right to use retouched imgs for personal site.

[craetivink]

hi all,

i think i already know the answers to my question but just want to investigate further and get some advice.
problem: can't use the photos i retouch on a daily basis through work to build my portfolio. therefore, cannot get images to add to personal site, etc, to show to potential direct clients. everyone wants examples. i am super confident in my abilities but don't have very much to show for it. should i just go the route of using my own personal photos and retouching them even though they are not really up to par of the quality of photos i work with normally? i don't want to seem like a novice but also need to show concrete proof of my abilities.

thanks all!

[Mike]

Find a photographer that will do a session for you, then hand over the raw the images to you. You provide the subject(s), direct him on what you want, pay him for his time.

[igot2pman]

Find a good photographer that does the quality that you need. Tell him that you will do the retouching for free in return for full rights to the photos, or let him/her use them in their portfolio. Just make sure that you get consent from the model and photographer.

If you’re dealing with real models then you can tell them they can put whatever you use in their portfolio in exchange for working for free. Just give credit in your portfolio if everyone is doing this for free.

This works out good because everyone will want to do their best as its going to be put in their portfolio.

If all else fails, do what Mike said.

Good luck,
-Keven

[0lBaldy]

Originally Posted by craetivink

problem: can't use the photos i retouch on a daily basis through work to build my portfolio. therefore, cannot get images to add to personal site, etc, to show to potential direct clients. everyone wants examples.
thanks all!

A few sources for pictures:

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/pho...s-retouch.html

http://www.lipstickfetish.org/forum/...pic.php?t=9579

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/pho...back-raws.html

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/pphome.html

royalty free stock photos:
http://www.sxc.hu/index.phtml
http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php

[Godmother]

[QUOTE=craetivink;218753 should i just go the route of using my own personal photos and retouching them even though they are not really up to par of the quality of photos i work with normally?[/QUOTE]

No, the final image speaks of your work if the image wasn't good to begin with it's never going to be GREAT

www.whoistesting.com there are a lot of TESTING sites.

that's what Testing means: Work for free (or cheap) to get great portfolio images.

Good luck!

[craetivink]

thanks for all the advice. it is a big help!

[Andrew Lawrence]

Yep, give a call to all of the photographers you like and see if they have any personal projects/portfolio shoots on the horizon and see if you can offer your retouching in exchange for portfolio images, this is also works great for networking.

Do you at least have permission to show the finished products that you've worked on? -not necessarily on a website for everyone to see, but in person to a photographer that might be interested in using you?