For anyone working in a creative team, collaboration is key, so that’s why I wanted to interview a photo retoucher, as they’re very essential in nearly every project. Thiago Christo, from Brazil, is one of the friendliest I know, plus he makes amazing stuff. He’s doing it for over 10 years, so enough reason to ask him a few questions. His blog is nice to check out too, to see what he does.

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m a graphic designer and inker, specialized in retouching 2D and 3D images for advertising and decoration. I’ve graduated in Marketing & Design at CONTEC, Espirito Santo, in 2000. Today I work in partnership with communications agencies, photographers and other companies, creating images for advertising and decoration.

Why did you ever become a photo retoucher?
My childhood dream was to work with images and I began restoring photos on the computer. Well, now I work for advertising and decoration.

Do you retouch your own personal photo, e.g. on Facebook?
I don’t retouch my personal pictures. I only do that for with professional photos for advertising.

Do you have a lot of freedom to choose how the final result is going to look like?
I have no freedom, because my job is to imagine what the art director has thought. All I do is adjust the picture to make it better.

What’s key in the relationship between creatives(artdirector/copywriter) and graphic designers/retouchers/photographers/etc?
The key is to be humble, willing to participate, get involved with the project as a whole, from the the creation to the production and the finish. Have commitment.

For you, what makes a good advertisement?
A good advertisement is made with good creativity, passing the message directly to the consumer audience.

What’s the best advice you can give to students around the world, who are trying to get into the business of advertising?
Focuses on your dream. A phrase that I love, is “só não existe o que não é imaginado“, meaning “there is nothing what cannot not be imagined.“