 |
| The Talent |
 Conrad Rotondella: A graphics professional with over 12 years experience creating, distorting and manipulating images for high-end fashion, commercial photography and celebrity clients.Conrad was born Corrado Michael Rotondella in New York City in February of 1964. Some attribute his penchant for the creative to this planetary moment in time, but his mother has a completely different take on things and tends to take most of the credit for anything exceptional in Conrad's life. The rest is blamed on his father. As a young boy, Conrad displayed a natural flair for distorting reality which, of course, is paramount in the retouching business. Altering report card grades, forging the occasional "sick note" and concealing the many bumps and bruises he allegedly inflicted upon his little sister -- usually caused by one of many failed attempts at launching her into space -- were an important part of growing up for young Conrad. Things are a bit different for Conrad today. His parents have given up on his formal education and his sister, with the help of a good therapist, has managed to forgive him and move on with her life. But on a serious note.... Conrad began his career in the early nineties with the onset of Adobe's first release of Photoshop. After a few years of designing CD covers and breathing new life into archival photographic restorations, Conrad quickly mastered the ins and outs of this new digital imaging technology. In 1996 he was hired by Scholastic, Inc. to help develop an internal digital imaging department for their magazine division. Being one of only two retouchers on a team that was responsible for turning around 16 magazines per month, he quickly learned how to work with blistering same-day deadlines. He integrated savvy communication skills with his unique retouching style, allowing him to work fluidly with Art Directors and Photographers of all types and stripes. In 1998, he went to work for a small, but flourishing design boutique in New York where he had the chance to get his feet wet in the advertising industry by retouching still-life images and artwork for clients such as Mikimoto Pearls, Piaget, Panerai, Baum & Mercier and Christian Dior. From there, it was on to high-end fashion and editorial. Things started to fall into place when Conrad got a call from artist rep and long-time friend Tony Reagan. Tony was starting his own firm and was looking for a high-end retoucher for his roster. That's where he met Spicer, Tony's premier client and a world-class fashion/celebrity photographer. Spicer, a master retoucher in his own right, needed someone who could understand his artistic visions as a photographer and produce the same kind of transparent and elegant retouching his clientele were so accustomed to receiving. Over the years, Conrad's knowledge of retouching, color theory and color separation techniques have helped him leave his mark in the world of high-end digital retouching and digital image manipulation. Today, you can find Conrad working hard on some very prestigious projects with photographers the likes of Patrick Demarchelier, Robert Erdmann, Michel Comte and James White. His subjects run the gamut from super models to movie stars to rock stars and sports heros. the list even includes Jada Pinket-Smith's grandma! His high profile advertising and editorial retouching can be seen within the pages of every major publication from Allure to 'W' magazine. From Cosmopolitan to Clifford the Big Red Dog, Conrad has seen it and done it all. Chances are, he's probably even placed a clipping path around it as well. In his spare time you can find him reading technical books on Color Theory and color correction and improving his skills as a visual artist. He enjoys a simple life by the beach in Santa Monica where he spends time working on his tan, practicing Filipino stick fighting and occasionally plays the drums with his "rock star" buddies when they roll into town. But perhaps most important of all, he still calls his mom at least once a week...and his little sister is still his best friend in the whole world. Primary Skills and Talents:
- 12 years of experience in color retouching, prepress production and color theory.
- Strong design background. |
| Copyright 2007 ConradDigital.com All Rights Reserved | portfolio | talent | clients | contact | home |