What is Image Retouching and Workflow?
Commercial Photo Retouching Workflow
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1. File Capture
When the button is clicked on the camera, what is captured is a proprietary (to the camera) file called a RAW file. It is often about 8-12 times the size of a typical delivered JPEG file and as much as 50 times that what a modern cell phone captures
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2. Ingestion
As weird as this phrase sounds, it is the process of importing the RAW files into a photo management program for sorting, backing up to multiple drives locally and online and converted to a more usable file size, often about 60% of the RAW file
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3. Proofing Stage
Most of my client workflows have a capture stage, then proofing. This is like the old days of contact sheets with little thumbnails on a single print or smaller low cost prints. Now that is delivered and viewed through a hosting gallery. Here you view the ‘selects’ for proofing, maybe 600 shots were captured on shoot day, but only 200 are suitable for viewing (duplicates, closed eyes etc)
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4. Flagging Stage
Once you and your team have reviewed your selects, you are then asked to flag your images for retouching. That might be 5, 6, 8, 10 plus depending on the package and output needs. I send a request from your gallery host along with a tutorial video on how to flag for the final selection
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5. Retouching Process
After the flagged images are selected, I add your job to the editing queue. Any further requests need to be made before the work is carried out. You can also request special colour spaces or output sizes if part of your agreement at the point of booking. Some jobs require specialist retouchers, but mostly they are done in-house.
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6. Delivery
After all the steps in the retouching process is complete, the photographs are exported to the size required for your output and display methods. The files are then uploaded to an ‘Edits’ tab in your gallery. Extra files can be ordered direct from your gallery and paid directly via Stripe, PayPal or direct deposit.
Sample Before & Afters
Bellow see a range of typical retouching examples from straight out of camera to final output. Some images might take 5 minutes to handle and some may take hours, depending on the output needed and scope of the job.
Client
Sacre Coeur Private School on behalf of DMC Group
Work Carried Out
Blend of 5 images of various levels of exposure, colour correction, selective brightening of students and bus, detail enhancement, clean up of road, sky replacement, lens flare, push shadows, remove statue in background, colour enhance, subtle colour grade, sharpening
Client
Sacre Coeur Private School on behalf of DMC Group
Work Carried Out
Colour correction, selective brightening of students, selective darkening of background, detail enhancement, clean up of clothing and basketball, push shadows, blemish removal on skin, subtle colour grade, sharpening
Client
NTI Office on behalf of Jacaranda Projects
Work Carried Out
Blend of 7 frames (5 for exposure and 2 flash frames for colour sample and for window exposure), reduce colour casts selectively, colour correction, detail enhancement, clean up of debris on floor & smudges on finishes, painted in windows by hand, brightened ceiling, reduced brightness of lights subtle colour grade, sharpening
Client
Endota Spa Airport West
Work Carried Out
Blend of 5 frames, reduce colour casts selectively, overall colour correction, detail enhancement, clean up of paint above shop, removed cracks and roof fixtures, straightened bowing ceiling, brightened ceiling, reduced brightness of signs, sharpening
Client
Bloom Community Child Mental Health Services
Work Carried Out
Removed lamp on left, removed blind on window, rebuilt and extended window and tree, removed sign, handles and hinges on door, detail enhancement, colour correction, colour boost, sharpening
FAQs
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I typically take 1-2 days to deliver proofs, it often involves the process of ingesting, backing up, file conversions, flagging the rejects for deletion, light edits, exporting and uploading to the gallery service. Time increases if there are multiple image providers on the job such as a drone operator.
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I quote 7-14 days for most jobs, 2-4 weeks for bigger ones, as some files require outsourcing, extensive work and often has to be juggled with other onsite work, and retouching jobs. Sometimes they come quicker than quoted.
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In a word no, they are very large files that is difficult to host and deliver, you need a proprietary compatible RAW viewer/editor to even view them and it opens up to unethical or unlawful use distribution/copyright infringement. I liken it to asking a chef to hand over the ingredients of a meal they have spent years developing. In extreme circumstances a business might require them as they use a special editor/retoucher, but will be charged appropriately.
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I watermark the proofs as they are not suitable for display, distribution, usage and haven't received the treatment of the finished edited file. They are heavily compressed as well, so there is limited data and size to work with. I keep them smaller purely to save online cloud space. You can purchase full resolution proofs for an extra fee to cover the file handling and cloud space.
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I try to ascertain before the work is carried out what the final look and finish needs to be, but you may require some tweaks upon request. The request needs to be made within 48hours of the delivered finals while I have the project active. Once the job is complete, the files are moved to cold non-attached storage for long term archiving.
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I keep final output edits pretty much indefinitely (as long as I am in business), so I can source them again for you for a small handling charge. There is no guarantee I will still have the proofs or RAW files though. I often purge hard drives after a couple of years to keep down E-Waste and costs.