I want to do photo retouching as a profession and I need to know what courses should I take for that.

Appreciate any help,
Keren.

Welcome to Retouch Pro. I would recommend that you first learn how to work a digital photo editor like Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. An excellent book to read is Katrin Eisman's "Restoration and Retouching" which can get you started. Next you just have to do some work with peer review. This site is an excellent one for that. Good luck.

hi keren,I think what phil said is very good advice,plus depending what kind of retouching you want to do,such as fashion it would be a smart idea to look at fashion magazines, a basic photography course would not hurt either.But
really important is looking at whats being published because thats what sells.

Hi Keren,

I agree with both Phil and Zganie. Katrine Eismann's books are a fantastic resource for getting the ball rolling. Assuming you have access to Photoshop, you can download the images and work along with her examples - far better than just reading. I started doing this about two or so years ago, and although I haven't left my day job, it's provided me with the direction to return to school and pursue digital imaging much more aggressively.

I've been pleasantly surprised by the camaraderie in this industry; people seem very happy to help. That doesn't mean that it'll necessarily be easy, just that as you trudge along you can be confident that you're never alone.

Hi,
My experience was always learning the "clicks." I haven't taken a course nor read a book. Of course I have referred to tutorials and books from time to time but I learned what the tools did by using them, in other words, doing the clicks. Maybe it took longer and maybe it was or was not the best approach but I did always believe that we learn by doing. Naturally everyone is different and may have their own preferences.

I might also add that I have always and still do use PhotoShop 5.5. I haven't found that the upgrades offered me that much more to spend the extra money. Mind you, I am in a niche with what I do and do not entertain any of the new formats or tools so I really don't need or want the upgrades. For an individual that seeks those improvements they should consider the upgrades.

Thank you.
...Pierre...