As an advertising photographer, I have a responsibility to my clients to make sure the images are perfect. Of course great care is taken to get the highest quality image possible in camera. But as anyone worth his salt can tell you, sometimes that’s only the beginning. Lens choice, lighting, styling, interaction with the model or models, scene selection are all key elements. However, post-production is critical to making a solid image into a brilliant one. In some cases it can be just that “something” that solidifies the photo in the viewer’s memory instead of just another passing glance.
Fashion and beauty photographers rely heavily on retouchers to make flawless skin, and perfect hair. Architectural photography, table top product photography, food photography and catalog photography all use post-production work to make sure that the subject looks better than real life. In today’s market, this applies to nearly ever application of image-making. A healthy dose of pixel-pushing makes all the difference. This can take a simple shot of some make-up and turn it into a magazine ad like magic.
I’ve been photographing new portfolio pieces for a lot of models lately, and retouching is absolutely crucial to making their photos stand out and give them an edge. Good isn’t good enough anymore. Photographs today have to be better than good. If your model is having a bad day with her skin, it’s absolutely necessary to make her look her finest despite it all.
For high level retouching, one should expect about two hours of post production per image. For rates, and more information, contact me at justinsullivan@gmail.com
Please click any images to view larger. Detail!
Original source: http://justinsullivan.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/so-you-dont-need-a-retoucher/
