Professional, Amateur, Hobbyist?

[Nanls]

I'm a graphic designer and started doing paste-up and display ad design for a newspaper over 20 years ago. Had a studio in OR for 10 years. Used mainly Photoshop, Freehand, and Quark to do pretty much anything in print, from logo design to newsletters, to designing form... of course you end up doing quite a bit of touch-up/manipulation. When I relocated to CA five years ago, I worked as a Communications Specialist for a group whose focus was in the philantropic community. I did Art Direction, Graphic Design, PSAs, copy writing, editing, web design and anything else that needed to be done. We did high-end annual reports with large budgets, also newletters, RFPs, etc. Did a lot of retouching of photos for these projects. The group charged $90 per hour for photoshop work! I now have been working freelance, for the past two years and do a lot of dating site photos-you always wonder how far to take these and usually it is more of a natural look retouch. Also wedding photos, product retouching/knock outs, and ebook design. I have really enjoyed this site, which I found not too long ago... always looking for additional work.
~Nancy~

[twinkissed]

I started off as a hobbyist. I have always loved being creative. I think I've invented about 500 things I never got off my rear and persued. Anyhows, I started doing this for family and friends which then... they wanted me to do stuff for their friends. Everyone asked why I didn't do it for a living. Well, for one, I didn't think I was good enough, two where would I start, three I thought there was much more to it, and four... I was a scurrdy cat My husband has been having to work 2 jobs for a very long time so we can make it by. We were blessed by unexpected twins but we also had a lot of other bad surprises at the same time. He's a good man and a good dad and I miss the heck out of him. I want him home more but I can't afford daycare for four kids. So, I thought what have I got to lose? I plan on going to school for this but in the meantime I try to use what skills I have and the help of my new friends here. I used to work in advertising and I used to design a lot of the logos and display ads along with page layouts but I can't do the career thing anymore. I think one kid gets sick, they all get sick, I miss too much work, I lose job ooooooh noooooo. So that's why I picked other. I'm a new small business owner but I'm not quite up to professional level yet in my eyes. I have much more to learn but that's what makes it exciting.

[Robt]

I may be blind because I thought I had responded to this poll a couple years ago but I don't find it.

I once considered myself a professional photog but eventually I realized that I could make money at photography but only at the stuff I wasn't interested in. After that I worked hard on building the best family album ever while taking pictures of those type things I had an interest in.

So now and for a long time I have been an amateur - note the lower case "a".

I bless those who want to and do build a profession from their graphics interests, I did in my other great passion of building things [I retired from my own reasonably large Electrical Contracting firm] so now I can pursue my 'a'mateur love.

[rodmurrow]

Originally Posted by Ant

RE: Retouchers

Just trying to figure out who's who and what's what here at RP as I only found the site about an hour ago.

Where would you put yourself?

DEFINITELY "enthusiast/hobbyist" for me. I'm learning to use PS Elements and will likely upgrade to 4.0 (maybe Santa will bring it for me?). My focus is on trying to restore a large collection of old family snapshots and portraits. Volume Two of my genealogy project is in progress - a photo album, no less.

[tetsuo]

Originally Posted by Ant

RE: Retouchers

Just trying to figure out who's who and what's what here at RP as I only found the site about an hour ago.

Where would you put yourself?

I'm new here also. I'm a commercial photographer. I'm in the low-end side of editing. most of the heavy stuff i just send them out to be done. but some clients has got low budget so I just grab the loose ends of the editing as coffee money.

[lkroll]

What else can I say.

[ThomasD]

Hi folks
I'm new to this site as well. I work as a mac operator for a publishing company and have been playing around with image retouching in photoshop for a few years. Would like to develop it some more for profit but you know what it's like trying to find the time...
My present goal is to learn painter so any advice on this would be welcome
Tom
(ps love the site. The ballet dancer thread was great)

[Katfalls]

I found this site while looking for someone! Very nice . . .
I live in southern Michigan, on the border of Ohio and Indiana,
on 14 acres of woods with a river in a rural community.
I have been in the photography business for
37 years. I teach photoshop and painter.

[Ant]

wow. this thread never dies.

[Sheri Medford]

I am a student, not at a school (can't afford classes even) but a student of Lynda.com and RetouchPro. Without these sites I would have no idea what to do with myself. My health has me home bound and is unlikely to change. My hope is that my husband (he wants to do this) do the foot work, what ever that will amount to. I don't need to make a lot of money and can't long hours at any one time, but I hope I can get some work when I have more skills. I have been an artist all my life and before ill, I was a graphic designer, so I will have the artistic flare. Mostly working on learning the techniques etc. So it is not a hobby or profession at the moment. But I have to say without this site, I would be lost. Now I have a goal, and something I love to do,so maybe I do have a future!

[Quantum3]

Nice poll! I do very few high-end retouch, and more ofently, low-mid-end.

[Kraellin]

this seems more appropriate here in the salon, so i've moved it to here

[Lerautu]

Amateur photographer here Photography student in London and self thought in Photoshop. Also quite bad at it so this website seemed liked a good source to get better