Automotive Photo Retoucher

Automotive Photography Retoucher

Position Overview:

We are seeking a highly skilled and detail-oriented Automotive and Product Photography Retoucher to join our creative production team. This role requires exceptional retouching skills, a strong sense of aesthetics, and the ability to bring visual concepts to life. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience working with automotive and product imagery, ensuring the highest quality of output for marketing, advertising, and digital/print campaigns.

Key Responsibilities:

• Retouch and enhance automotive and product images to meet brand standards and specifications.
• Perform advanced editing, including color correction, compositing, object removal, and lighting enhancements.
• Collaborate closely with photographers, creative directors, and graphic designers to achieve the desired visual outcomes.
• Maintain consistency across all retouched assets, ensuring alignment with brand identity.
• Handle multiple projects with tight deadlines while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
• Stay updated on industry trends, retouching techniques, and software advancements to ensure cutting-edge output.
• Manage and organize digital assets, maintaining an efficient workflow and backup system.
  
  

Qualifications and Experience:

• 5-7 years of professional retouching experience, with a strong focus on automotive and product photography.
• Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and other relevant post-production software.
• Demonstrated expertise in high-end retouching techniques, including complex compositing and masking.
• A strong portfolio showcasing automotive and product retouching work.
• Solid understanding of lighting, composition, and color theory.
• Familiarity with CGI integration and rendering workflows is a plus.
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment with a collaborative team.
  
  

Skills

Software / SaaS

• Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Lightroom, After Effects)
• Capture One
• Photo Mechanic
• Apple macOS
• Wacom / Cintiq Pro Software
• Microsoft Office Environment (Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, Sharepoint)
• BrandFolder
• Smartsheet
  
  

Advanced knowledge of automotive photography retouching and the tools required.

• Vehicle Compositing / Layering
• Advanced pathing and selection tool usage
• Curves, blending modes
• Sheet metal / glass retouching
• Color Manipulation / Correction / Matching using color cards
• Color Grading to match brand guidelines
• Reflection Management
• Texture recreation / repair
• Environmental Composting
• Image Stitching
• 360 HDRI assembly and workflows
• Frequency Separation
• Dodge & Burn
• Non-destructive editing workflows
• AI / Generative tools in the Adobe Creative Suite
  
  

Knowledge of Product/Merchandise photography retouching and the tools required.

• Knockouts
• On white / Product captured in studio
• Product in situ, worn or propped
• Invisible mannequin
• 360 assembly and packaging for 3rd party sellers
  
  

Knowledge of portrait photography retouching and the tools required.

• Skin retouching / frequency separation
• Liquify
• Lifestyle images with talent
• Cooperate headshot retouching
  
  

Knowledge of best practices for image handling and organizational processes

• Managing Image ingestion from software like Adobe Lightroom, Capture One
• Understanding of digital asset management systems
• Keywording and Metadata editing and updating
• Experience with batch processing and automation tools in photo editing software
  
  

Knowledge of hardware Color Calibration

• Monitor Calibration and upkeep
• ICC color profiles for print
• Color space management for digital, print, monitor variety, adobe to sRGB etc.
  
  

Preferred Skills:

• Knowledge of video editing and post-production workflows is advantageous.
• Experience with 3D software like Maya, Blender, or Cinema 4D is a bonus.
  
  

Location- Troy, MI

We want to work with people that reflect the communities in which we operate.

• Slate is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, organizational level, work styles, tenure and life experiences. Or for any other reason.
• Slate is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at recar-talent_acquisition@slate.auto or (813) 468-7257.
  
  

The stated pay scale reflects the range that Slate reasonably expects to pay for this position.  The actual pay rate and pay grade for this position will be dependent on a variety of factors, including an applicant's years of experience, unique skills and abilities, education, alignment with similar internal candidates, marketplace factors, other requirements for the position, and employer business practices. In addition to base pay, Slate also offers short-term and long-term incentive programs – 401k match, annual bonus and company equity, based on eligibility, along with a robust offering of benefit and wellness plans, HSA / FSA.