Strange! Have just been given the idea of teaching, and passing on my knowledge.
Would people really be interested in this?
Would there be enough people out there?
Where and how to do it?

Any comments greatly recieved.

Jeff

www.ftpcreative.co.uk

Now my head is spinning! Given this a little more thought.

As one of the last original creative retouching houses left in London, perhaps we do have something to offer in the way of classes.

We have a full Digital / film, photo studio.

Full drum scanning service department.

Certificated proofing department.

Transparency output, as well as E6 and C41 processes.

As well as our retouching studio.

Perhaps we could do something in the future, with all our contacts in the agency and photographic world, we could even help place people in future employment!

Would welcome feedback from you all.


Jeff

www.ftpcreative.co.uk

in case you havn't noticed, guys like bert monroy seem to have a nice side gig going with seminars...i saw bert at a NAPP sponsored seminar, they had 800 people there at $99 a person(NAPP members paid $79 i think)...you do the math

Thanks PixelZombie..

I just had a look at Bert Monroy's website. Fantastic work! But c'mon?! 2000 hours to produce that train shot. How the hell are you going to make a living? Say you charge $200 per hour - $400,000 dollars for that! Ain't gonna happen!! Thats 250 days solid work!

Anyway.........

I have mulled this over last night.
Would like feedback from you guys....

What would you want and expect from a class like this?
Anyone can show you how to use photoshop! Would you like to learn how we use it in a productive, profitable way?

All suggestions would be great.
Jeff

www.ftpcreative.co.uk

HI Jeff

id like to do some classes as i work for a portrait studio here in london but want to get more skills to get me into the next level of the playing field so i dont end up like a battery hen retouching or cutting out dirty back drops all day long .

I know you have to do the hard yard - but with some good tutoring maybe we could by-pass the chicken sheds .

brett

Personally I would like to see a class on high end retouching. I self teaching myself retouching (by reading books and here) to get into pre-press retouching, then from there I will teach myself (and learn from work) to get good enough to get into a retouching studio. I always have a degree for graphic design to fall back on...but thats not as fun:)

Anyway, it's hard to find high end techniques for retouching, also some classes that are not beauty retouching! Most importantly you need to record them on video and do a vioce-over, not everyone will be local. You can distribute through the net or mail out DVD's.

One of the most helpfull dvd tutorials that I have used are the total training series, though I do hate how you have to install them just to run it...seems to me that a regular dvd movie with project files would do just fine.

If you haven't checked them out already I would view this link...
http://www.totaltraining.com/

One of my big limits with their download service is that while I do have broadband, it is satellite and the greedy company limits you to 400mb d/l a day or else they disable your access for around 24hrs. However most people here in the states have DSL or Cable and have unlimited bandwidth.

As far as pricing...Total training charges $150 usd for 16hrs of training on In-Design, some may call it expensive, however its far easier than a book (for me) and much cheaper than college classes, A great value in my book. Now they have the online deal that for a year you can access all their tutorials online, which i'm going to do soon, but i'll have to use the library to download them:)

I really like the idea and you can count me in when you start up!

$150 for 16 hrs work! Nah.... I get £150 an hour for retouching! Why would I work for £5 an hour!

No to DVD's...

Listen, I am talking proper retouching here... Not micky mouse stuff!

Christ my rent here a month is £2800!!

$150 for 16 hrs work! Nah.... I get £150 an hour for retouching! Why would I work for £5 an hour!

WOW thats a lot. I dont blame you one bit! I didn't mean that you should charge that much, they just have basic level stuff :)

Christ my rent here a month is £2800!!
Holy cow, you must live in london? around here 7000sq ft mansions go for that much, maybe even cheaper!


I wish I wasn't so far away or I would take you up on your offer!

Best of luck to ya!

No thats not where I live.... I live near Cambridge... My work premises is in London. That rent is for the work place. I don't work from home! Good grief, no!

That is around the going rate for hi end creative retouching..... Depends on the job. And who it's for really. Hey, we are flexible.


Jeff

Well speaking for myself,

I work as a studio guy at an ad agency in Amsterdam, but I really wanna do retouching, so I'm trying to find proper training and it's REALLY impossible.

That said, I'm sure you could make a proper living from it.

Good Luck.

Seems to me there are places that will teah you about Photoshop.... That is not the same as learning Creative retouching.... We have put feelers out, And surprisingly, I think this will work. We currently work for some of the top Ad Agencies in London. So we can teach in a REAL working envirionment. Even the Ad Agencies are showing interest. As they are now wanting to do inhouse retouching, up to now, they have done some, but cannot handle the complex stuff.

