Meet the Jury
Mike Stening
by Stephanie van der Stap
June 30, 2026 | 4 min read
As part of our Retoucher of the Year jury series, we're introducing the retouchers who help shape the standards our industry holds itself to.
Mike Stening is a UK based retoucher with over 28 years of experience specializing in product and drinks retouching, including glass, transparency, liquids, and 3D visualisation integration. He came to the craft through a love of drawing, art, and matte painting, discovered Photoshop early in his career, and has since built deep expertise in light, refraction, reflection, and premium labelling through years of working with major drinks brands. He currently freelances across advertising and design clients.
BACK 28 Years of Drinks, Glass, and Getting the Brief Right
How did you find your way into retouching, and what has kept you in it?
I always had a love of drawing and art, and became interested in matte painting and airbrush art. At university I had the opportunity to use very early versions of Photoshop which intrigued me in the work methods, though it was very different to the current versions. And in my first full-time role as a junior I was asked to help out on compositing work for Orient Express and found it very natural for me.
How long have you been working in the industry, and what phase of your career are you in now?
I have been working since 1998 and have seen it change drastically in the tools that have become available - making some jobs easier, but at the same time they can make the user lazy.
What kinds of projects or environments have shaped your standards the most?
Throughout my career I have unintentionally ended up working on many drinks brands, which means I have an excellent understanding of light, liquids and glass, refractions, reflections, and colour balancing. I was also fortunate enough to work for a number of years on Budweiser, which gave me a great understanding of the intricacies of premium labelling - specifically foils, specials, and spot colour matching.
What made you want to be part of the Retoucher of the Year jury?
I think as I am at senior level and have worked through the many iterations of Photoshop and image editing software, I probably have a slightly different view on retouching to someone starting more recently. Early versions meant you had to think and problem-solve around a retouch before even starting - as you didn't have things like history, multiple undos, clone tools, generative and broad filters, smart objects, and so on. And if I can pass on any knowledge to someone then I can help, but I can also learn from collaborating with new people.
When working on major campaigns compared to smaller projects, what truly changes?
The scale or scope of work can be the main difference. Understanding how the image will be used size-wise is really important. You should retouch to your largest format so that the image will cover the whole project.
When you open a new file, what do you look at first before touching anything?
Resolution for the job in hand, image focus, and colour balance - so that there is enough pixel information available.
When working at scale, how do you make sure nothing is missed?
Establishing a work process that is structured, standardised, and sticking to it. Using documentation for pipelines and workflows, as well as having peer review, is a great help too.
Beyond technical ability, what really determines whether someone builds a sustainable career?
Listening and paying close attention in a briefing. If you have the luxury of being in a pre-project brief, make sure you understand the designs you are working on so you can ask the right questions - which in turn can help the photographer and ultimately mean you have all the visual files needed to effectively complete the job.
What do you think this industry needs more of right now?
For clients to understand the relevance of good photography and less reliance on AI. Photography means you can have a full background plate, individual elements shot in scene, and groupings where required. This keeps a consistent lighting style across the work and allows you to move things around without jumping through hoops to do so.
A final note from us
Mike brings to this jury something that takes decades to build - a genuine mastery of a very specific and technically demanding area of the craft, paired with the broader perspective that comes from watching the industry transform around him. His instinct to always start with the brief, and to always think about where an image will end up, is a lesson in professional discipline that never goes out of date.
We are delighted to welcome Mike Stening as a member of the jury for Retoucher of the Year.
About Mike Stening
Country: United Kingdom
Years in the Industry: 28+
Primary Specialization: Product and Drinks Retouching
Main Expertise: Product, Bottles, Glass and Transparency Work, Liquids, 3D Visualisation Integration
Website: mikestening.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mike-stening-4a64b913
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