Ever take a beautiful picture and wonder why it’s no match for the hundreds of others you’ve seen on Instagram? It’s probably because those other photos were retouched!
Retouchers are the key to turning a great photo into something flawless. Whether you want to correct the color quality, fix a shadow, or clean up skin tone, the reasons to hire a retoucher are endless.
Retouchers save the day
Contrary to popular belief, retouchers are not magical sorcerers living in remote castles with lots of spells and potions. Instead, they use computer software to edit photos from the comfort of their (probably) very normal homes and offices. But don’t be fooled, they will still come to your rescue more often than you think!
Do you sell fruit that’s super sweet, but not very photogenic? A retoucher can clean up stains and correct the color so that it looks just as good as it tastes. Or maybe you just completed an hours-long photoshoot only to find that there’s a dark stain on your backdrop that shows up in all of the photos. A retoucher can fix that too!
No matter how good of a photographer you are or how beautiful your product is, things just aren’t going to be perfect all the time. Welcome to the world of technology! Even professionals (like me here at LISH Creative!) retouch their photos — it’s actually part of what brings so much quality to their work.
How it works
You could learn how to retouch your photos yourself, but I can’t understate the amount of time you’ll save by hiring someone to do it for you. Do you really want to spend hours editing photos after you’ve already put so much effort into taking them? Instead, hire someone so you can spend more time growing that delicious fruit (or whatever it is your business excels at).
You can find retouchers on all sorts of platforms. Check out job websites like Indeed or LinkedIn and ask your friends! You’ll be surprised how many connections are out there. You could even find one by looking through Instagram!
Each retoucher you work with may have a slightly different process, but the most important part of the relationship is communication! I like to upload all of my photos to Dropbox and leave notes on what I want them to fix. That way, the retoucher has the photo and what they need to do all in one place.
The bottom line is that retouching is an investment in your business. The difference in the quality of my photos and videos improved 100% when I hired a retoucher. That quality gets passed over to my clients, and in the end we all win!
Level-up those photos from the start
Retouchers are amazing, but they can’t do everything. I can teach you how to take photos that look professional from the start, too! In my online course, Slay the Flatlay, I will teach you how to DIY your photos and bring your products and ideas to life.
In 22 modules and over 4 hours of content, I will go over branding, backgrounds, camera gear, the editing process and more! I offer a breadth of information and keep beginners in mind so that you’ll have all you need to level-up those photos. If you’re a business owner looking to make your products look as good as you think they are, this course is for you.
