Hi,

Can anyone tell me something about what does high-ender mean. So it means perfectionist, woman/man who can makes goal from anything or high-ender needs "high-starter"?

saby

Well, high-end usually means the best, the most advanced, the most sophisticated, having best taste and standards. Is that what you mean?

Hi Smak,

Yes i do, but how can you decide what is the high-end, i mean, does high-end work depend on original, or not.

saby

I would take it more in terms of the customer....
To me high-end is for work that will be published, especially in magazines where absolute image perfection is a must. The image will be viewed by thousands (well, at least, hundreds) of people. Ready to spot the smallest imperfection.
Non high-end (don't know a word for that) is more for an individual (or group) customer. The final image probably won't be larger that 8 x 12" (25 x 30cm).
What separates the two is time and, consequently, cost. The hig-end customer is quite willing to pay for days of work on one image, the other will stretch to a couple of hours max.

....means the best, the most advanced, the most sophisticated, having best taste and standards
Sorry. I don't think that this has anything to do with the difference.
All are professionals in their own area, good or bad.
Actually, "low-end" will often use more advanced techniques than the "high-end" because of the need for speed.

Rô

...The final image probably won't be larger that 8 x 12" (25 x 30cm). ...

Rô

so does it mean high-end work depends on original or you can get it from picture of 1.3MPxs camera? If it depends on original (and of course printing) should we talk about high-end workflow?

saby

First, let me say that I am not a "High-ender", so anything I say will be second-hand information.

As to your example, getting any sort of good image out of 1.3MPx is hard work at ANY end - but to follow your line, I doubt "high-end" will even look at enything below 10MPx.

A high-ender will start with a good (big) image and make it perfect. The "not high-ender" will take whatever you give him and make it into a good image.

Any high-enders around?

Professional retouching covers the full spectrum from the guy retouching hotornot pics to the top studios retouching major ad campaigns.
The real high-end have the luxury of starting out with a real quality image - top models, exceptionally talented photographers backed up by great production crews and big money. If the picture is bad going in - you're never going to get perfection out - no matter how good your retoucher.
1.3MP is about average for a cell-phone camera these days - its really no comparision to the quality of image a high-end retoucher would be working with.
Its not just the resolution of the image that determines if it would be considered 'high-end'. To get a 'high-end' looking product, you need quality going in - the model has to strike the right pose and the photographer has to capture it perfectly - not to mention the hair, makeup, lighting crews etc. Even the best retoucher in the world cant turn a snapshot into a high fashion image.
As with all creative fields to be the very best you need that certain 'je ne sais quoi', that little indefinable something extra that makes you better than the pack. IMO its not something that can be taught, you've either got it or you aint. I see it a lot when I'm reviewing designs, you can tell the good designers from the great, they follow all the rules, they do all the right things, all the conventions of the style will be there but somehow its just not got 'it'.

First, let me say that I am not a "High-ender", so anything I say will be second-hand information.


enough for me

As with all creative fields to be the very best you need that certain 'je ne sais quoi', that little indefinable something extra that makes you better than the pack. IMO its not something that can be taught, you've either got it or you aint. I see it a lot when I'm reviewing designs, you can tell the good designers from the great, they follow all the rules, they do all the right things, all the conventions of the style will be there but somehow its just not got 'it'.

Hi Nancy,

could you tell me what does IMO means, please

saby

I say thank all of You to discuss,

What I've learnt:

High-ender works for the market leaders, on high quality originals, so she/he need to be THERE. They've got the time (and high, specialized knowledge of course) to do they best for highest fee.

What I think:

It was a bit freaky to me, that in your definition, high-ender depends on she/he works for, this is because i thought it depends on genious at 1st. Nancy showed on it indirectly in her last sentence: "...somehow its just not got 'it'.", so blank soul work should never done by a high ender. I'm working for the Hungarian marketleader called: Alexandra PublishingHouse, but i'm so far-far away to be highender, because i have to "learn, learn, learn" (by V.I. Lenin) alot, for the 1st. Usually i work with printed "originals" of adopted books because it's cheaper than buy files. I've not the time for it this is because co-edition printing, but keep marketable. So I'm a "button-pusher"(by Ant) and "action-chimera":ogre: but I like my walk of life and any of picture i've retouched, very mutch.:lmao:

saby

I think we are confusing things.
High end retouch with High end results.
You can do a high end retouch on a bad picture but you're not getting high end results.
I've done some high end retouch for important publications (I'm not dropping links or giving big names out because I think people who does that just have no taste and usually through big names at your face to compensate for little personality in its work)

The thing is, the meaning of high end is right there in the words: Detailed, no imperfection, totally seamless, ICAN'TBELIEVETHISIMAGEHASBEENTRHOUGHPSP kind of retouch.

This takes time, taste, personality and Nancy is right you have to have it.

I've explained a client (she knows her way in photoshop) what I'd done with the file (we are like long distance friends) and she told me I must have the patient of a saint to work at this much detail.

I don't really think that... I love doing it and I'm going to keep working on those files because every day I see some little thing that could be better.

That's why we are retouchers and she is photographer (A great one, by the way)

Just my two cents.

...could you tell me what does IMO means, please...

IMO = In My Opinion
IMHO = In My Honest Opinion

IMO = In My Opinion
IMHO = In My Honest Opinion

thanks

saby