A portrait can say a lot more than the person in it realizes — the right retouch just helps that come through cleanly. We're bringing on a
Remote Portrait Retoucher to handle exactly that kind of work: refining high-resolution portraits for personal branding, editorial, and commercial clients without losing what made the original photo feel real. The role pays $75,561 annually, paid monthly, and runs entirely remote.
What This Role Actually Involves
Retouching here isn't about smoothing everything into sameness. It's about knowing when a skin tone needs a subtle correction, when lighting needs balancing, and when the best move is to leave something exactly as it is. You'll work across personal branding shoots, editorial spreads, commercial campaigns, and studio photography, and each project comes with its own visual language to match.
Your Core Responsibilities
- Retouching high-resolution portraits in Adobe Photoshop, with close attention to skin tone, color balance, and lighting
- Enhancing images without over-processing — the goal is polish, not artificiality
- Working directly with photographers and creative leads to understand the direction for each project
- Adjusting tone, clarity, and overall visual balance while cleaning up unwanted elements in the frame
- Delivering files that meet size, color space, and format requirements for both print and digital use
- Taking part in feedback rounds and quality checks to keep results consistent
- Handling batch edits when a project calls for volume without sacrificing quality
How the Remote Setup Works
Work from a quiet home studio, a coworking space, or wherever else you focus best — the only real requirements are a stable connection and the discipline to deliver quality edits on schedule. The team leans heavily on asynchronous communication, which means fewer meetings eating into your day and more stretches of uninterrupted editing time. Cloud-based project tools, structured revision rounds, and periodic check-ins keep everyone aligned without requiring constant back-and-forth.
Openings like this tend to surface on
Naukri Mitra alongside other creative remote roles, and retouchers who've built a strong portfolio often find this kind of listing a good match for where they want their career to go next.
Software and Equipment You'll Use
- Adobe Photoshop (required)
- Adobe Lightroom (preferred for pre-processing)
- A Wacom tablet or comparable pen input device for precision work
- Frame.io or a similar platform for client proofing and review
- Slack for day-to-day communication, Trello for project coordination
What Gets You Considered
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- Experience: Minimum 2 years working as a portrait retoucher or photo editor, ideally in a demanding creative environment
- A portfolio that shows range across different lighting conditions and skin tones
- Solid technique in frequency separation, dodge and burn, color grading, and layer masking
- An eye for balancing visual polish against natural, believable results
- Working knowledge of image standards for both web and print output
- A track record of managing several projects independently, without missing deadlines
Support Behind the Work
You won't be figuring out internal systems on your own — training is provided for whatever platforms the team uses day-to-day, so the transition into the workflow stays smooth rather than relying on trial and error.
Compensation and Perks
- $75,561 annual salary, paid monthly via direct deposit
- Fully remote with flexible hours that adapt to your time zone
- Adobe Creative Suite license covered or reimbursed
- Free access to creative courses and ongoing learning resources
- Performance-based bonuses for standout visual work
- Opportunities to lead artistic direction on high-profile projects as you grow with the team
The Team You'd Be Joining
A fair number of people on this team started out as freelancers before moving into roles shaping visual strategy for international campaigns. Craftsmanship gets noticed here, and so does a willingness to keep learning — this isn't a team where people plateau after year one.
Why the Work Matters
A well-retouched headshot can be the difference between a resume that gets a second look and one that doesn't. A portrait done right preserves someone's story instead of flattening it. As the studio's client base grows, the people doing this work carry more of that responsibility — helping individuals and brands come across with genuine confidence, frame by frame.
Apply
Open to candidates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, India, and other international markets. If precise, thoughtful retouching is where your skills already live, we'd like to see your portfolio.
