After over a decade in the North American beauty industry as a commercial photographer and retoucher, I see that while AI is dramatically reshaping both the retouching process and the market for photographers and retouchers, it is unlikely that post-production professionals will be fully replaced as long as there is a need for professional photography and visual content creation.

The tools we use, client expectations, and service pricing will continue to evolve, much like the historic shift from analog photography to digital that many of us have witnessed firsthand.

Photographers who resisted those changes eventually were replaced by newcomers with digital tools offering faster and more affordable services in both Photography and Post-production.

Today, AI’s advancements in image processing are enhancing available retouching tools, enabling faster handling of repetitive and technically demanding tasks.

However, the creative and subjective elements of photo editing—those that require a nuanced understanding of aesthetics, human emotion, and artistic intent, as well as combining various creative skills in unique ways—are the skills we can leverage to expand our value in the changing marketplace.

As highly educated and capable creative professionals (as opposed to basic technicians), we don’t get replaced but become even more capable creative masters empowered by the new AI tools.

Photography & Retouching by Julia Kuzmenko McKim, Los Angeles + Dallas 

Photography & Retouching by Julia Kuzmenko McKim, featuring the Beauty Retouch panel by Retouching Academy

Changes in the mainstream trends in beauty, photography, and social media, as well as hardware and software developments, are rapid and require our attention more than ever (sign up for our newsletter for freelancers). What’s cutting-edge today may be outdated tomorrow, affecting the bottom line of your freelance business.

By diversifying income streams while leveraging the core skills you already possess as a creative professional in the visual arts, you can continue to evolve with the market even in times when definitions, tools and job titles change.

Wise seasoned creative professionals don’t waste their energy fighting inevitable changes. Instead, they focus on upskilling, reskilling, adding adjacent skills to their repertoire, and pivoting their businesses to prosper alongside industry shifts.

Upskilling – learning new or improving existing skills – enhances an individual’s capabilities to stay relevant in a changing job market, often involving advanced specialized knowledge to adapt to industry demands.

By honing your artistic judgment and aesthetics, unique personal/brand style, contextual awareness, experience-based insights, marketing and managerial skills, you effectively future-proof your freelance business.

Additionally, there are endless opportunities to add passive income streams to your business – join our newsletter below to learn how other creative professionals are finding success in the digital economy today.

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

What is photo retouching?

Today, visual content reigns supreme and before any images are seen by consumers, clients and followers, more often than not they are retouched to enhance their perceived visual value.

Retouching, or advanced photo editing, is a set of manipulations performed on a digital image to correct mistakes and shortcomings of the production (photo shoot) as well as elevate the visual impact of the final images. Production teams, however, should always aim to minimize post-production time and costs through careful pre-capture work.

While new retouching software continues emerging, Adobe Photoshop is still considered the standard professional retouching program.

Basic photo editing and retouching manipulations include exposure and color corrections, removal of undesired objects and details, shape adjustments, resizing & exporting images in formats optimized for the web.

The ability to perform a high-quality, more detailed retouch, however, has become an invaluable skill for millions of freelancers worldwide. Photographers, retouchers, makeup artists, graphic designers, and other visual content creators are increasing the value of their services by adding photo retouching to their skillsets.

Photo & retouching by Julia Kuzmenko McKim for Hourglass Cosmetics

RELEVANT MARKETS’ FORECASTS FOR RETOUCHERS

The emergence of Generative AI tools and the general rise of video content consumption, along with the turbulent geopolitical landscape had a significant effect on the global Digital Photography market in recent years. However, all business forecasts point to an expected strong growth over the next 4-5 years, up to $66.68 billion in 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5%, according to the Business Research Company.

Not all created photographs will require post-production, those that do will be edited by hired professional retouchers who use current tools and workflows optimized for the minimal turnaround time, and labor cost.

According to the Market Research Guru reports, the global Post-Production market size was valued at USD 21.04 million in 2022 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.83% reaching USD 29.56 million by 2028. Post-production as part of the process of filmmaking, video production, and photography, includes all stages of production occurring after shooting or recording.

Additionally, and this is great news for beauty photographers and retouchers, According to the McKinsey & Company Global Beauty Market Retail report, almost all countries and regions are expected to see significant growth in their beauty markets. This means that the demand for visual content creation (photography, video production and post-production) within the beauty industry will continue to grow.

What does this mean for freelancers? Those who can get more quality work done faster, by leveraging automation and efficient workflows, will dominate the labor market. while those who are unable to adapt to the new market demands will exit it.

Our smart Retouching Panels will continue evolving and leveraging new technology, AI tools, and cloud retouching to provide our users with an advantage in securing their advanced and high-end retouching freelance business.

HOW MUCH DO RETOUCHERS MAke?

Retouchers’ earnings can vary widely based on several factors, including geographical location, industry, skill level, and additional nuances.

In North America, the average rate freelancers charge is about $100/hour, topping out at $550/hour with a strong correlation between years of experience and the rates charged.

An individual retoucher’s location no longer limits their reach as the majority of retouching work is done remotely. However, there are other nuances that directly affect retouchers’ income potential:

♦️ Client’s Geographical Location: Rates can differ significantly based on the cost of living and demand in different regions.

♦️ Industry: The industry a retoucher works in greatly affects their rates. For instance, fashion and beauty industries often pay more than other sectors like real estate or product photography due to the higher standards and visibility of the work.

♦️ Skill Level and Experience: More experienced and highly skilled retouchers can command higher rates. Specialized skills, such as high-end beauty retouching or advanced composite work, can also justify premium pricing.

♦️ Client Type: Working with commercial clients, advertising and creative agencies, or high-profile brands usually offers higher pay compared to individual photographers or small businesses.

♦️ Project Complexity and Scope: The complexity of the retouching required, the number of images, and the turnaround time can all influence rates. More complex projects that require intricate work will generally cost more.

♦️ Reputation and Portfolio: A strong portfolio and good reputation can allow retouchers to charge higher rates. Clients are often willing to pay more for proven quality and reliability.

♦️ Additional Skillset Training: Specialized training in certain software or techniques can justify higher charges. Additional training in software or techniques for adjacent skills (new or rare skills, additional skills in video editing, 3D rendering, generative AI in still imagery and video) can also affect rates and increase demand in certain niche areas.

♦️ Freelance vs. In-House: Freelancers may have different rates compared to in-house retouchers. Freelancers often charge more per project or hour to cover their freelance business expenses, while in-house retouchers might have a more stable, though potentially lower, salary.

Over the past decade, especially since 2020, commercial clients have increasingly outsourced production and post-production to external vendors, including freelancers, creative studios, and retouching agencies.

Recently, the trend has shifted even more toward creative studios and agencies that can manage larger projects with faster turnaround times.

By understanding these factors, retouchers can better navigate the market, adjust their rates, and strategically position themselves to maximize their earning potential.