Freelance Retoucher John Deaville, Photographic Retouching and Postproduction
I am John Deaville, a freelance retoucher based in London with more than 25 years of commercial experience. I work with photographers, agencies and brands on projects of every size, from single images to full campaigns.
My experience spans advertising, beauty, fashion, people and portraiture, product and creative imagery. That range lets me shape my approach around each brief, rather than applying the same treatment to every image.
25+ Years of Commercial Retouching Experience
I began my career in a photographic studio in South London, gaining experience in fashion, editorial, advertising and portrait photography. Since going freelance, I have continued to work across many types of commercial photography for photographers, agencies and brands.
My work has supported projects for De Beers, Nokia and The Football Association, among many others. The subject matter varies, but the requirement is constant: to work carefully from the brief, references and approvals, and to deliver finished images to the required standard and deadline.
A Generalist Retoucher Across Different Briefs
My experience covers a wide range of photographic retouching rather than a single niche, so I can adapt to different briefs and visual requirements, whether the project involves advertising, fashion, beauty, product, portrait or creative imagery.
For busy creative teams with a varied workload, working with one freelance retoucher across different types of projects can keep the process straightforward. Once I understand how you work, I can apply that understanding across different types of imagery and ongoing projects, helping to build a dependable working relationship over time.
Retouching Across Different Photographic Disciplines
Each project has its own requirements. My work ranges from precise product and beauty retouching to fashion, advertising, portrait and creative image work. Please click the images to view more details.
Advertising
Campaign imagery and commercial photography.
Beauty
Skin, make-up, hair and detailed beauty image retouching.
Fashion
Editorial and commercial fashion imagery.
People and Portrait
Portrait, corporate and PR photography.
Product
Product and packshot imagery requiring clean, precise finishing.
Creative
Compositing, image construction and more involved image manipulation.
A Practical, Brief-Led Approach
Good retouching is not simply about making an image look more polished. It is about understanding what the finished image needs to achieve.
As a freelance retoucher, I regularly work from briefs, marked-up images, mood boards and references, and I respond to feedback through the approval process. Where a brief allows for creative input, I can also suggest practical solutions to help achieve the intended result.
My aim is always to deliver a finished image that suits the brief, rather than imposing a particular retouching style on the work.
View Selected Retouching Work
My portfolio shows a selection of finished images, including commercial, editorial and creative projects.
Visit my retouching portfolio here.
The specialist sections of the site include further portfolio work and, where useful, before-and-after comparisons that show how I developed individual images.
Discuss a Retouching Project
If you are a photographer, agency or brand looking for an experienced freelance retoucher in London, I would be glad to discuss your project, whether you have a fully developed brief or simply want to establish what is possible.
Contact me to discuss your retouching project.