Senior Retoucher

Title: Senior Retoucher

Location: New York United States

Job Description:

Our senior retouchers collaborate closely with internal photography production teams and account managers to deliver high-end, editorial-quality, and high-volume e-commerce imagery for our brand clients. The role requires both artistic finesse and technical precision, with the ability to manage complex projects and maintain consistency across thousands of assets under fast-paced deadlines.

Candidates must be deeply experienced in Adobe Photoshop, Capture One, and a suite of AI-assisted and automated retouching tools, as well as demonstrate an expert understanding of skin, texture, fabric, lighting, and brand-specific aesthetics. A highly trained eye, senior-level judgment, and the ability to direct or mentor junior retouchers are essential.

This role is operating in a hybrid model with 3 days per week onsite in our Tribeca studios and the balance of the time remote. This schedule is subject to change at any time.

Responsibilities

• High-end retouching of fashion, beauty, and product photography, including editorial-level skin cleanup, composite creation, fabric shaping, and precise color work
• Use of frequency separation, dodge and burn, and texture grafting techniques to maintain natural yet flawless finishes
• Build and refine complex paths, alpha channels, and layer masks for compositing or background swaps
• Interpret and enforce detailed brand style guides, lighting references, and art direction
• Retouch images to match color standards, ensuring precise product accuracy for e-commerce
• Perform complex multi-image composites (e.g., swapping heads, bodies, backgrounds)
• Incorporate AI-powered retouching and automation tools to increase workflow efficiency (e.g., Adobe Generative Fill, Retouch4Me, ImagenAI, Luminar AI, Runway ML)
• Conduct pre-flight image reviews and detailed quality control checks for final delivery
• Collaborate with photographers and production to troubleshoot post-production issues; onset retouching for photography shoots when necessary
• Maintain a consistent file structure and naming convention in alignment with studio protocols
• Mentor junior retouchers and contribute to team knowledge of tools and workflows
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes using AI-assisted batch automation, color correction, and smart masking tools
• Perform quality control check on final images prior to delivery of final assets
• Responsible for retouching a high volume of images while keeping in line with standards and quality of ICS and its partners

Skills & Competencies

• Mastery of Adobe Photoshop, including:
• Non-destructive workflows
• Smart object and smart filter usage
• Advanced masking and blending modes
• Neural Filters, Content-Aware Fill, Generative Expand/Fill
• Advanced skin retouching techniques:
• Frequency separation (manual and action-based)
• Pixel-level texture rebuilding
• Dodge & Burn sculpting for dimensional enhancement
• Expert in Capture One, including tethered workflows and color profiling
• Familiarity with 3D LUTs, color calibration, and digital color workflows
• Strong understanding of visual composition, photographic lighting, and form
• Comfortable with compositing across multiple exposures or models
• Working knowledge of color-managed workflows, including ICC profiling and print output prep
• Experience using automated QA tools for consistency across large volumes
• Knowledge of AI image organization tools, metadata handling, and automation scripts
• Comfortable working in cloud-based DAMs and collaborative project environments (e.g., Frame.io, Dropbox, Capture One Live)