I talk with professional retoucher John Zampetti about his definition of retouching, his background and experience, how he got started in the industry, learning CGI, the importance of using visual references, his go-to Photoshop tools, the power of gradient maps, his CGI apps, his most and least favorite categories of retouching, working in an e-commerce studio vs. an editorial retouching studio, how to evolve and improve as a retoucher, how retouchers know when they’ve become good, personality types suited to retouching, the realities of working with challenging clients and projects, the best tools to focus on for people just starting out in retouching, frustrations and things that do and don’t work for retouchers, dangerous retouching, fantasy vs. reality, seeing his work out in the world, retoucher mischief, our industry’s future, his own future, being proactive, and more.
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