Our industry is being dramatically reshaped yet again. Technology, social media, and evolving client needs are changing how visual work is made and who gets hired to make it.

Fifteen years ago, I began my freelance journey in the middle of another transformation when analog photography gave way to digital. After studying Commercial Photography in Australia and moving to Los Angeles, I built my business working with beauty and wellness brands while teaching photographers and retouchers around the world. During that time, Retouching Academy was born.

Today, my Avenue team and I continue to work with top beauty & wellness brands – from Pat McGrath Labs, Morphe, Urban Decay, and Hourglass Cosmetics to Lululemon and Sunday Riley – while helping over 50,000 creatives worldwide master the skills they need to thrive in visual production.

Our mission is simple: We help creative professionals like you stay ahead, work smarter, and build a life around what you love doing.

Today, when everything is changing, don’t rush to chase trends or leave the creative field and start over. There are clear trends that show that more visual work is needed by commercial clients, not less; and hiring social influencers to create visual content is less effective for businesses today.

Someone will step in, and your existing skills and experience – whether it is photography, retouching, or both – are what makes you more qualified for this type of work than content creators with iPhones.

Stick around, we have some great stuff coming soon!

 JULIA KUZMENKO MCKIM,  juliakuzmenko.com
RA Founder, Commercial Beauty Photographer & Retoucher
Los Angeles + Dallas