[DannyRaphael]

On June 1, 2004, the RetouchPRO Photo-art forum will begin its third year of existance. I've had the very good fortune to be the moderator since its inception and look forward to continuing in that role.

LOOKING BACK
The past year has been one of transition in which the focus of the forum has shifted away from merely being a place to post photo-art creations ("Look what I did!") to one where sharing tools, methods and techniques ("How I did it") has become part of the culture.

While the physical volume of images posted and number of active participants has fallen off from its peak a year ago, I believe the quality of creations posted these days is substantially higher than in the past. To me that's a satisfactory tradeoff.

I'm especially pleased by the helpful and friendly nature of those who participate. It's conforting and very enjoyable interacting with each of you and watching you interact with forum chums.

To all who take the extra time and effort to help others learn from your own experiences and knowledge by typing in the details, I salute and applaud you. It's not always easy or fun to make that extra effort, but it is always appreciated.

To those still watching from the sidelines, that's okay, too. As long as you are learning by picking up ideas here and there and trying them at home (or at work ), that works for me. I look forward to the day when you begin the rewarding practice of participating directly by posting your comments and creations.

LOOKING FORWARD: A MINOR TWEAK AND A COMING ATTRACTION
* The "Member posted "Tell, Show and Try-it" forum has been renamed to "Photo-art Tutorials and Techniques." It will still be a place where detailed "how to" general photo-art methods can be posted by anyone. As you find them, by all means post links to photo-art tutorials you find on the net, too.

* A new forum has been created: "Turning Portraits into Digital Sketches, Oils, Watercolors." It will be devoted specifically to topics related to morphing pictures of people into art, something that will hopefully meet the interests of hobbiests like myself, but the needs of professionals looking to expand their service offerings beyond traditional portraits and/or retouching/restoration.

Some well known professionals achieve very appealing results in this regard. Check out their sites:
* Marilyn Sholin - www.MarilynSholin.com
* Jeremy Sutton - http://www.jeremysutton.com/interpretive.html
* Jane Connor-ziser - http://www.janesdigitalart.com/

Attached are some examples I created yesterday (while experimenting) that will give you an idea of the types of images I envision.

In the next few weeks, I will move some threads around so they are a little easier to find.

IN CLOSING...
Please do keep sending me suggestions, comments and, yes, even complaints. That helps me understand how this forum can best serve your needs and interests.

It continues to be a pleasure to moderate this forum and a privilege to do so. I'd like to thank Doug Nelson, the RetouchPRO site owner and administrator, for his ongoing support, and each of you == regardless of your level of participation -- for making it such an enjoyable experience.

~Danny~

[kiska]

A very nice letter. Thank YOU!
kiska