why i keep retouching real

Retouching is part of what I do, but I always keep it light. I do not change the way people look.

If there’s a bruise or a spot that popped up on the day, I will take it out. If someone feels self-conscious about a scar and asks me to soften it, I will. But when it comes to removing wrinkles, changing skin textures, reshaping features that is not something I offer.

Of course people want to present their best selves. I get it, I do too. But there is a line between enhancing a portrait and completely rewriting someone’s face. We live in a time where imperfections are not really welcome. Everyone filters everything and that’s not what my photography is about.

In the early 2000s, retouching culture went a bit mad. It got to the point where people were editing eyelashes, whitening eyeballs, and blurring skin so much that people looked like dolphins. Completely textureless. You ended up with images where no one looked human and somehow that became the norm.

That is one of the reasons why I love shooting on film. There is no airbrushing, no endless tweaking. You cannot “fix” things in post. It forces me to be more intentional, focusing on light, gestures and emotions, which keeps the honesty in the work.

Every imperfection tells part of a story. It adds to the personality of the image. Even in history, painters would tweak portraits to flatter their subjects, but they never erased the person entirely. I think about that balance often.

Yes, colour correction and editing matter. But they should support the photo not distract from it. I want to create images that feel like you, just in the best possible light.

Real, not perfect.