I am DONE

[Greg Curran]

good bye RETOUCH PRO. I am done with the world of retouching, no money, no jobs, no respect.

[skoobey]

Re: I am DONE

That's where I was a year ago, but you either succeed, or you quit. Like in every industry. You need to go pass the pain barrier. I was desperate, not knowing that it was actually me that was to blame, so I persisted and now I am making decent money and am planing how to expand my business.

If you love it, keep practicing and you'll make it, if you don't love it, quit while you can.

[Benny Profane]

Re: I am DONE

What's the alternative?

[Aladdin]

Re: I am DONE

Unlike any other profession, Retouch is among very few professions that you do or perform ONLY if you love it! Who the heck will spend hours looking at pixels!!! unless you love it! It is part science, part art, part vision and major part patience!

I don't know how many professionals are here, however, it is safe bet that 90% of the members here are in it for the fun of it, including me.

If you leave the forum because you are not making money, then you are in it only for the money, then, it is not for you. You have to have the passion for it.

Do you think Godmother or C. Hollywood got to where they are because of the money? NO, they have the passion! The neat tricks they have up their sleeves are the result of their love and passion, there are other great retouchers that share the same attitude.

Whatever problems and issues you have with this profession, you will have with any other profession, there is always the competition, someone will always undercut your rate, someone will out perform you. Like Godmother said, you have to stand out FIRST!

May I see some of your work? Please.

[Jaalpari]

Re: I am DONE

dont go if you love retouching but not money.

[Benny Profane]

Re: I am DONE

People do this for free?

[Flashtones]

Re: I am DONE

Good luck, Heretic. What's next for you?

[klev]

Re: I am DONE

Huh? I thought the OP was still employed in a full-time retouching position.

[Aladdin]

Re: I am DONE

People do this for free?

Heh.........

[Chaikovsky007]

Re: I am DONE

Hey guys,

I am new here
i have similar thing, i was retouching for fun since ps7 got more serious and kind of fanatic about it in recent years ,so i was trying to find any work in London for about a year applying for every little e-commerce ad i could find with no luck. So it got me thinking. Any advice what to do? Thanks

[skoobey]

Re: I am DONE

Practice, practice, practice. Also, don't sell yourself short. E-commerce, for he most part, is outsourced as it requires no knowledge or skill.

[Chaikovsky007]

Re: I am DONE

Practice, practice, practice. Also, don't sell yourself short. E-commerce, for he most part, is outsourced as it requires no knowledge or skill.

Thanks Skoobey,

But that is the thing i couldn't land even e-commerce job for a YEAR

[klev]

Re: I am DONE

Practice, practice, practice. Also, don't sell yourself short. E-commerce, for he most part, is outsourced as it requires no knowledge or skill.

That's not entirely true. There are many shops that photograph and publish things to on a very tight turnaround, and they are located in major metropolitan areas.

[insmac]

Re: I am DONE

Relax, ease back.

Even if you love doing something, you might get tired of it after a certain amount of time working. Been there, done that. After six months it got better. Or was it close to a year, I cannot recall, fact is, I needed that time away doing something else. You need perspective and the best way to get more of it is to step back for a while.

There is a ton of industries which suffer the advances in technology, namely cheaper tools, faster turnaround times, cheap workforce and so on. You cannot compete on quantity, hence the only way is to find a small area of expertise which makes you kind of unique or at least hard to find a replacement once someones has commited to your services.

One thing I've learned is that resume and portfolio are not the only things that count in a long run. It's also what kind of a person you are, even if you sit behind the desk all day. I mean, I know plenty of really mediocre photographers rolling in a brand new Mercedes because they are very nice, communicative and overally kind people and 'know how to do business'. I'm not advocating that kind of path, god forbid, but it's just about finding the sweet spot between working your ass off and feeling pragmatic about your career.

Chaikovsky007 - Retouching shops need people all of the time, you just need to have a portfolio showing certain skills. Like skoobey said, practice, be as objective as possible, inspect your work after a few days to have a better perspective. I consider this particular business hard as it involves a rather closed industry, there's no clear career path as with IT (you can easily apply with a success for a 70k £ a year job online, a matter of a desired portfolio, with retouch - you have to know where to look).

Put simply, give yourself some time.

[kkamin]

Re: I am DONE

Network. Almost all the good fortunes I have had, have been through knowing someone or being one person removed. And likewise, I don't hire assistants from the 'phone book'. Rather I ask my colleges for a recommendation or I look at my LinkedIn for someone I have a shared connection with.

I know networking sounds cheesy and contrived, but I think in its best light it isn't; it's actually very natural. People love to get to know other people who work in their industry, and people like to help people. Get involved with ASMP if you are in the US and volunteer for events. Apply for entry level retouching positions and if you are good, they will certainly move you to higher level projects in no time. Look up some professionals in your area and ask for a consultation; if they like your work, they might try to hook you up with some people.

Hiring someone 'cold' is very risky. Expand your network and in the meantime learn to paint, draw and photograph.