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I’m Paul Birch, a Photographer/Photoshop Retoucher with over 30 years of experience spanning high-end editorial retouching, mail order catalogue production, and premium book packaging. I’ve built a reputation for attention to quality, detail, and delivering strong results under tight deadlines. I specialise in high-end retouch work for premium publishers (including Folio Society), where I combine capture and retouch workflows to enhance metallic foils, leather binding, and complex colour/finish requirements. I’m also experienced in prepress/print production fundamentals from my photogravure and print training background, helping ensure production-ready image files for clients.…I’m Paul Birch, a Photographer/Photoshop Retoucher with over 30 years of experience spanning high-end editorial retouching, mail order catalogue production, and premium book packaging. I’ve built a reputation for attention to quality, detail, and delivering strong results under tight deadlines. I specialise in high-end retouch work for premium publishers (including Folio Society), where I combine capture and retouch workflows to enhance metallic foils, leather binding, and complex colour/finish requirements. I’m also experienced in prepress/print production fundamentals from my photogravure and print training background, helping ensure production-ready image files for clients.

Paul Birch

Photographer, Image Editor, Photoshop Editor, +3

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I’m Paul Birch, a Photographer/Photoshop Retoucher with over 30 years of experience spanning high-end editorial retouching, mail order catalogue production, and premium book packaging. I’ve built a reputation for attention to quality, detail, and delivering strong results under tight deadlines. I specialise in high-end retouch work for premium publishers (including Folio Society), where I combine capture and retouch workflows to enhance metallic foils, leather binding, and complex colour/finish requirements. I’m also experienced in prepress/print production fundamentals from my photogravure and print training background, helping ensure production-ready image files for clients.…I’m Paul Birch, a Photographer/Photoshop Retoucher with over 30 years of experience spanning high-end editorial retouching, mail order catalogue production, and premium book packaging. I’ve built a reputation for attention to quality, detail, and delivering strong results under tight deadlines. I specialise in high-end retouch work for premium publishers (including Folio Society), where I combine capture and retouch workflows to enhance metallic foils, leather binding, and complex colour/finish requirements. I’m also experienced in prepress/print production fundamentals from my photogravure and print training background, helping ensure production-ready image files for clients.

Available to hire

I’m Paul Birch, a Photographer/Photoshop Retoucher with over 30 years of experience spanning high-end editorial retouching, mail order catalogue production, and premium book packaging. I’ve built a reputation for attention to quality, detail, and delivering strong results under tight deadlines.

I specialise in high-end retouch work for premium publishers (including Folio Society), where I combine capture and retouch workflows to enhance metallic foils, leather binding, and complex colour/finish requirements. I’m also experienced in prepress/print production fundamentals from my photogravure and print training background, helping ensure production-ready image files for clients.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Intermediate

Intermediate

Beginner

Beginner

Beginner

Work Experience

Photographer/Photoshop Retoucher at Branded Ltd (Formally Technik Ltd)

July 1, 2009 - Present

Retouching for mail order catalogues including Wilkinsons and Mothercare, and producing packaging work for clients such as Morrisons and Waitrose. Focus includes adapting colour workflows (e.g., substituting four colours for special colours) and maintaining high-quality retouch standards. Specialises in high-end retouch for Folio Society, supporting premium book production involving metallic foils and leather binding. Took over photography of books to ensure capture aligns with retouch requirements, using Capture One to automate the capture of additional angles/shots that would later be used to enhance detailed quality attributes. This capture/retouch approach was adopted successfully by Folio Society for over a decade.

Photographer/Photoshop Retoucher at Branded Ltd (Formally Technik Ltd), Unit 3, River Park Industrial Estate, Billet Lane, Berkhampstead, Herts. HP4 1HL

July 1, 2009 - Present

Retouching for mail order catalogues (e.g., Wilkinsons, Mothercare) and expanding into packaging production for clients such as Morrisons and Waitrose. Developed deeper understanding of packaging production, including substituting special colours and handling complex print/production constraints. Specialises in high-end retouch work for Folio Society, including metallic foils, leather binding and detailed accents. Took over Folio Society book photography, using Capture One to automatically capture additional angles/shots required for precise retouching, then leveraging those extra captures to emphasise craftsmanship details. Recognised as part of a successful long-running workflow adopted by Folio Society.

