If you had told me what life would be like as a retoucher before I started, I would be honest and tell you I’d get scared of the stories I would have heard. I would think you’d be insane with how long I’d be working each day, for years in a row. The level of work you put in, not to be even noticed or seen sometimes. The sheer quantity and quality of effort placed into attaining a goal that is rarely seen or understood by others would be a daunting challenge. The challenge of not only being good at retouching, but somehow understanding the business skill set and marketing capabilities in a changing digital and physical marketplace. 

I’d still do it all over again, and that’s because I’m also a little insane. 

I love retouching, and no day goes by without me investing my time in it. It’s an obsessive task I do without being able to explain exactly why I am so vested in doing it. Sure, I could come up with generic reasons like the joy of seeing something perfected, but there’s something undefinable about the obsessive aspect of it. So when I hear and meet other people who share that same voice, I am immediately drawn to their words and their experiences. 

Gene Bresler the founder of Catchlight (http://www.catchlightdigital.com/), a retouching studio/house located in Brooklyn, NYC. Putting it simply, he knows his shit. His studio handles the full gamut of beauty, commercial, celebrity, fashion, and more. This podcast on the platform, “The Photo Banter” by Alex Gagne, goes into Gene’s beginnings, what it’s like being a great retoucher (and what makes it different from just having a strong skillset), making serious money, and work with high end brands. 

I don’t want to say more to ruin it for you, so just listen and enjoy. 

This is an important podcast for the industry. I enjoyed it, and I know you will too. 

Be sure to share it with others who should listen to this. 

As a side note, if this hits all the right chords for you, retouching is probably your calling too. 

Via The Photo Banter
Special thanks to Rob Durston for sending this to me.