Watch out for future announcments... We will setup a website for it.

Jeff

www.ftpcreative.co.uk

they are showing interest as the ad agencies can save a lot of money by hiring their own retouchers, it's already started to happen in the Chicago area...

Big meetings over the weekend, and early this morning.
We will be offering this service.

OK guys, I am going to start This slowly.... Firstly I will do a 1 on 1, 1 day class. Class will start at 9am and finish at 5.30pm.. 1 hr for lunch.

I can start anytime in the next couple of weeks, you will be in a high end, working, retouching environment here in London. You can see how we do it, what we do and what we use. And depending on what we have in at that time, you could put your mark on a live job!

We will be using photoshop, to show you how to work in a creative and efficent way. Tell me if there is a certain type of image you want to work with, my library is incredible! Or bring your own.

Who wants to start the ball rolling?

PM me if you are interested.

Hey jeff good luck with your classes,to far away for me


zganie

I will be there soon!! LOL!

I don't get it, is this you and your wife, and family members going to be holding these classes Jeff?

Dear FTP-Jeff
I've been following this thread for a while. at first I was slightly amused - I've seen some of your work.
Admittedly, you probably do have something to teach the majority that frequent this sight. But i do have to question your motives, and your business sense. Surely you're not that naive to teach yourself out of a job. Are you looking for an early retirement? I guess your location says it all.... 'UK soon moving to Canada'.
Are you trying to undermine some of your competitors (and your own company) before you leave? Or trying to make a quick buck before you leave? Both? You won't be charging £150/hr for long if you teach your clients & other retouchers who don't grasp the value of what you do, how to do your work.
There is enough downward pressure on retouching rates in London as it is without this sort of short sighted thinking. If others in your company are condoning this, you guys must be either desperate, stupid, or about to sell off your company.
No offence intended to the other members of this sight, I know we all have to start somewhere.
Just a few final questions for FTP-Jeff...
What are the future plans for FTP Creative when you move to "Canada".
Who are the big name agencies that you do work for?
How much to buy FTP Creative?
Many thanks Jeff & good luck in Canada.

Oh!!
Lets work backwards....

How much to buy FTP Creative? That is a question I can't answer on here!
There is 28 years of history here! Are you in a position to afford to buy a company like that?

Who are the big name agencies that you do work for? Well again, I can't put that up here! That would be daft. You should be able to work it out from the few examples we have on the website.

What are the future plans for FTP Creative when you move to "Canada". FTP will carry on. There is also plans to expand...

Now the rest.......

But i do have to question your motives, and your business sense.

FTP.... Trading for 28 years and you question our business sense? How many other fully independent retouching houses can say that? Not only in London, but worldwide.

There is enough downward pressure on retouching rates in London as it is without this sort of short sighted thinking. If others in your company are condoning this, you guys must be either desperate, stupid, or about to sell off your company.

Don't you think I have seen the rate dwindle! My rate was £300 an hour, and I got it.... I have been forced to drop to £150 sometimes £100 per hour. How long have you been in retouching world, and what is your rate?

I will ignore the desperate and stupid remark!

Also, you have me at a disadvantage, who are you? what is your company?
With all that knowledge and experience you have, we must have met before.

One question.... Think of the advantages teaching here in a working environmentt could bring.


Regards,

Jeff

I don't get it, is this you and your wife, and family members going to be holding these classes Jeff?

Where did you get that idea! What would my wife and kids do!!! LOL!

Why would they be with me at work? Perish the thought!

Oh, and Jeff, hope you don't mind me asking but - why on earth do you put the worst example of retouching on your site (the woman with the dodgy blue hair and the plastic red car) as the title image? Are you mad?

Mark...

You may be right! That is mostly a drawn image... Won awards for that!

But I am fed up with it!

Oh, its painted. Well it feels like a retouch with hard cutouts, and bad tonal relationships. Because it looks like that, not sure if its putting your best foot forward.

Back to work for both of us

So will you be offering retouch classes? Have you any more information or a website I can look at regarding when, where and for how much? In fact, if anyone has any links that would be fab, I live in Guildford Surrey so anything local or in London would be perfect.

Why did they get rid of the Indian guy, I was enjoying that thread,
he was a good value cheap laugh!! What a shame he was such a bundle of fun!!

Blimey... How time flys eh? We have now expanded our services! What a great climate to do that!