Artisan Colour Color Retouching Specialist Wins AZPPA 'Photographer of the Year' Contest
Artisan Colour Project Manager Paul Bartell was recently honored as Photographer of the Year at the annual Arizona Professional Photographers Association (AZPPA) convention held virtually February 13 and 14, 2021. This is the third time Bartell has received the creative honor in as many years.
"Seeking the Light"
The AZPPA determines the winner by the highest scoring total of four images submitted by each member. Scores range from 1-100 and a score of 80 or higher is awarded a Merit; photographers accumulate Merits that contribute to longer- term awards. Two of Bartell’s images, “Seeking the Light” and “Vintage Tulip,” scored 90 – the second highest score in the competition. His additional two highest entries scored 88 and 84, for a total of 352.
Bartell’s interest in photography was sparked in college, leading him to start a portrait company with his wife. As their talents and interests evolved, she stayed behind the lens and Bartell was more intrigued with the digital retouching and processing behind the screen.
At Artisan Colour, Bartell gets to blend his interests in photography with his passion for photo retouching. As a Quality Control Technician and Project Manager, he works on top retail and fashion brands – prAna, and Authentic Brands Group (ABG) to name two – specializing in color retouching for catalogs and product shots.
“I think photography helps you understand light and how it interacts with objects and that ultimately helps any retoucher to correct or enhance images to make them look believable,” says Bartell. “We have all seen examples of images that have been poorly retouched… we all strive to make our work look natural.”
In addition to mentoring his team at Artisan Colour, Bartell enjoys teaching others how to retouch. He often posts his own before and after images on social media, outlining his edit path and what he has learned to help other artists.
The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions.
