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Finding a retoucher on MM to collaborate with?
I've been going trough the website, searching for retouchers that are within my price range, yet which do a good job. Now, I do understand that everyone has their own style, method ,artistic preference... etc... but 95% percent of the people here that present themselves under the "retoucher" label are clueless! I've contacted a few retouchers, some of whom I think do a good job, and some of whom I think do a great job, but their prices are way out of my league. It's not that I can't cope with the work I'm getting at the moment, but I would love to be able to focus more on photography, rather than retouching. So, any advice? Any recommendations? Mar 13 13 11:18 am Link Mar 13 13 11:31 am Link AB Studios wrote: This is what I am talking about, clicking 3 times with a healing brush doesn't make you a retoucher. Mar 13 13 11:35 am Link Ready to cooperate! Take a look at my port! https://www.modelmayhem.com/2766236 Mar 13 13 11:37 am Link To get some help maybe you should give us a clue what is in your price range  Mar 13 13 11:39 am Link Jakov Markovic wrote: Doesn't look like only healing brush use to me... Mar 13 13 11:40 am Link Natali-retoucher wrote: Your work is fine, it's not mind-blowing, but you don't destroy an image, and that is always a plus. Mar 13 13 11:43 am Link Christiana1990 wrote: +1 Mar 13 13 11:45 am Link My advice for you is to post a challenge using 1 image in this forum https://www.modelmayhem.com/t.php?forum_id=76 Let the retouchers know that you are looking for someone to collaborate with and hire from time to time. That should get you a good response than the typical feeling of "doing free work". If you don't find someone in the first challenge, post a second challenge and so forth until you find the retoucher you are looking for. I believe that's what the forum is supposed to be for anyways. For me retouching is a journey. I learn something new with each image I work on. With that said, I still feel "clueless," especially with the image I'm working on now :-). I'm sure you'll find someone if you post some challenges. Good luck! Mar 13 13 11:52 am Link OK, here it is what I do. I would pay from TFP to 20$ an image. But I really can't do anything with someone who blurs the whole thing. It's just basic clean up, there isn't anything more to it.    [img=http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9666/70732619.jpg][/img]  Mar 13 13 12:24 pm Link alberta86 wrote: Honestly, I will post some RAWs, just because I think it's a fair thing to help out the community, but at the same time, I've just gone trough a couple of threads, and retouching done by most is just plain ignorant. Mar 13 13 12:35 pm Link If you have a set price range that you can afford, you should mention that to the retouchers you contact with, in addition to what are you looking for and what are the benefits that the person could get from you (future cooperation, etc) . IMHO. I think its the same that with photography, its always easier to get an agreement with a client that give the info about their available budget for the project/shoot and not only asks:"Ehm, I like your work, I would like to cooperate with you, how much do you charge?", you can ask instead " I like your work, could you give me your pricing for X kind of photography with Y usage (online, magazine, bigboard,etc). My budget is somewhere around N$/picture and would like to know if we can work something around that. I have N pics that need retouching". I really dont understand why people is so afraid to give away info that they cannot afford something. I had people contacting me with the same requests and they just arent capable of negotiate something. You never know what a retoucher has in mind and the prices are usually negotiable (however, take in count that everyone is doing this for business, they have their expenses, a rock bottom price that cannot be negotiated) , maybe the kind of retouching you need can be done with a combination of manual and auto retouching with a good level of end results and the time involved for the retoucher will not be much and there is a N number of pics that you gonna need, so overall the retoucher can made the same 200$ within the same X hours of work with 1 pic or in N pics that meet your needs, so he can put down a little bit his prices for your individual case, of course if you need a picture for a bigboard the retoucher will spend a LOT of time on your image, and the cost involved on that will derivate from that. Every retoucher have his hourly cost of doing business, if he retouches 0.2 pictures or 10 in that time its the same income, thats the bottom line, if you take in count only the $. However, there comes the personal aspects of every person, if they like retouching that, if they have other projects and would prefer to give them the time, etc, etc. But dont expect that someone gonna retouch you a pic with an exceptional quality for some pennies if your picture isnt so awesome, that they just need it for their portfolio. Better quality - Fast delivery - Lower price. Choose two. Mar 13 13 01:39 pm Link (Please ignore my MM portfolio, it has not been updated recently) I've been working very hard recently to increase my skill in retouch and not create formulaic plastics. My latest is here: NCS Retouch - Progression It's an image I retouched but placed in a Flash SWF so that you can see the picture's progression. The main emphasis was on remolding the nose (per the photographer's request). I may not be the best, but I am a very fast learner and (since I am still in the learning phase) willing to work for a low rate. If you are willing to have a bit of patience and advise me on any mistakes, I think that we could do some great work together! Mar 13 13 01:56 pm Link Jakov Markovic wrote: Can't argue with that. The main problem I see on MM is that retouchers know all these powerful techniques (carving, split frequency, IHP) but