“I was so scared to share pictures of my baby because he was so tiny with bruises and tearing but when I received my NILMDTS pictures I fell in love again and could freely and proudly show off my sweet baby boy.”

NILMDTS Family

Interested in Applying?

Apply today if you enjoy retouching and/or are skilled and wish to help other photographers with their retouching from the comfort of your home. You will then be sent a series of four (4) images to be retouched. These images involve some bruising, skin discoloration, etc. The NILMDTS Volunteer Application Committee will evaluate the final work that you submit back to us.

The application review process may take two to four weeks depending on the current volume.

“NILMDTS has allowed me to use my photography and editing skills in a way that has grown my love for the art more than I ever thought possible. I had become quite apathetic in my photography, especially with the COVID crisis; it just wasn’t bringing me the joy that I knew in the past. I decided to join as a DRA when I saw there was a large need for them due to COVID. From the first session I retouched, I felt that spark of joy that had been missing from my art for some time. As I continued to edit sessions, I found so much happiness in creating beautiful images for these families. When I took my first session as a photographer, I knew that this was something I was meant to do. My camera has, once again, become a source of great joy for me, both in my volunteer and professional work. Having served many families through retouching, photographing, and dispatching, I have again realized how important creating still images of those we love is. Thank you for allowing me to grow as a photographer, but, more importantly, as a human.”

Whitney K. (Digital Retouch Artist)

Skills Criteria & Evaluation Process

Requirements: Photoshop ability and software. Other retouching programs may be used, but Photoshop is necessary for the level of retouching often needed for our services.

Once you’re ready to apply, you will be provided four (4) sample images to retouch via email and those will be evaluated by the NILMDTS DRA Application Committee. This Team consists of experienced Digital Retouch Artists who will score your application. An application must score at least 40 out of 80 points to be approved. We use a 0-20 scoring system (0 is lowest and 20 is highest in four different categories).

All DRA applications will be reviewed on the following criteria:

1. Ability to repair skin flaws (torn skin, blistering)
2. Ability to even out skin tone (bruising, discoloration – including uneven skin tones, dark lips and nails)
3. Black & White or Sepia conversion skills (visually appealing with good contrast range with appropriate mid-tones)
4. Demonstrated skill using filters and targeted adjustments (using multiple layers, layer blends, layer masks, color modes)

Basic Retouching Guidelines: If the baby has a medical reason for their appearance (such as an anomaly or birthmark) then do not correct it. However, do retouch anything that is a result of death: such as peeling skin, blistering, bruising, discoloration, redness, or shine. One good rule of thumb is that if the baby was born healthy, would the characteristic in question still be there in a month? If so, please leave it.

To see the scoring rubric, receive the sample images, and get more information, please fill out the form below.