Should I trust this video???

[skydog]

Chris...I really appreciate the help and positive comments you provide members on this site. Suggestion..can we tell you what we would like to see in a DVD and then you could tell us what you could provide and the cost. To make it worth your time you'd probably want some advanced payment You could also sell this at your seminars.

[cricket1961]

Adam
Nice breakdown of the DVD in question. Good to see that it is not as bad as was mentioned or at the least has some good merits here and there.

And quite honestly, I am at the moment retouching a stunning asian woman shot with a P45. A close up, say two feet away. Still a major part of my day just to make her look great. Not much less time than from a Canon 5D or mark 2 Ds.

Skydog:

Always open to suggestions for content. Advanced payments not necessary. : )
But lets do this on my blog. I will start a new entry for it. This has kind of started to ursup the original intent of this thread.

Chris

[shellby]

Good idea, could you provide a link to your blog please?

[pixel_monkey]

Shellby, click on Chris's username and select "view blog". You can also access it through the Blog link at the top of the forum.

[shellby]

it had to be simple! Thanks pixel monkey

[skydog]

Okay...I too reviewed the video. I'm sure everyone has their own spin based on my personal experience. Bottom line...I liked the video and give it 4 Stars (I can't give it 5 because I don't have another to compare it to. Cost I would give 3 star. I wonder how he set this cost. The cost is now $200+ if you ad shipping. $80 to $125 based on other DVDs, I feel would be more reasonable. Would he sell more at $200 or $100?
The first part he covers and gives examples of some basic photoshop tools that he uses for retouching:
1. Introduction (33.32 seconds)
2. Levels (5:35 Min)
3. Color Balance (2 min 20 sec)
4. Hue/Saturation (7 min, 17 sec)
5. Clone Stamp (5min 40 sec)
6. Healing Brush (5 min 36 sec)
7. Brush Tool
8. History Brush
9. Dodge and Burn
10. Eye Dropper
11. Liquify
12. Warp
13. Unsharp Mask
Any of the above you can learn from a basic photoshop book and there are many on the market. Nothing new here if you know/use the basic photoshop tools If you don't its not a bad video, but again you can get this information a lot cheaper from books or other DVD's.

The second section he retouched a photo from start to finish and explained what he was doing along the way. This was good and he used all the tools covered in the first part. One major point came home to me. To achieve a high end retouch one must start out with a high end model, high end makeup, high end camera, high end camera and a high end photographer. The all go together. The texture of the skin was already good because the light and the camera was able to capture the details of the skin. Definitely different from a prosumer camera. All he had to do was correct the flaws of the model from the surrounding skin. As mentioned already, I did like his use of the warp tool, and the liquid tool to shape parts of the body. He also did spend about 10 to 12 min on dodge and burn and that was very interesting for me as far as what was burned and what was dodged. This is the only time he left the video and came back with a more polished job...the tones looked flawless.. I also liked what he did to the lips, and the eyes. Every adjustment was light and not over done.

So...if you know very little about photo shop and retouching I definitely recommend this video at ~ $100. Two hundred only if you can't find another. If you are somewhere in the middle, like myself, I again recommend if you can afford the money for a few new ideas and techniques. For the high end guys create a $100 DVD and make a killing.

Where is the "sweet" pricing spot for such a product. I have the same problem when it comes to selling photos...finding that sweet spot...definely not easy.

[Markzebra]

"2. Levels (5:35 Min)
3. Color Balance (2 min 20 sec)
4. Hue/Saturation (7 min, 17 sec)"

So this is a retoucher who knows nothing of Curves, Selective color..., and he's retouching on flat layers hmmm. Color Balance!

[pixelzombie]

have to agree with markzebra, bad enough the guy uses levels but to use color balance doesn't say much...

[skydog]

This may just be his style. He did say there were other video's coming. My concern, as stated, is the price. Seems high, but I have no other video on Retouching to compare it to.

I've been debating with myself today with regards to the comments on skin retouching. It seems, from this video, that if you have a great camera and good light you'd have good skin texture. At that point all the retoucher has to do is retouch the flaws (opinions) on the skin of the model. I shoot with a 30D canon and L series lenses and I've never gotten the skin texture that he started out with. I can see how the professional camera can help get this prior to retouching. One aim, I guess, is to take a bad skin photo and try to retouch it to make it better...seems it would be easier if you had a good shot to begin with.

[mrbeagle]

when you see the original file from the hassy you'll think your camera sucks ass
the detail that thing captures is insane.

[pixelzombie]

i still have my film hasselblad and i have access to a drum scanner at work, which is a huge reason i haven't switched over completely to a digital workflow...

[abdul10000]

Originally Posted by mrbeagle

when you see the original file from the hassy you'll think your camera sucks ass
the detail that thing captures is insane.

I assume you are zooming in at 200%+, is that correct? If so, is the detail noticeable in normal viewing distance, such as when looking at 8x11 vs examining a 17vs22 print?

Thanks

[isolatedace]

Thanks AdamZx3 and skydog!!!

[Kevin Connery]

Originally Posted by skydog

It seems, from this video, that if you have a great camera and good light you'd have good skin texture. At that point all the retoucher has to do is retouch the flaws (opinions) on the skin of the model.

Good light, a good makeup artist, and a model with good skin. Those last two can save hours of postproduction time.

[LESider]

Check out this video posted on his site, it takes the expensive camera speculation out of the mix.
He shows the shoot and before and after from a Canon G9 "point and shoot"

http://www.digitalphotoshopretouchin...hoot1/vid1.htm