High End Retouchers

[testerke]

Hello!

I saw a lot of retouchers work here and there and they try to sell themselves as a High End Retoucher.
They have very poor work like color issues, blur, and some very obvious "techniques".
I don't know if they really believe they do the High End quality or what. I could post some samples but I don't want to hurt feelings. I also saw lot of comments from photographers and models and they say "amazing", "fantastic", "good job" and etc. I ask myself are they also blind?

That's why I don't try to describe myself as a High End retoucher. This phrase means nothing for me anymore.

[skoobey]

Re: High End Retouchers

Lol. That phrase is directed more towards te educational market. Every working retoucher knows that it's either good or bad, and there are no high and low "ends"

[klev]

Re: High End Retouchers

I'm with skoobey on this one. No one would put "high end" on their resume. They just put "retoucher", list their accomplishments, and point the person to portfolio material. Posting your work won't hurt anyone's feelings.

I have a personal rule regarding negative comments. If I leave one, I try to offer the most general advice possible as to how to mitigate similar problems in the future. It's not helpful to only point out the problem without offering advice. Saying "don't blur" is even less helpful. It focuses too much on the tool set rather than good taste and judgement. When people come to understand what others find objectionable about a certain image quality, they will start to avoid tools that don't allow for much subtlety. That also helps them form more meaningful questions.

[testerke]

Re: High End Retouchers

Yes that is the same how I feel. Critique and advice at the same time.

There are lot of bad tutorials on the internet and they just follow them.

[klev]

Re: High End Retouchers

There are lot of bad tutorials on the internet and they just follow them.

I don't think I've ever come across a good one. Some of them have better end results than others, but they don't convey the right information. I would typically emphasize first making sure you can sufficiently control the cursor and tablet and have the ability to put down smooth strokes using your setup. Next I think it's important to learn to mask well and apply proper shading to an image or layer mask, including any necessary buildup. Third I think it's a good idea to gain subject specific knowledge, such as knowledge of bone structure and makeup colors if a significant portion of your work involves people. Lastly I think it's important to learn to deal with edge cases such as discoloration issues and lack of detail in basic retouching. After all of that compositing and finishing or illustrative details become a more realistic goal.

That's at least how I would approach it. I think it's one of the easier approaches.

[skoobey]

Re: High End Retouchers

What you need to understand is that in every field 0,01% are "great", everything else can only be worse than that. Only difference is the effort that had been put in.

Don't expect every tutorial to be good, as chances are it won't be. You set a goal that suits you and work hard to achieve it. There is nothing to gain by criticizing unrelated work.

[Doug Nelson]

Re: High End Retouchers

I don't think I've ever come across a good one

I'm happy to supply the venue for you to make the first "good one".

[klev]

Re: High End Retouchers

I'm happy to supply the venue for you to make the first "good one".

It's extremely difficult to put together good educational materials, and that might be part of the reason I never see them. If I ever come up with something, you'll be the first to know :-).

The other comments of mine are more like a template. I may try to add more examples to my responses though (added one imperfect one the other day).

[skoobey]

Re: High End Retouchers

Both of you should take a look at RetouchPRO videos. They are educational and presented by actual professionals.