Question 1

What is commercial photo retouching?

Accepted Answer

Commercial photo retouching is the precision post-production work that transforms a raw photograph into a polished, brand-ready image. It covers everything from skin and product retouching to color grading, compositing, and full campaign cleanup. The goal is to make every image look exactly as it should — consistent, intentional, and on-brand — without drawing attention to the work itself.

Question 2

What brands and agencies does Look & Seen work with?

Accepted Answer

We work with some of the most demanding brands in the world, including Target, Life Time, and Colossal Biosciences, alongside leading advertising agencies and production companies. Our work spans fashion, luxury, lifestyle, sports, healthcare, and editorial — most of it in the background, doing its job quietly.

Question 3

What's the difference between retouching and image generation?

Accepted Answer

Retouching starts with a photograph and refines it — cleaning up distractions, perfecting color, and making the image consistent with what the brand needs. Image generation creates imagery from scratch, using generative tools directed by the same principles of light, color, and composition that guide our retouching work. Both serve commercial production; the starting point is different.

Question 4

How long does a project take?

Accepted Answer

Turnaround depends on scope and volume. Single images or small selects can often be turned around within 24–48 hours. Full campaign retouching or large-batch work is scoped and scheduled based on your production timeline. We work with agencies and brands running tight deadlines — reach out at hello@lookandseen.com with your project details for a realistic estimate.

Question 5

What file formats do you accept and deliver?

Accepted Answer

We accept RAW files (Phase One IIQ, Canon CR3, Sony ARW, and others), TIFF, PSD, and high-resolution JPEG. Deliverables are provided in whatever format your production requires — typically high-res TIFF or PSD with layers, plus JPEG web versions if needed. If you have a specific pipeline or color profile requirement, let us know upfront.

Question 6

What does an on-set digital technician do?

Accepted Answer

An on-set digital tech manages the entire capture workflow during a photo production. That includes setting up tethered capture, building and managing color grades in real time, handling data backup and file organization, supporting camera and lighting equipment, and performing on-set retouching so the creative team can make decisions on set — not in post. It's one of the more invisible roles in a production and one of the most consequential.

Question 7

How is image generation used in commercial production?

Accepted Answer

Image generation is increasingly part of how brands produce content at scale — concept visualization, product mockups, campaign extensions, and advertising creative where a full photo shoot isn't feasible or necessary. We apply the same eye for quality that drives our retouching work to every generated image, which means the output holds up alongside real photography. It's a production tool, not a shortcut.

Question 8

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Email us at hello@lookandseen.com. Tell us about your project — the type of work, timeline, and volume — and we'll respond quickly. No intake forms, no portals. Just a direct conversation with the people doing the work.

Question 9

What makes Look & Seen different from other retouching studios?

Accepted Answer

We've spent years working across retouching, image generation, and on-set digital support — which means we understand the full image pipeline, not just one part of it. That context shapes everything we do. We're not a high-volume shop running images through a pipeline. We're a small, focused team that treats every project as something worth getting exactly right.

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