Photo Retouching And Editing: Shaping The Face Of Digital Businesses
The hyper-competitive digital environment that modern businesses are operating in makes it very hard for any brand to cut through the noise.
Online, consumers are being bombarded with marketing content, left, right and centre.
As a result, it has gotten more difficult than ever for a business to grab the attention of its target audience.
This is where digital photography and photo retouching becomes so incremental for any business.
From the perspective of marketing, digital photographs have become indispensable.
Professional photo retouching and editing play a vital role in portraying the message of the brand, in the most flattering ways possible.
It is not a surprise why photo retouching has become one of the central tenets of a well-thought-out marketing campaign. After all, it communicates exactly what needs to be said to the user.
What is photo retouching?
Photo or image retouching is the procedure through which a photograph is altered and readied to make it presentable and eye-catching.
Professional photo retouching usually involves a series of adjustments made to bring out a more polished and savvy-looking photograph.
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These adjustments are both local and global kind.
Localised adjustments are refinements that are selectively implemented to achieve the desired image.
Globalised adjustments such as colour correction are done to polish and refine the image so that it can look more visually appealing.
What is photo restoration?
Photo restoration is the process of removing the contamination from a damaged image with an intent to return the image to its original clean form.
Contamination can occur in many different ways, like the image may be out of focus, blurred, contorted, glared, or just old.
Photo restoration is distinct from photo retouching.
While photo retouching is all about enhancing the image to make it look more appealing for the observer, photo restoration focuses more on accuracy.
Here, the aim is to return the image to its earlier, untempered form.
Hence, photo restoration is more commonly used to remove taints and restore an old photograph.
Photo restoration works to bring out an image that is as closer to the original photograph as possible.
Types of professional photo retouching
A professional retoucher working for a photo editing business grants the creative control of the final image in the hands of the marketer/art director.
The work of a retoucher brings more clarity and polish to the vision of the marketer or art director that has been captured in the image.
There are two primary types of image retouching:
Portraits, be it lifestyle portraits or of any other kind, are an important tool in the arsenal of any business.
We are hard-wired to recognise and associate with faces, which is why several websites display portraits on their homepage.
It is one of the few sure-shot ways of grabbing a viewer’s attention.
However, it is also a tricky thing to get right. Often great faces don’t look that great when photographed and vice versa.
This is where photo retouching becomes crucial.
In the case of a portrait, model photo retouching is quite effective.
For a model photo retouching, the retoucher works to hide any visible scars or blemishes on the face of the model.
The retoucher also makes the skin look smoother with more consistent colour.
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Other aspects of model photo retouching include whitening of teeth, enhancement of eyes, and sometimes even making the face look thinner.
Professional photo retouching also allows marketers to alter the hair colours and enhance the form and angularity of the model’s posture.
It allows the marketer/art director to create a desirable body language that fits within the broader context of the marketing theme and messaging.
2. Photo retouching for product images
When it comes to professional photo retouching of product images, the improvements make images look more pleasant and visually enticing to the viewer/customers.
As a marketer, you can use photo retouching to emphasise certain aspects of the product.
A capable photo editing business can help you alter the image according to your preferences.
In order to improve the quality of a product photograph, a professional retoucher can add highlights that will add incredible depth to the image.
In the same vein, a professional retoucher can erase fingerprints, smudges, etc., from the surface of the product, giving it a smooth, glossier look.
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It is noteworthy that there are different degrees of retouching that applies to digital photographs.
Basic photo retouching work would involve refinements like “erasing” scratches or traces of glue.
However, more sophisticated photo retouching involves meticulous work on the product to make it look irresistible.
For example, adding shine and glow to the stones of a piece of jewellery, giving texture to the leather, eliminating glare, etc.
Advantages of Photo Retouching and Restoration for Businesses
Image-centric social networking sites such as Instagram and Pinterest are dominating the digital space right now.
All digital businesses are ultimately a part of this ecosystem.
Hence, they don’t have any other option but to adopt the language of images as the primary medium in which they present marketing content to their target audience.
Also, there is ample research pointing towards the fact that humans are much better at responding to visual cues.
It explains the numerous benefits that businesses garner through prudent use of photo retouching and photo restoration.
- Attracting attention online
It is hard to make your brand stand out in this market saturated with competitors.
But you can prudently use retouching to create your own distinct brand identity.
The more sophisticated, well-targeted, and visually appealing the images, the more chances there are that you will be able to attract people’s attention.
- Making sure people know about you
The next step after grabbing people’s attention is to make sure they remember your brand. Creating brand awareness is another area where photo retouching can give you an edge.
You can try to create a staple for your brand images. It can be in the style of edit you choose, or the crop pattern, or the saturation of the colours in your marketing pictures.
These stylistic choices, when brought together, create a unique visual palette. It enables customers to identify your brand.
image retouching can add brand recall value to a particular image.
It makes sure that every time the viewer sees the picture, they instantaneously associate it with your brand and its products.
- Improving sales
The ultimate goal of any marketing campaign is to elevate sales.
The aim of image retouching is no different.
A well-touched-up image can help boost your sales by aiding you to create a lasting impression of the viewer.
A visually enhanced and polished image is well-suited for outlets such as newspapers, websites, social media, etc.
It is because it attracts potential customers, igniting their interest in your products/services. Images that emit grace, and are eye-catching can convince a viewer into buying your offering.
- Gaining credibility among customers
Building trust among customers is essential for any business that is trying to succeed in the digital marketplace.
Old photo restoration and retouching allow you to make real photographs look more aesthetically pleasing and authentic looking. Usage of original images lends credibility to your brand identity online. And the use of photo retouching will help you better present the authentic visuals of old photographs.
For instance, you can take pictures of a piece of jewellery that you are selling online, and then enhance them through photo retouching, before posting them on your website.
This way, when the customer receives the product, they will appreciate how the product looks similar to photographs they saw on the website. It will strengthen their trust in your brand.
- High-quality photographs for higher engagement
You can draw greater audience engagement and impressions on social media by making sure that all your marketing images are of high quality.
Top-of-the-line high-definition images command the attention of the viewer, instilling confidence in them about the product and the brand.
By using professional photo retouching, you can easily revamp the photographs, adding a ton of visual appeal to the images.
Conclusion
It is clear from the above that by using retouching and restoration, you can enhance your brand identity online. Professional photo retouching helps you get ahead of your competitors.
It also allows you to convey your marketing messages to its target audience, efficiently and effectively. Whether you require high-end retouching or just some basic editing, contact a professional image retouching expert, and they will match your requirements.
