About Michael Marsh – Photographer, Digital Artist, and Plugin Innovator
Michael Marsh is a seasoned photographer, digital artist, and creative technologist with over 23 years of experience in the commercial photography and post-production industry. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with a wide range of high-profile brands, including Canon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Motorola, and Bombas — the latter best known for its appearance on Shark Tank. These experiences exposed Michael to the ever-evolving demands of commercial imaging, particularly the growing need for authentic and efficient retouching solutions.
One recurring challenge Michael faced — especially in e-commerce and product photography — was the use of artificial or fake shadows, which often appeared unnatural and time-consuming to recreate accurately. Many clients began requesting natural-looking shadows on clean, isolated backgrounds. Accommodating these requests could take hours of detailed retouching, depending on the complexity of the subject and the desired outcome.
As a problem-solver by nature and a professional committed to efficiency and precision, Michael began searching for a faster, more accurate way to isolate subjects from backgrounds while preserving the integrity of natural shadows. The goal was to streamline repetitive tasks without compromising on quality — a necessity in today’s fast-paced production environments.
In 2015, Michael began developing what would become Shadow Splitter — a Photoshop plugin designed to intelligently separate the subject, background, and natural shadow into distinct layers. This innovative tool allowed for unmatched flexibility in editing while significantly reducing the time required to produce professional-grade results.
After years of refinement and successful use in his own workflow, Michael officially launched Shadow Splitter to the public in March 2023. The plugin quickly gained attention for its ability to save time, enhance accuracy, and maintain the natural realism that many commercial clients demand.
Shadow Splitter is just the beginning. Michael plans to release a suite of advanced Photoshop plugins, including Auto Path and Auto Path Select, aimed at helping creative professionals eliminate tedious manual tasks, improve consistency, and deliver faster turnarounds — all while maintaining the highest standards of visual quality.
Whether you’re a retoucher, photographer, graphic designer, or e-commerce content creator, Michael Marsh’s tools are built to transform your workflow — developed from real-world needs, by a professional who truly understands the industry.
All of my plugins I design for Adobe Photoshop can be found at the official Adobe Marketplace.
https://exchange.adobe.com/publisher/cc/0feac83f-f9a6-4f39-9296-1511d41edcc8/michael-marsh?page=1
You can also read all the guides for the plugins here as well.