Creative Retouching by Freelance Retoucher John Deaville

In my extensive 20+ years as a retoucher, I’ve honed my craft in creative retouching primarily using Photoshop. Alongside, I leverage other Adobe Creative Suite applications like Illustrator and Cinema 4D to blend and manipulate various media.

What is the essence of ‘Creative’ retouching ?

While every project I undertake entails a creative essence, my primary role as a retoucher is to adhere to client briefs and specifications. However, within these parameters, there’s ample room for creative exploration and innovation.

For instance, consider the challenge of integrating studio photography with actual images of animals in their natural habitat. Faced with the scarcity of suitable images, I proposed an alternative approach—utilizing live animal stock photography to craft a graffiti-stenciled effect on a wall. Fortunately, this proposal was met with approval.

For the image below for Milwaukee, I was supplied a general brief to keep the key branding colour of red whilst dulling down all of the other colours to make more monochrome. It was my proposal to use:

• use a fused HDR image to create much more increased local contrast and detail
• create the debris flying off the operating tools
• create the mist and smoke effects to highlight and isolate the main figure as well as create more dynamism
• brush on the highlights around the figure (dodge / burn) to emphasise the modelling of the main figure

Many of my creative retouching endeavors stem from self-initiated projects or collaborations with photographers. This collaborative approach often results in a more illustrative effect, reflecting my personal interest in the intersection of photography and design.

Please have a look at some of the creative retouching before and after examples. Or take a look at illustrations and creative retouch projects in my portfolio. Feel free to contact me for additional information

All images are copyrighted John Deaville / Photofixer.