Meet the Jury

How did you find your way into retouching, and what has kept you in it?

I've been studying photography at college and got a work placement as a photography assistant within a commercial studio early on. This is where I encountered Photoshop magic for the first time, and fell in love with post-production. People noted that I might make a career out of it, and so I did.

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

Working in the industry since 2008, I'm a senior retoucher entering the next chapter of my professional journey.

What kinds of projects or environments have shaped your standards the most?

I've been fortunate to experience both freelance and full-time retouch roles. This allowed me to cultivate an approach that is communication-led, proactive, and result-driven, yet fits within the realities and restrictions of a particular project.

What made you want to be part of the Retoucher of the Year jury?

I am pretty sure this is a universal experience for every retoucher - when I say that I do retouching for a living, I am almost always met with a blank stare.

So the Retouch League mission of bringing visibility and awareness of best practices of retouching really resonates with me. There is an overdue need to bring recognition to the retouch craft, and I am honoured to be part of the movement that makes it happen.

When working on major campaigns compared to smaller projects, what truly changes?

Bigger projects have more focused energy and momentum around them. There is typically a bigger team of skilled professionals, and while your own creative input might be contained within a certain domain, there is definitely more potential to learn about the industry - if you can handle the pace.

Smaller projects tend to be more relaxed, but they might come with a big degree of uncertainty about everything - starting with the files that need to be provided, and ending with the desired final result. Some smaller projects definitely require a retoucher to be an educator too, explaining the difference between raw and JPEG, what monitor calibration is, and why having it shot the right way is better than "just fixing it in post".

When you open a new file, what do you look at first before touching anything?

Is the image in focus? All jokes aside, assessing image quality and seeing if the brief can be executed to meet the client's expectations is the first step for freelance projects, before agreeing to work on anything.

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?

Communication and being a team player. Sounds cliche, but only because it is true. Communicating is crucial - setting a good working relationship with a photographer and wider team, establishing prompt feedback loops. All of this allows you to improve the final result and overall efficiency by miles.

Constantly developing skills both in retouching and in your specialised area, and sharing that knowledge generously within the team and with clients, matters just as much. And having a desire to learn about the wider business - to see how retouching fits into that, and how it provides value - is what sets people apart in the long run.

What is one insight you wish more retouchers understood early in their career?

Understanding photography and art fundamentals helps a lot. Curiosity, less ego, and more willingness to collaborate will take you far.

A final note from us

Natalja's description of the blank stare will resonate with almost everyone in this industry - and her response to it is exactly right. Rather than stepping back, she has stepped forward, into advocacy, into community, and now into the jury. Her blend of commercial experience, clear thinking, and genuine generosity makes her a fantastic addition to this panel.

We are thrilled to welcome Natalja Kudrika as a member of the jury for Retoucher of the Year.

About Natalja Kudrika

Country: United Kingdom

Years in the Industry: 18

Primary Specialization: Commercial Campaigns, Model, Lifestyle, Product

Main Expertise: Campaign, Colour Correction and Grading, Compositing

Website: nkudrika.myportfolio.com

Instagram: @tashrtouch

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nkudrik