Happy Finish is a unique retouching collective operating from the heart of London, giving a ‘Happy Finish’ to pictures from the biggest advertising campaigns to the most influential fashion editorials in the world. They allow their retouchers to do their own thing and actively encourage them to develop a strong personal style, because of course different clients want different things. Lexposure.net spoke to them about their unique way of working and why a Feng Shui office with a bit of Burt Bacharach makes everyone happy.
How did you get into re-touching?
Our retouchers joined us through a variety of routes, some started out as photographers, some studied illustration, we even have one colleague who started out as a hand retoucher before the digital age. But what everyone has in common is that they are dedicated to retouching, as it takes at least three years to learn all the essential skills involved and many more years of working in the field to gain enough experience to be able to work on high-end retouching projects.
When did you set up Happy Finish and what did you set out to do differently?
Stuart Waplington set up Happy Finish in 2003 and right from the beginning designed the company structure differently to our competitors’, which is what still sets us apart from many companies in the sector. All of our retouchers work independently from our studios and in their own time and style, as we believe that our variety of creative talent should be encouraged, not moulded to fit the art director’s specifications. We act as representatives of our retouch and CGI collective, putting them in contact with clients, who then communicate directly with the retoucher they want to work with. This ensures that both sides are happy with the outcome as both chose to work together in a process that often requires a close relationship and direct contact between parties. This transparency works very well, building up strong relationships with clients and within the team itself.
Does Happy Finish have a ‘trademark’ style? If so what is it?
No, we don’t, quite the opposite is in fact the case. Due to our company structure that appreciates and encourages different types of retouching and CGI style, every retoucher/CGI artist can develop their personal style and offer it directly to clients that are looking for this style. This is why our clients value the transparency at Happy Finish, because they can chose what style is on offer and work with whom they want. This approach has rewarded us with numerous long-lasting and valued artist-client relationships. Each retoucher has an individual portfolio on our website, so have a look at what kind of thing they do!
What is the most challenging thing about your work, and what’s the biggest challenge your company has faced?
The most challenging thing we deal with is being faced with agencies and art buyers who do not understand how important retouching is and how much effort goes into making an image look just right. As each project becomes the retoucher’s “baby” for a while they don’t send off projects they are not happy with, so we try and explain that retouching isn’t just a question of removing some blemishes and increasing the contrast. Thankfully our clients are happy with the results and open to learn the retoucher’s point of view.
Can you tell us about one particular professional success of which you are especially proud?
At present we are very proud of our recent campaign for Louis Vuitton, which was retouched by Dan Moloney.
Is there a noticeable difference between American and UK re-touching style?
Yes, there is. We often find that the style predominant in America favors highly stylized images, whereas the UK prefers a more subtle, natural look of retouching. Americans often over-retouch, particularly skin.
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