Photoshop Retoucher at Wyndeham Masterpiece Ltd (Formally Argent Colour Ltd), 109-123 Clifton St, London, EC2A 4DB

April 1, 1992 - April 1, 2009

Retouched images for high-end magazines including Cosmopolitan, Country Living, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Vogue, Tatler, Vanity Fair, and Harper’s & Queens. Also retouched mail order catalogue imagery for retailers including Next, Boden, and Marks & Spencer. Developed a strong eye for quality and detail and worked comfortably with clients and under deadline pressure while maintaining high standards in final output.

Photoshop Retoucher at Wyndeham Masterpiece Ltd (Formally Argent Colour Ltd)

April 1, 1992 - April 1, 2009

17 years retouching images for high-end magazines including Cosmopolitan, Country Living, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Vogue, Tatler, Vanity Fair, and Harper's & Queens. Also retouched mail order catalogue imagery for brands such as Next, Boden, and Marks & Spencer. Developed a strong eye for quality and detail, with experience working directly with clients and delivering under tight deadlines while maintaining high end-result quality.

Photoshop Retoucher at Wyndeham Masterpiece Ltd. (Formally Argent Colour Ltd), 109-123 Clifton St. London. EC2A 4DB

April 1, 1992 - April 1, 2009

Spent 17 years retouching images for high-end magazines including Cosmopolitan, Country Living, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Vogue, Tatler, Vanity Fair, Harper’s & Queens and others. Also retouched mail order catalogues such as Next, Boden, and Marks & Spencer. Built a strong focus on quality and detail, and became comfortable collaborating with clients and working under deadline pressure while prioritising final output quality.

Applications Specialist (Research & Development) at Crosfield Electronics Ltd, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom

October 1, 1990 - April 1, 1992

Completed Crosfield Scanner and advanced scanner courses. Assisted in development of output scanners and the Crosfield Colorspace retouch station. Demonstrated equipment to management, press, and prospective clients. Produced reports, formulated solutions, and organised meetings. Wrote a user guide for employees prior to equipment release, receiving an award for this contribution. Supported installation of Colorspace at Argent Colour Ltd and later trained new members in the Colorspace department.

Applications Specialist (Research & Development) at Crosfield Electronics Ltd

October 1, 1990 - April 1, 1992

Completed Crosfield scanner and advanced scanner courses. Assisted in the development of output scanners and the Crosfield Colorspace retouch station. Demonstrated equipment to management, press, and prospective clients. Prepared reports, formulated solutions, and organised meetings. Wrote a user guide for employees prior to equipment release and received an award for this work. Helped install Colorspace at Argent Colour Ltd and later worked in the department, including training new team members.

Applications Specialist (Research & Development) at Crosfield Electronics Ltd., Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire

October 1, 1990 - April 1, 1992

Completed Crosfield scanner and advanced scanner courses. Assisted development of output scanners and Crosfield Colorspace retouch station. Demonstrated equipment to management, press and prospective clients. Produced reports, formulated solutions and organised meetings. Authored a user guide for employee use prior to official equipment release; later received an award. Helped install Colorspace at Argent Colour Ltd., then worked in the department and trained new members.

Photogravure Etcher (Copper Etching Department) at Eric Bemrose Ltd

July 1, 1978 - October 1, 1990

Joined as an apprentice straight from school and progressed through roles in the copper etching department over a 12-year period (apprentice to journeyman to supervisor). Gained hands-on training across prepress, printing, and print finishing, attending college alongside work. Built a solid grounding in end-to-end print processes and production fundamentals.

Photogravure Etcher (apprentice to Supervisor) at Eric Bemrose Ltd

July 1, 1978 - October 1, 1990

Joined as an apprentice straight from school and progressed through the copper etching department from apprentice to journeyman, then Supervisor. Trained across prepress, printing, and print finishing, while also attending college. Built a strong foundation across print production disciplines and maintained a long-term technical career within the print and etching environment.

Photogravure Etcher (Apprentice to Supervisor) at Eric Bemrose Ltd.

July 1, 1978 - October 1, 1990

Joined as an apprentice straight from school and progressed through the Copper Etching Department from apprentice to journeyman and then Supervisor over 12 years. Trained across prepress, printing and print finishing departments and attended college, providing solid grounding in print production end-to-end.