Creative dad uses Photoshop to create images of his premature son doing ‘manly’ things

A dad put his photoshop skills to good use when he created hilarious scenes featuring his premature son doing “manly” things.

Matt MacMillan’s first foray into Photoshopping his kids started when his firstborn, Ella, was a month old. He created a series of images showing the infant playing sports, and the results were both hilarious and adorable.

Matt wanted to continue the tradition when his son, Ryan, was born, and that’s exactly what he did.

As the father of two explained to Bored Panda, Ryan was born nine weeks premature, weighing just under three pounds.

The newborn spent six weeks in the NICU, and while this experience would discourage many other parents, Matt and his wife, Alyssa, focused on the brighter side.

“We joked that he wasn’t a premature baby just “advanced,” he said.

That joke inspired Matt to create a photo series of Ryan doing grown-up activities such as mowing the lawn, shaving his beard, and more.

Shooting and editing the photos took plenty of effort, but the results were simply hilarious and absolutely worth the time they spent completing the project.

“Each shoot took about 15-20 minutes. Most of the work is in the setup and editing. First, I had to make props and find outfits for most of the pictures,” Matt explained.

The succeeding steps involved “setting up the scene, framing the shot, arranging props, and setting up the lighting, where appropriate.”

Some of the setups were more complicated than others, like the bench press photo.

“For this one, I made a rig that hung from the ceiling,” Matt said. “It mounted the camera and also held the barbell above Ryan so all he had to do was grip it, rather than hold it up.”

Luckily, Matt had plenty of help from his wife, who was responsible for holding their baby so that Matt could put his limbs in certain positions while holding things.

“After I got the pictures of Ryan, I would take some shots of anything that he couldn’t actually hold, like the ax swinging or the fish on the fishing line,” he said.

Matt would then comb through the many cute pictures he took and choose the best ones before using Photoshop to remove himself from the scene. Then, he would combine the best parts to make composite images.

Matt shared the edited photos on Instagram, and his followers instantly fell in love with the creative pictures and their subject. However, people unfamiliar with Photoshop couldn’t help but express their concerns for Ryan’s safety.

Of course, Matt was quick to assure everyone that his baby was never in any actual danger. He explained that the crazy situations he was seen in were all a product of brilliant photo editing.

Having a premature baby can be a daunting experience for parents, but Matt and Alyssa made the best out of their situation. Now, they have these memorable photos to show for it.

Matt even offered advice to other parents in a similar situation.

“My three pieces of advice for parents of premature babies are to be patient, be positive, and seek support,” he said.

Check out the gallery below and prepare to laugh out loud at these creative photos!

Follow Matt MacMillan on Instagram to see his funny and adorable creations. 

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