Could you tell us a little about yourself and how you got into retouching?

I graduated in computing at the end of the 1980s and found myself drawn to the Desktop Publishing Revolution. I moved to London in the early 1990s and joined a growing reprographics company. As computing power increased through the decade, digital retouching of high-resolution images became genuinely viable - and I already had a personal interest in photography and darkroom techniques, so retouching felt like a natural fit. Computers and image editing, together. Thirty years later, I still sometimes retouch just for the pleasure of it.

You already have a remarkable portfolio. What made you decide to enter Retoucher of the Year?

I love what I do, and I appreciate that clients pay me to do it. But there comes a point in a retoucher's career when you realise that this is an unacknowledged craft. It used to be unknown and unacknowledged - everyone has heard of Photoshop now, so it's certainly not unknown anymore. But it remains unacknowledged as a craft.

It can be well paid. Clients can be very appreciative. But when you see your images published, you will never see your name in the credits alongside the photographer, the art director, the stylist, the makeup artist. A high-profile competition like Retoucher of the Year is long overdue as a way to raise awareness and acknowledge what we actually do. I felt obliged to join in now that Timea has created one.

How would you describe your retouching style?

Slow - sometimes too slow - and as naturalistic as possible.

When you're given a source image to work with, what's the first thing you look at before touching anything?

I studied photography and black and white darkroom techniques in the 1980s, and my very first retouch was dodging and burning in the darkroom. That experience has had a lifelong impact on how I see images.

In Photoshop, I always look at luminosity and contrast first - setting highlight and shadow points in Curves, sometimes reprocessing RAWs to recover over-exposed or under-exposed areas. If I was limited to a single change on any image, it would always be contrast.

What do you think the retouching community needs more of right now?

The belief that we can survive the disruption of AI. People appreciate craft when they realise they have a choice - and I think they do have a choice. That matters.

Beyond technical ability, what really determines whether someone builds a lasting career in retouching?

For me, it's an enduring love of images. Every image I work on, I ask myself: how can I make this one better? The before and after is its own reward - always has been, always will be.

When the competition is over, what would make you feel that entering was worthwhile?

The same thing that made entering feel necessary in the first place - the belief that retouching deserves to be seen, acknowledged, and credited. If this competition moves the needle on that, even a little, it will have been more than worthwhile.

A final note from us

Jamie's answer to almost every question came back to the same quiet conviction: that retouching is a craft, that it deserves acknowledgement, and that the people who do it well have earned their place in the credits. That belief is exactly why this competition exists. We're very glad he decided to take part.