How can I recover this photo? (tummy bulge)

I didn't notice she had this tummy bulge when we were shooting until I opened the photos in post, and it was only noticeable in about three pictures because the rest of the time she was holding it in I assume and must have slipped in these, and it was my mistake for not catching it while shooting.

I really liked this image, it's the only one I got of her with this pose and composition, so I'm seeking help to see if it is possible to flatten out that area? I attempted to do it but failed.

I know she wouldn't be happy about me giving her this image like that, so if it can't work out I'm going to have to trash it. This image is a cropped version so to not associate her face with it to be on the safe side.

Can anyone help out?

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What software are you using?

You could correct it without too much work with PS. Cloning and liquify....

Quick clone, healing brush, a bit of burning.

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A quick try, just as example...

Wilt wrote in post #16511025
A quick try, just as example...

What's missing? Looks as if she was hatched from an egg?

PhotosGuy wrote in post #16511154
What's missing? Looks as if she was hatched from an egg?

No, cloned. That weird horizontal crease remaining in solara's photo...her belly button is below that! OK, I should have left a not-apparent navel , or maybe 'grafted' an innie or an outie from another photo

I read somewhere on FaceBook recently, a guy showed up at the "Pearly Gates" but was "questionable"...so I guess it was St Peter, he lined up some guys and asked the "candidate" if he could identify Adam, and the answer came quickly that Adam was the one without the belly button!

So, I guess we must be looking at Eve!

tonylong wrote in post #16510234
What software are you using?

I'm using photoshop cs6

Hmm when I tried cloning and healing it looked pretty bad. Solara and Wilt's attempt is much better than what I came up with I think just the navel I'm going to have to paste on from a different picture of her

If you have CS6, I am not a PS user, but I have heard the liquify would work well to shrink the bulge itself, and clone really should be able to solve the wrinkles themselves. Have you looked at youtube for a tutorial? I just did a search for "correcting bulging belly in photoshop" and it came up with quite a few really good looking video's on liquify and other techniques that should help you out.

This stuff could be considered "basic" for someone who understands how to work with Photoshop-type tools, but otherwise you may need to hire a retouching "expert"!

tonylong wrote in post #16512604
This stuff could be considered "basic" for someone who understands how to work with Photoshop-type tools, but otherwise you may need to hire a retouching "expert"!

Well, I've just never had to do this type of editing before (related to skin, since my first attempt it just didn't look like real skin and it wasn't uniform). And I mostly do editing in lightroom so I haven't been comfortable much with the clone tool in PS, but I'm getting there.

I was able to do it, and didn't have to hire an "expert" eh .

IMAGE IS A REDIRECT OR MISSING! HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

Well, I'd say you did pretty good!

tonylong wrote in post #16512661
Well, I'd say you did pretty good!

Thank you! I was nervous about it looking too fake and messing it up. Even though this wasn't a paid shoot it was just for fun.