Norbert Kniat

Experienced photography and post-production professional with 15+ years across advertising, fashion and beauty, combining hands-on creative expertise with end-to-end responsibility for commercial image production. Experienced in taking projects from creative brief and pre-production through shoot planning, lighting, photography, image selection, high-end retouching and final delivery. Able to work directly with clients and creative teams while maintaining a clear focus on quality, timing and the practical requirements of production.

Brings an unusual combination of production knowledge and hands-on technical expertise: able to understand the needs of photographers, retouchers, studios and creative stakeholders while also evaluating the actual image and post-production work at a professional level.

Photographer & Retoucher at Freelance (2010-01 – Present)

• Manage commercial image projects from initial concept and creative brief through production, post-production and final delivery.
• Plan and execute studio and location shoots, including lighting, composition, camera systems and the practical requirements of production.
• Coordinate the complete image workflow from digital capture and image selection through high-end retouching and final artwork.
• Work directly with clients and creative teams to interpret briefs and ensure finished imagery meets visual and brand requirements.
• Apply extensive hands-on retouching expertise to evaluate, refine and quality-control final imagery.
• Identify and resolve creative and technical issues across the production and post-production process.
• Maintain responsibility for visual quality and delivery standards across commercial assignments.

Studio Malkasten — Professional Retouching Studio

Vienna, Austria · 2014–2015

Professional Retoucher / Retouching Training

Two years of professional training and hands-on experience within a high-end photographic retouching studio, working on commercial imagery for international brands and advertising clients.

Trained and worked professionally as a retoucher within a dedicated high-end post-production environment.

Retouched and finished commercial imagery for international clients including Swarovski, Sony and other major brands.

Developed extensive expertise in high-end image finishing, colour, beauty, skin retouching and detailed image manipulation.

Worked to demanding agency and client standards within professional commercial post-production workflows.

Collaborated with photographers, creative teams and other production professionals throughout the image-production process.