completely overkill the image. I've contacted a few retouchers, some of whom I think do a good job, and some of whom I think do a great job, but their prices are way out of my league. It's the law of supply and demand. Those pricy retouchers already "get it". The vast majority don't. I suggest finding an affordable retoucher who may not be perfect yet, but you can see they have potential, passion and technical skill. Mar 13 13 02:22 pm Link Sfumato Studios wrote: Jakov Markovic wrote: Can't argue with that. The main problem I see on MM is that retouchers know all these powerful techniques (carving, split frequency, IHP) but completely overkill the image. This is exactly the kind of person that I'm looking for. One that has covered the basis, and wants to do something exciting. Mar 13 13 03:31 pm Link I agree with the above posters that say you should put up a challenge (or test) to see what some retouchers can do for you.... I love playing on other people's images  Mar 13 13 03:54 pm Link Jakov Markovic wrote: There's an easy way around that. Look at the retoucher's portfolio before you give them the RAW file. Your contest, your rules. Mar 13 13 04:56 pm Link alberta86 wrote: +1 Mar 13 13 05:57 pm Link honestly... with your attitude I wouldn't work with you for all the money in the world Mar 13 13 06:00 pm Link Natalia_Taffarel wrote: +1 Mar 13 13 07:12 pm Link Jakov Markovic wrote: My advice is if you want or need, try not insulting the very people you are trying to recruit.? You can catch more bees with honey than vinegar.....Just saying...You are frustrated ok, take it down to a less offensive tone maybe? Mar 13 13 07:26 pm Link Natalia_Taffarel wrote: Yeah, that was my feeling as well, even if I'm not at your level of talent (hey, retouching isn't where I make my money Mar 13 13 07:46 pm Link  Mar 13 13 07:52 pm Link Chase Retouching wrote: +1 Mar 13 13 08:11 pm Link Computers, software, etc... are not cheap. You should be budgetting about 50-100 an hour for a mid level retoucher, stop thinking of retouching as a by the image thing. Not many good retouchers will touch a by the image quote, because you could straddle someone with 3 hours work for $20. 3 hours retouching a major breakout on the day of the shoot (all the flowers, the wreath etc... are actually already in the shot) But the skin was impossible to retouch, and it took hours to get it right. layering texture back on top, etc... Not very much good skin to pull from. Then there was the adding light reflections to the stones and placing in the stars.  this image is retouching free, just a bit of time in lightroom  6 hours of retouching, this was a test shot chosen by the publication so everything had to be moved into the exact correct place, and they wanted Alison to be very, very thin, so lots of time using the transform tool  30 minutes retouching- skin issues  no retouching, even the lens spots are still there  As you can see if i was charging by the image I could be very screwed, but also a client could get screwed. Better to charge by the hour, then you get exactly what you pay for. Mar 13 13 08:28 pm Link Natalia_Taffarel wrote: Hah, you really put me in my place. Mar 14 13 12:55 am Link Sometimes what we are looking for is much closer then we think... Mar 14 13 04:34 am Link Zorka wrote: lol Mar 14 13 05:06 am Link Zorka wrote: +1 Mar 14 13 05:31 am Link Jakov Markovic wrote: Actually a lot of great (and best!!) retouchers live in "affordable living environment" but they are much more talented than those who live elsewhere. Why should they sell their talent cheaper? PS costs are the same, computers and tablets as well. Mar 14 13 06:23 am Link Good day My name is Helene, im from Ukraine Look at my portfolio, please. If you like my work - i will cooperate with tou https://www.modelmayhem.com/lamantina Mar 14 13 06:50 am Link Christiana1990 wrote: Exactly, more affordable living environment doesnt involve the hardware (that usually is a lot more expensive than in "less affordable living environments" and one have to spend min 10k$ on that). Mar 14 13 07:00 am Link Hah, Zorka, you've been P.M.-ed. I get what you guys are saying, but it's unrealistic for me to pay more to the retoucher than what I am charging for the shoot, and on top of that it turning out that that same retoucher doesn't do half as good a job as I would myself. I hope my message is coming across? I really want to do more shooting, for that to happen I need someone to replace me at the retouching station. Mar 14 13 07:17 am Link Jakov Markovic wrote: Your message should be then: Mar 14 13 07:29 am Link ST Retouch wrote: Somebody is in love (?) Mar 14 13 07:37 am Link I've been retouching for 5-10 bucks an hour, and I did a very good job, maybe not artistically excellent, but I've cleaned those images pretty well. And I find it strange that I can't find anyone who does what I do for the same price. Mar 14 13 07:49 am Link Avilio wrote: Hahah I am not Mar 14 13 07:51 am Link Jakov Markovic wrote: So, you come to an international place searching for retouching at YOUR individual rate? lol. Mar 14 13 08:10 am Link ST Retouch wrote: As I told to OP, sometimes what we are looking for is much closer then we think... Mar 14 13 08:11 am Link At 10$ an hour I had plenty of clients, but never more than I could handle working 8 hour days. If I had more clients, I would've raised my price. I can not explain to people that you can't work for 15$ ah hour in McDonalds in China, or Russia, or Eastern Europe, or Africa, or South America. North America, Japan, Europe and Australia are not the whole world!!! Maybe I should make a retouching portfolio here. Mar 14 13 08:21 am Link |
). I get your points, and I don't disagree with a lot of them, but the way you express it doesn't give me any motivation to work for you at all. It comes off incredibly elitist, so if you think you're that much better than so many of us you should stick to doing it yourself. 
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