https://fstoppers.com/commercial/becci-manson-helps-restore-reputation-retouchers-65766
https://fstoppers.com/video/hearts-retouchers-helping-japan-5468
http://hands.org/
These articles show the opposite side of the reputation that retouching has earned, in these links Rebecca Manson is doing a presentation about the work she has done for the All Hands organisation. She has travelled to Japan after the Tsunami to work with All Hands in building the community again but she discovered a purpose she was more able to help with.
Using photoshop she's helped restore family photographs that had been lost and/or damaged due to natural disasters, she shows how she has been able to take somebody's lost family memories and return them to a family.
Monday 30 March 2015
Wednesday 18 March 2015
crediting retouchers
http://jeremycowart.com/2012/08/should-retouchers-get-equal-credit/
Should Retouchers Get Equal Credit?
Personally I think they should get at least some credit if the photograph has been obviously or dramatically retouched, this is because the photographers vision would not have happened without the retouchers work being done.
Also I think that if the photographer is wanting to create fantastical imagery for most of their work then they should also take the time to learn Photoshop for themselves as it would benefit them because they know what their vision is and they wouldn't have to rely on another person or try to explain their vision and hope the retoucher gets it right.
Should Retouchers Get Equal Credit?
Personally I think they should get at least some credit if the photograph has been obviously or dramatically retouched, this is because the photographers vision would not have happened without the retouchers work being done.
Also I think that if the photographer is wanting to create fantastical imagery for most of their work then they should also take the time to learn Photoshop for themselves as it would benefit them because they know what their vision is and they wouldn't have to rely on another person or try to explain their vision and hope the retoucher gets it right.
Friday 13 March 2015
Stock Photography
Alamy is a stock photography website in which photographers can sign up to upload their work and make a profit on each photograph that is sold from the website. Signing up while a student will give 100% of the profit that is gained for the first two years however I will need to use the code in order to be registered as a student. After the first two years I will then receive only 50% of the profit so I am going to work on building a collection of photographs that can be uploaded to Alamy and then sign up for it as I am graduating so that the profit is increased for longer while I am still establishing myself in the industry.
Alamy is free to sign up for
It helps with learning about the industry and what photographs are going to sell
Will also improve my organisational skills
I can receive email support and social media help if needed
My work will be placed higher in the search results if I get more views on my work. For new applicants I will be placed in the median range and then my work can either go down or up. To be able to get more views I will need to be original and create new photographs that are not already available.
Keywording
If my work is not key worded it will not be viewed. More key words are better as there is more chance of being seen.
Use 'Specific' 'Literal' 'Conceptual' 'Descriptive' keywords, this is using keywords that describe the psychical or viewable aspects of the photograph and also the connotations of the photograph.
The average selling price is £125
There is also a list of approved cameras on the website, these are cameras with high enough quality.
Alamy is free to sign up for
It helps with learning about the industry and what photographs are going to sell
Will also improve my organisational skills
I can receive email support and social media help if needed
My work will be placed higher in the search results if I get more views on my work. For new applicants I will be placed in the median range and then my work can either go down or up. To be able to get more views I will need to be original and create new photographs that are not already available.
Keywording
If my work is not key worded it will not be viewed. More key words are better as there is more chance of being seen.
Use 'Specific' 'Literal' 'Conceptual' 'Descriptive' keywords, this is using keywords that describe the psychical or viewable aspects of the photograph and also the connotations of the photograph.
The average selling price is £125
There is also a list of approved cameras on the website, these are cameras with high enough quality.
Wednesday 11 March 2015
XO Vain
http://www.xovain.com/news/magazine-retoucher-on-altering-weight-face-makeup
This is an interview with a retoucher who works for a glossy magazine, he talk about the work he is asked to do and gives his opinion and reaction to it. Although retouchers are getting blamed for the work and it is their reputation being ruined he says that it is not their fault and that it is the fault of the art directors for not approving the retouchers work until she is thin enough. He says they constantly ask for more yet 'less'; more retouching yet less of the real person.
He also says that stylists are getting lazy because of the advancing capabilities of the retouchers. He says he now adding highlights and creating hairstyles on people because the stylists are depending on the retoucher to do their work.
Reading the comments in reply to this article offers other opinions to it. I agree with one some comments made that they prefer the retouched photograph in the GIF, and that we have been conditioned to like these photographs more because we see so many of them that real people look unnatural to us now.
This is an interview with a retoucher who works for a glossy magazine, he talk about the work he is asked to do and gives his opinion and reaction to it. Although retouchers are getting blamed for the work and it is their reputation being ruined he says that it is not their fault and that it is the fault of the art directors for not approving the retouchers work until she is thin enough. He says they constantly ask for more yet 'less'; more retouching yet less of the real person.
He also says that stylists are getting lazy because of the advancing capabilities of the retouchers. He says he now adding highlights and creating hairstyles on people because the stylists are depending on the retoucher to do their work.
Reading the comments in reply to this article offers other opinions to it. I agree with one some comments made that they prefer the retouched photograph in the GIF, and that we have been conditioned to like these photographs more because we see so many of them that real people look unnatural to us now.
Friday 6 March 2015
Digital Archiving
Digital Archive can be a range of different formats, it can either be presented as a website or as a page either through a blog provider or on Facebook.
Blogs = create a separate page to keep everything together
Website = online templates are great to start with
Facebook = not as professional but reaches a wider audience
Flicker = whole collection/ online backup storage
The digital archive required for this project will be marked on professionalism, I am creating an online portfolio and I will need to understand editing my work that gets showed.
How to choose a website provider ?
What is my purpose for the website? (Archive, Portfolio, Sales, Blog)
Do I need to be able to sell online?
How often will I update? (Some providers have limits)
Online Template or Dreamweaver?
How do I want to Showcase? (full bleed, slideshow etc.)
Do the images load quickly? (people don't like waiting)
Does screen size affect the display?
Optimised for mobile?
SEO ?
How secure are images? (Can people 'copy' and 'paste' from my website?
where is everything stored?
Good customer service reputation?
Does it fit my budget?
11 secrets to creating a good website
Clean and Simple is better
Full Bleed images, consider these
Update Often
Easy navigated user interface
Small Relevant bio
EDIT work down
SEO
Contact info easily available (Possibly put on every page)
Be social (link to other places your work is available)
Fast loading images and pages are better
Sell from portfolio
Throughout this post I have referred to the term 'SEO' this is Search Engine Optimisation, when searching on google the servers find the most relevant websites from the words you search. Optimising your website with more keywords means that the higher up in the search results your website will be and that means more traffic is directed at your website so more people will see it.
Wednesday 4 March 2015
Photography Concentrate
http://photographyconcentrate.com
This website is a collection of tutorials helpful to all photographers not just retouching. They also share a handful of articles that are about current affairs in industry.
The shy photographers guide to confidence is a free ebook which is featured on the site which i think may be helpful for me too read as I am not very confident when it comes to photographing infront of people and any advice is welcome.
This website is a collection of tutorials helpful to all photographers not just retouching. They also share a handful of articles that are about current affairs in industry.
The shy photographers guide to confidence is a free ebook which is featured on the site which i think may be helpful for me too read as I am not very confident when it comes to photographing infront of people and any advice is welcome.
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