Photographic Retouching by John Deaville, UK-based Freelance Photo Retoucher

I have provided freelance photographic retouching for about 20 years, focusing mainly on still photography. Recently, I’ve expanded into video and animation. You can explore my services and portfolio on this website. Additionally, I am currently creating articles and content related to photo and video post-production, covering subjects such as colour management and equipment choices.

This page breaks down my approach to retouching and the different stages of post-production.

What is Photographic Retouching and Post Production?

The term photographic retouching is often applied to all the post-camera stages of manipulating an image to enhance it. However, I tend to refer to all of these stages collectively as post-production. Retouching is one of these stages along with others that I have listed below:

Editing

Clients generally select the master shots and highlight areas that need attention. It helps if a client provides:

• A markup for each image with highlighted areas of interest.
• A job sheet listing file numbers and a description of what needs to be done for cross-referencing.

Initially, I review the selections and point out any problems, such as focus issues. Sometimes, clients provide the entire shoot in a raw format, and I can select alternative shots to assist the retouching process. For example, an image of the background alone helps when cloning people out of a shot. Another example is using an alternative shot to rebuild parts of the master shot where arms and legs are clipped out.

Capture One: Raw Conversion

This step is only applicable if supplied with raw files.

Colour and Luminosity Normalisation

During the production stages of the photographic shoot, calibration tools normalise the colour and luminosity of the image, providing a correct starting point.

• Exposure cards adjust the exposure accurately.
• Grey cards make setting the white balance easy, eliminating colour casts in the neutral parts of the image.
• Calibration charts profile the camera for accurate colour.

Colour and Luminosity Pregrading

A raw file contains more information (dynamic range) than a rasterised file. However, you cannot edit a raw file in Photoshop, so it must be rasterised into a format that Photoshop can read. However, converting the file discards the extra information and dynamic range. Highlight or shadow recovery should be done at the raw conversion stage, as you cannot achieve the same results in Photoshop.

You can also colour grade at this stage, and sometimes clients apply a preset look to their photos. I prefer colour grading in Photoshop after retouching for flexibility. I have encountered situations where clients want photos from different shoots to have the same colour ‘look’, which can be difficult if committed to stylising it.

At this stage, I ask the client to approve the image treatment, ensuring they understand that committing to a grade in Capture One cannot be reversed without returning to the raw file.

Retouching and Manipulation

Compositing

I move elements in the frame or combine elements from several frames to create a more pleasing composition or fulfil a brief. This might involve replacing a head to improve facial expressions or correcting an awkward pose. In some product retouches, the photographer moves the lights or alters the exposure to remove reflections in alternative shots, which are then comped onto the master shot instead of relying on cloning alone.

This image has been composited to include an extra figure, the other players spaced out to make room, and the background adjusted. Use the slider to see before and after.

Photographic Retouching

Using the vast array of tools in Photoshop allows you to manipulate the pixels of an image. This allows you to:

• add and remove elements from the frame
• maximise clarity of isolated objects, enhance branding logos, brighten facial features
• perfect skin tones and textures using frequency separation and dodge/burn
• sculpt body and facial contours
• enhance make-up
• recreate packaging and logos using flat artwork for maximum clarity and impact
• remove unwanted motifs, logos, tattoos which might infringe copyright
• remove folds and creases in fabrics
• alter colours of objects and clothing
• create a wide range of creative and illustrative effects and much more

The above retouched image has had all the skin tones and textures corrected. It is typical of the beauty retouching that I do. You can see a before and after slider of this image on my beauty before and after page

Colour Normalisation / Optimisation / Grading

Colour Normalisation makes the shot look ‘normal’, ensuring the exposure is correct, the image is free of colour casts, and it closely resembles what was photographed on the day. Ideally, normalisation should occur at the production/raw conversion stage using various calibration charts. This allows for easy correction of exposure and white balance. Sometimes I cannot get the raw file or the calibration charts are not included. There are several ways to correct the image for colour normalisation, though it is less accurate than using calibration charts, as I rely on my eye and monitor rather than colour science.

Colour Optimisation improves the colour of an image while keeping it within a normal ‘look’, which might involve:

• slightly brightening, darkening and altering contrast
• altering local contrast to enhance detail
• slightly warming or cooling the colour temperature to mimic summer/winter daylight
• adding a vignette to direct attention

Colour grading introduces artificial colours into the image to create a complementary or contrasting colour scheme, evoking a subliminal aesthetic response in the viewer. For example, the ‘teal and orange’ look widely used in cinematography makes skin tones and warm objects (like fire and tungsten lights) take on an orange hue, while all other colours shift towards cyan. Cyan and orange are opposite colours on the colour wheel, and this contrast directs the viewer’s focus towards the warm objects, namely the faces of the subjects in the film.

Cut Outs

Over the last 15 years, I have provided retouched sporting assets for other designers to incorporate into their design briefs. I have completed many projects retouching football, cricket, tennis, and rugby players and then supplying the cutout assets.

Cutting out involves removing the background of the studio or environment so that the object exists on a transparent background. The designer can then copy it into their artwork, making the artwork the background for the image.

Although Photoshop offers tools to do this quickly, they are still crude and unforgiving with difficult edges like hair. I cut out everything manually by creating super accurate paths and then addressing problem areas like hair using channels and freehand painting.

Finishing

After final sign-off, I save my master layered file and create a finished version for the client. This is typically a flat Adobe RGB TIF file or a cutout Adobe RGB PSD on a transparent background.

Sometimes I need to finish the file for a specific purpose, which might include:

• Sending simplified layered PSD files to designers who might want to change some aspects like colour grades later
• Converting images to be used at a specific size online
• Preparing images for printing using a commercial CMYK colour space.
• Taking the image into another program like Illustrator to add flat artwork or After Effects to add animation/titles

Why Choose My Retouching Services?

My extensive experience and keen eye for detail make me a valuable partner for any project. I understand the importance of maintaining the highest quality standards. My portfolio

For more information or to view additional examples of my work, please contact me. In the meantime, feel free to explore my portfolio showcasing a range of projects that highlight my ability to adapt to various styles and requirements.

All images copyrighted John Deaville / Photofixer.