Professional photographers need their portraits retouched.

Those that are concerned with high standards and product quality, as well as sales, will be more successful than those that only see the bottom line and don’t bother with good post production and final output quality.

People usually have professional photographs taken because they want to see an ideal version of themselves or their family, and a photograph can reveal every imperfection.  Just removing acne, toning down dark circles under eyes, or making a bright red exit sign in a church disappear can make a huge difference in how an image is perceived.

Retouched portraits increase sales.

When your client sees an image that is pleasing, with the distracting elements toned down or removed, they will have more emotional attachment to the photograph and are more likely to purchase.  And the more pleased they are with the images, the larger the order is likely to be, both in size and number of prints.  If the problem’s not there, they can’t complain about it, and you don’t interrupt the sales “curve of interest”.

Why Outsource?

Your best time-to-profit margin ratio is when you’re talking with and selling to clients, getting new ones, and behind the camera — not at 1:00 a.m., color correcting and retouching a bridal party for tomorrow’s deadline.  Nothing backs up a busy photographer’s schedule more than doing his/her own post production & retouching.  The lab did it when you shot film – why double your workload just because you now have a digital workflow?

Pro retouchers focus their skills on the fastest, most cost-effective ways of improving images.  That’s quite a learning curve for a photographer that’s already shooting the sessions, showing proofs, ordering & framing prints and doing the paperwork!

You’ve spent a lot of time and dollars learning the craft of photography:  equipment choices, lighting technique, people and business skills – not to mention making the transition from film to digital!  Retouching has been an essential part of the photographic workflow since photography began, and one of the things that widen the gap between a professional portrait and a snapshot.