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[ 17 ]Who’s Who on the KelbyOne Instructor Team: Viktor Fejes
Where are you from, and what kind of work do you do?
That’s a tricky question, as I was born in Budapest, Hungary, but I don’t
really consider myself a Hungarian, as I spent a lot of time abroad, espe-
cially in England.
Now, the kind of work I do involves loads of sitting around while
staring at computer screens: I am a retoucher. I work in the adver-
tising and fashion fields with my company, GILD Studios, trying to
make everything look better so people stop to stare for a few more
microseconds in our extremely busy world. Sometimes I create fantasy
worlds and sometimes I just make people look the way they look in
real life: beautiful.Who do you look to for inspiration?
Most of the times it’s not really a who, as I like to be inspired by movies
and real life. When it comes to movies, the people involved really have
to work hard to make you look where they want you to look. They really
have to create a seamless experience that makes their work beautiful
and precise, while not really giving too much away from their magic.
And real life is also extremely important, as that’s the aim: to stay
believable. So, I constantly try to learn what beauty is, how we perceive
perfection, and how far I can take an image before it screams fake—and
to me all of this is fascinating.What do you enjoy most about teaching?
Teaching helps me better understand my craft. I have to analyze my
thought process and every move I make in the most concise and compre-
hensible way in order to be able to give my knowledge to anyone willing
to learn. Hence, it really is about deepening my own understanding of
the subject I’m teaching. In that sense, tutoring is a two-way street, and I
learn more as I teach more. And not just that, it’s also exceptionally amaz-
ing when you can help someone take his or her next step. So yeah, these
things are pretty great about teaching.Do you have any work rituals?
I don’t have any rituals at all; I just like to go with the flow. If there
were anything that I couldn’t do my work without, then I should just say
good-bye to being a retoucher. Sometimes my schedule is so crazy that
I have to adapt to any situation. Working in hotels, on airplanes, or in the
backseat of a car isn’t a problem for me, and I’ve been there and done
that. So, no rituals—just me and my usual thought process trying to get
through the task at hand. It really is about problem solving.Is there any hardware or software tools
you just couldn’t live without?
I try to structure the way I work to be non-dependent on anything. To
me, it doesn’t really matter if I’m using a Mac or a PC, working in Photo-
shop or GIMP. If you know what you want to achieve, the tools you use
are irrelevant. Although, I have to admit that I don’t think that I could be
as precise as I am without a digital tablet.- Favorite movie
Inglourious Basterds - Is there anything you can’t
live without?
I used to have no money at all, so I’m not
that big on possessions; however, I can’t
imagine a life without my wife. - Favorite type of music
Anything I’m in the mood for from
Ed Sheeran to Eminem. - What do you like to do in your
spare time?
What’s spare time? - What’s your favorite place
to travel?
London - What are three things you always
take with you when you travel?
Noise-cancelling headphones, Wacom tab-
let, and my Moleskin. - What’s your favorite new app?
Not really an app guy. I use Notes a lot. - What’s the best advice you’ve
ever received?
My grandfather always says that what-
ever you do, do it well. Words I live by. - Who would you recommend some—
one to follow on social media?
Hit up @deanbradshaw on Instagram and
be amazed. - What’s the one thing you wish
somebody would ask you?
“Would you want to be the exclusive
retoucher for Norman Jean Roy?” n
Photo Credits:
Top left: Emily Soto
Top right: John Keatley
Bottom: Greg Swales
VIKTORFEJES
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