant glued together and cut up) and the scales don't come down as much.

[Spindrift]

Hey Cyd/ReveD'eau: could you post a reference pic?

[mermaid hannah]

i would like to see the pictures from this shoot and see the differences that were photoshopped.

[AniaR]

well Hannah this wasnt a shoot just a random mer, all mertailor photos are photoshopped that he posts. I can show you can example with one of my own tails and photos.

Before:
http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/185/f/c/mermaid_beach_stock_7_by_raine_angelstock.jpg

After:
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/185/a/5/PinupMermaid_by_raine_angel.jpg

Before:
http://th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2010/193/1/d/Mermaid_Beach_Stock_15_by_raine_angelstock.jpg

After:

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/185/0/3/Mother_Ocean_by_raine_angel.jpg

In my photos I shop it so the tail looks smoother, brighter, no wrinkles, in this case before it was fixed- covers my butt. lol

[AniaR]

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/193/8/3/mermaid_sun_bath_by_raine_angel-d3nf2z2.jpg
This is another pic of me in my tail BEFORE Raven fixed it. The photographer had to photoshop my waist line because it didnt fit, and photoshop out all the wrinkles. You can see the fluke has filled with air and is floating and bulged up. He didnt photoshop that part out but most people have to.

[AniaR]

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/179/c/7/c7024b397bd2aa3f0b46e6c50ccc8a5d.jpg

Here's a shot I found on DA from http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/179/c/7/c7024b397bd2aa3f0b46e6c50ccc8a5d.jpg You can see the bulge in the fluke where the water is caught and the outlines of the monofin and it's not standing up straight because it's not stiff. Just an example of how that kinda stuff is usually edited out.

[Winged Mermaid]

There was a video that showed how much the tails were photoshopped using a picture of Melissa as an example, but I can't find it (was probably taken down). It wasn't just someone photoshopping either- it showed the actual before and after shot- the after shot being the one that was used on the Mertailor site and advertisements. I wish I would have saved it- the difference was a big shocker to me when I first saw it. I didn't know just how much photoshopping they did on those things until I saw it.

Before Eric went on the deleting spree on MerYuku he DID say that tails were photoshopped to take out wrinkles "ect".

I understand the want for good pictures and photoshopping on them- if you have a photographer it's almost guaranteed that things will be retouched these days- but I believe either you should leave them off of your site and advertisements or not photoshop the product. I personally look at that as false advertising.

[Mermaid Star]

This is a picture of me when being photographed by the fabulous photographer (the was working with Mertailor at the time) Annette Batista.
So this is what the tail looked like in person

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4443/picture136s.jpg

This is what the photo looked like after she touched it up. :)

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/8118_180954710288_503510288_4054487_1245960_n.jpg

[Siren]

Talk about a cut below the rest! lol
660

[Siren]

And yes.....they are tiger paws lol

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

LOL Siren! That is a hilarious pic that shows what seems to be a pretty common problem.

[Mermaid Star]

If you look at where the tail was sitting on me as well, I also had this problem... but this was not made for me, it was just used for the shoot. :)
Haha... Oh Siren, now no one will be able to "keep their paws to them selves" Lol. Love ya hun!

[AniaR]

Siren, I have to laugh, because that tail is the pic I saw that made me want that tail, and I did get that tail, showing my butt too. also, freaking adorable photo

[Spindrift]

OK so guess what. I'm in Maryland right now, (call me a globe trotter if you like, since I was on the west coast + Vegas last week and 3 other countries the weeks before...) and the pic of that girl from DA? I saw her today! She was busking in Baltimore, down at the harbour (and doing a really great job I gotta say). I got to ask her some questions about her tail - it is hers and she ordered it with the tattered edges (she had to pay an extra fee for it) and it came without. She also asked for a different color and is planning on making some changes to her tail when she can. It is the wrong size (obviously) even though she followed instructions on how to measure. She said she wouldn't try to buy another one from the Mertailor again.

I was just pretty psyched to have recognized her. Although I've been pretty good at recognizing different tails already. Cool story? :D

[Spindrift]

(Let me know if I should edit out info with regards to personal information, or if it's fine. Thanks.)

[AniaR]

wow that's pretty insane! small world!

[inactive account]

Omg Raina that purple tail is a mess! its so bulgy in the fluke and its not sewn properly, Its almost as if The Mertailor was making it while he was half asleep its just disgraceful! Not to mension its not Latex its Alex LOL!!! I so wanna fix that tail up and make it look amazing *_*

[mikamer]

That's pretty rad Spindrift! Kinda curious as to how a mermaid busks. Care to share?

[Spindrift]

@Mikamer, what that girl in particular was doing was allow people to take pictures with her in her tail for money. It's an idea I've played with for a while to do with my own tail, but I would do it differently (although she is perfect at doing what she does!) in that I would rather have a little more than a photo op thing going on, like a small show (magic, instruments, etc). Sorry for the parenthesis interjections... my thought path is pretty weird.