Meet the jury

What first drew you to retouching, and what's kept you committed to it?

I always knew that photography - and retouching in particular - was my passion. What I didn't know was that it could be a career, until I found a Photography and Digital Creation degree in Barcelona and began my formal training there. Over time, that early instinct was confirmed again and again. I'm genuinely drawn to the process itself - the level of detail it demands, and the difference great retouching makes to a final image. That hasn't changed after 12 years. If anything it's stronger.

How long have you been in the industry, and what stage of your career are you in now?

Around 12 years. Working for established companies early on taught me firsthand how large-scale production actually operates - the processes, the standards, the realities of volume work. That experience gave me the confidence to start Sleeklab+ with my business partner. Right now we're in a growth phase - integrating AI into our workflows to scale without sacrificing quality, while I balance the retouching work itself with running a team and thinking about the business strategically.

What kinds of projects shaped your standards the most?

My first jobs taught me what producing under real conditions actually means - tight timelines, keeping a brand's visual identity consistent, and handling volume without letting the standard slip. Later, working on projects where quality was non-negotiable sharpened my focus on detail, cleanliness, and texture even further. That combination - production discipline and a genuine eye for quality - is where my understanding of premium work came together.

Why did you want to be part of the Retoucher of the Year jury?

For years I absorbed knowledge from the teams and professionals around me, and along the way I started noticing a gap in how the industry thinks about quality and turnaround time - they're too often treated as a trade-off, an either-or. I wanted to be part of changing that. Being on the jury is an opportunity to recognise work that is genuinely well done, and to push for technical excellence and professionalism to be valued together rather than in opposition.

What changes most when you move from a small project to a major campaign?

On large campaigns, the management side shifts completely - coordinating a team, maintaining consistency across every deliverable, quality control, and making timelines realistic without sacrificing the standard. With smaller projects you can afford a more hands-on, artisanal workflow. At scale, you need method, structure, and tight organisation, or things start slipping through the cracks.

When you open a new file, what's the first thing you look at?

I start by understanding the objective and the standard the image needs to hit - what type of shot it is, how clean or realistic it needs to look, and how it fits within the rest of the project. Then I work out which problems need solving first, so the result stays efficient and coherent from the start.

At scale, how do you make sure nothing gets missed?

I'm methodical by nature - I structure the process upfront, prioritise what actually matters, and keep tight control over the points in a project where things are most likely to go wrong. On larger projects, having that structure in place from day one is what makes the difference between a smooth delivery and a chaotic one.

A final note from us

Cristina brings to this jury something that goes beyond retouching skill - a genuine understanding of what it takes to build and run a studio that delivers at the highest level, consistently, at scale. Her insistence that quality and efficiency are not a trade-off but a shared goal is exactly the kind of thinking this industry needs more of.

We are proud to welcome Cristina García Valencia as a member of the jury for Retoucher of the Year.

About Cristina García Valencia

Country: Spain

Years in the Industry: 12

Primary Specialization: Beauty Retouching

Main Expertise: Product, Beauty, Lifestyle, Campaign, Architecture, AI Creation

Website: sleeklabplus.com

Instagram: @cristina_gval

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cristinagarciavalencia