In September, we offered to pay the entry fee for retouchers in our community who wanted to enter Retoucher of the Year 2026. Retoucher of the Year is an independent international competition created for retouching professionals. Everyone entering in the same category and region gets the same RAW files and the same brief (the written instructions for the job). The judges then analyze each layered PSD file, not only the final image.
We reviewed every portfolio that came in with an application, and only picked 5, not 10. Our original agreement with the organizers was to sponsor 5 retouchers, and they offered to match that and sponsor 5 more themselves. When we compared our notes, it turned out we picked the same 5 retouchers, and the rest were more beginner-level.
If you are one of the retouchers who submitted but did not get the sponsorship, don’t be discouraged! This is an international competition among professionals, so we were looking for those whose skills are solid enough to compete now. If you did not get selected, keep practicing and try again next year.
Below are the retouchers we have sponsored, with a few words on what each of them does. Look through their work, pick your favorites, follow them, and cheer them on through the challenge.
Meet Our Five Sponsored Retouchers
Sandy’s Lab
Sandy’s Lab is a studio for retouching and CGI (computer-generated imagery: images built in 3D software rather than photographed). The retouching gallery on the Sandy’s Lab website shows beauty close-ups, fashion editorials, and magazine covers. If you are a retoucher curious about 3D, this is a working example of one person doing both.
Portfolio: sandys-lab.com
Elena Misjuk
Elena Misjuk is a freelance retoucher who works on fashion, beauty, and commercial images, and most of her portfolio is magazine work. Her page on models.com (an industry directory for fashion creatives) lists more than 280 credits. Of those, 115 are magazine covers. Her Behance projects include work for Elle Spain, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, and Numéro Netherlands. Monica Bellucci, Jessica Chastain, and Naomi Watts are among the faces she has retouched.
Instagram: @elena_misjuk · Portfolio: Behance
Emma, Archer Retouch
Emma is a freelance beauty and fashion retoucher based in the UK, working under the name Archer Retouch. She has more than seven years in the industry. Her work covers magazine editorials, product photos for online stores, and beauty campaigns for cosmetics brands.
Instagram: @archer.retouch · Portfolio: archerretouch.com
Alena Zonova
Alena Zonova is a commercial retoucher based in Moscow. She retouches beauty, portrait, skincare, and jewelry images for photographers and brands. She describes her approach as “preserving natural skin texture, refined details, and a realistic look.” Her recent projects include product retouching for the skincare brand Dr. Jart+ with photographer Liz Strupat. When her entry was confirmed, she posted: “Thank you so much for sponsoring @retouchingacademy!” We are happy to, Alena, good luck!
Instagram: @alenazon · Portfolio: Behance
Yuliya Ivanenko, Glaze Retouching
Yuliya retouches under the name Glaze Retouching and has more than six years of experience. Her portfolio covers beauty, fashion, cosmetics, jewelry, and food. She describes her approach in three words: “natural, flawless, and detail-driven.” If you retouch more than one genre, her portfolio shows one retoucher working on skin, jewelry, and food.
Instagram: @glaze.retouching · Portfolio: Glaze Retouching
Is It Too Late to Enter Retoucher of the Year 2026?
No. Late registration is still open. Everyone who registered on time already has the official images, so late entrants start with less time to work. The organizers say there is still plenty of time to join: the competition images are not particularly difficult, and most assignments can be completed in less than a day.
This year’s images come from photographers Han Yang and Yve Adore, and the organizers have only just started naming them.
Key Dates
- October 23: late registration closes.
- October 25: final submission deadline.
- December 20: results announced.
- March or April 2027: award ceremony and exhibition. The exact date is not set yet, and the organizers are checking gallery availability now.
If you have been thinking about entering, register on the Retoucher of the Year website.
If you know a retoucher who would enjoy this challenge, or a photographer who retouches their own work, send them this post.
Good luck to the retouchers we are sponsoring, and to everyone else entering this year!
A note from the Retouching Academy team: We are sharing this post as a supporter of an initiative that puts fellow retouchers and their work in the spotlight. Retouching Academy is not an organizer, judge, or paid partner of Retoucher of the Year. Beyond covering the entry fees for the five retouchers above, we have no role in entries, fees, payments, judging, or results.
All questions about the competition, including registration and payment, should go to the Retoucher of the Year team directly.