We were lucky enough to catch up with master retoucher Shelly Greer for an exclusive interview.
 Shelly started off as member of a pioneering team of animators and artists working on the first paperless animated television series, "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" which aired on the Fox Network. Before landing with the Ron Chapple Studios crew, her illustration and animation skills had been utilized by clients such as John Deere, the United States Military and several NCAA Division I sports teams.
PR: How has photo retouching changed since you began working in this field? What do you see (or hope to see) changing in the future as the technology behind digital cameras and equipment advance?
SG: Photoshop was only percolating as someone's idea at the time I started out. Who knows what the future holds... I'm happy that this industry has progressed this far, this fast.
PR: What's the most embarassing thing you've ever had to retouch in a photo?
SG: The usual body parts that network television has to put a black box over. There are some people out there that just need to keep their clothes ON!
PR: If you could retouch any celebrity, which one would it be?
SG: I'm not too impressed with any celebrities but I must say I could entertain myself easily by Photoshopping a few undesirable features on Paris Hilton's mug.
PR: We assume that one would have an intuitive sense of photo retouching before they seek out such a profession. It MUST take a thorough and well balanced eye! How did your career gravitate towards becoming a high volume photo retoucher?
SG: No animation jobs in Charlotte? Sara Woodmansee from Ron Chapple Studios hired me because it was the only way to keep me off the RCS doorstep!
Being at the right place, at the right time. Other places I have worked at used Photoshop as a secondary program for simple graphics and such. For John Deere, I did basic retouching on their tech manual photos of their newest line of cotton pickers. They didn't have the actual machine built yet, so we had to modify photos of the previous year's model. It was, quite literally, nuts and bolts a lot of the time.
PR: What equipment is essential for someone seeking to pursue a career in retouching?
SG: Most definitely Photoshop and a box with plenty of juice for obnoxiously large files!
PR: What aspects of photo retouching do you find most challenging?
SG: Making color adjustments have always been the most difficult for me.
PR: How do you produce "natural" looking skin textures without creating images that look airbrushed? In other words, how do you know when to stop in order to avoid over-retouched images?
SG: Sometimes its best to only hit major stuff and leave the rest. Blemishes and strays hairs are most definitely outta there. I like to use a Photoshop plug-in called Portraiture which is specifically made for retouching skin. You can adjust the settings in it to get a great airbrushed look or even knock out basic skin blotchiness.
 PR: How much time do you typically spend on an image?
SG: If it's dust spots, it shouldn't take more than a few minutes on average.
Major retouching work like removing logos from someone who is covered head to toe in them can take up to an hour...
PR: As technology rapidly continues to change, what operating systems and programs do you remain loyal to?
SG: I am a diehard, life-long fan of Photoshop (Mac & PC), 3DS Max (PC) and CorelDraw (PC).
Q: Is there any specific training you could recommend to someone seeking to begin a career in retouching?
A: Any beginning photoshop class would be good to get a head start on covering tools and such. Practice on family photographs so you know what your strengths are. This way you will know what areas you might need improvement on and will be able get more out of a class. If you have some illustration skills, that is a plus! The internet is like a bank vault full of great tutorials.
Q: What kind of advice would you give someone who is looking to increase their skills in retouching photographs?
A: Don't be afraid to click on buttons that you have no idea what they do. Experiment and practice! Sometimes the best stuff happens by accident.
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