Photo retouching involves a lot of creativity, dedication and patience. Right from perfect pictures on the magazine cover page to huge images on billboards and hoardings, retouching has played an important role in digital photography. Retouchers have the liberty to play with a picture and make it appealing as much as possible.
There are several online tutorials, where an aspiring re-toucher can learn Photoshop. Today, retouching has become quite common. We see many young professionals, opting to work in the retouching industry and plan to make a career in the same.
If you are a beginner and have a passion for retouching, you should keep in mind the following steps to become a professional retoucher.
- Take classes in graphic design – You may consider taking classes in Photoshop as well as graphic design. This would help you while you pursue a career in retouching. You should have good computer skills and should know how to work with different types of software.
- Work closely with a professional re-toucher – If you know someone from the retouching world, you can ask him/her to send you a few samples just for you to take a look. You can also sit with that person and see how work is being carried out practically.
- Maintain good network database – Networking is a key component in today’s world. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn are some good platforms where you can network with clients and bring in more business.
- Pay attention to detail – As a retoucher, you should give a lot of importance to petty stuffs like blemishes, wrinkles, shadows and many such things. Although they look small, they are crucial elements that make a photo look dull. The retoucher should ensure that his/her output looks flawless.
- Get it touch with Photographers – Photographers and retouchers work quite closely with one another. It is not always possible to take that exact shot. Natural conditions like sunlight or shadows might stop you from getting that perfect picture. This is where retouchers can be of great help, as they would assist you in making your photo look better.
- Be open to comments and suggestions – As an aspiring re-toucher there will be a lot for you to learn from your peers. Ask your colleagues or friends to judge your work and give you an honest opinion. Remember, that each and every photograph will have some or the other scope for improvement.
- Ensure you stick to the timeframe – As a beginner, you might require more time on a particular picture. Make sure that you don’t burden yourself with more work as doing so would compromise the picture quality. Delivering whatever is promised within the set deadlines will fetch you more work eventually.
- Practice whatever you learn –It goes without saying that in order to be proficient in any skill, you need to practice it religiously. Regular practice will not only sharpen your photo retouching skills, but will also give you better perspective on editing and photo manipulation.
Whether is cutting unwanted background, sharpening the look of a photo or enhancing colors, retouching enhances the look of the photo. It is very important for an aspiring retoucher to have passion for his/her work. Converting your passion into a full time career is sure to make you successful in whatever you do.
