contracting out post processing?

thenimirrathenimirra Registered Users Posts: 697 Major grins
edited February 26, 2009 in Mind Your Own Business
I have been seriously thinking about contracting out services with a professional retoucher. Some of the work I've seen has been TREMENDOUS, and even though I love photoshop and enjoy post processing as much as the shooting, I just don't have the skills that some of these people have for manipulating imagery. But how much is too much to pay for such a service? And have you ever contracted out services like this?
Sheba Wheeler -- Picture Your World Photography
www.pictureyourworld.net
http://pictureyourworldphotography.blogspot.com/
http://www.onedayonepicture.com

Comments

  • WachelWachel Registered Users Posts: 448 Major grins
    edited January 31, 2009
    My 2¢: Spend the money and take some photoshop classes. You will get more satisfaction from your work that way.

    What I do is find a style I would like to learn then I scour the internet looking for tutorials on how to accomplish it. I keep learning new stuff that way.

    Good luck.
    Michael

    <Insert some profound quote here to try and seem like a deep thinker>

    Michael Wachel Photography

    Facebook
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited January 31, 2009
    I too have been thinking of this due to the fact that when the wedding season hits I have never had time for darkroom work (which sucked in the film days as I loved what could be done in the D.R.)........I have scoured and scoured......Andy did a post with 3 different companys offering simialr but different servces....also a Dgrinner " Quantum3" in Argentina (I believe) does this work for some Canadian Photogs.............Just need to make sure whom ever you use has a FTP service......
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • Quantum3Quantum3 Registered Users Posts: 54 Big grins
    edited January 31, 2009
    Im' the best retoucher you can find
    I've sent you an e-mail.
    س LOVE!!! TRSUT!!! JUSTICE!!! س
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited January 31, 2009
    http://www.shootdotedit.com/
    Andy

    Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
  • ChatKatChatKat Registered Users Posts: 1,357 Major grins
    edited January 31, 2009
    www.lavalu.com is another one but shootdotedit is getting some raves too.
    Kathy Rappaport
    Flash Frozen Photography, Inc.
    http://flashfrozenphotography.com
  • Scott McLeod PhotoScott McLeod Photo Registered Users Posts: 77 Big grins
    edited February 8, 2009
    It all depends on what you are looking for. Are you looking for someone to do some highend type stuff of models, where the skin is perfected? Or are you looking to have a large volume of images white balanced tweaked, brightness, contrast, etc done. Most retouchers I have come across are more about perfecting a few images, than doing the volume stuff. Also due to the cost, a large volume at $10 a photo isn't in most peoples budget.
    WTB: 1GB and 512k CF cards.
    I have a need for a decent # of these smaller cards. If you have multiple cards that would be great. I am located at zip code 35243 & 35255.
  • thenimirrathenimirra Registered Users Posts: 697 Major grins
    edited February 9, 2009
    thank you everyone for you replies and suggestions! I will check them all out. Although I just got a batch of some great Photoshop Actions from Totally Rad, Kubota etc that I've been having fun working with.
    Sheba Wheeler -- Picture Your World Photography
    www.pictureyourworld.net
    http://pictureyourworldphotography.blogspot.com/
    http://www.onedayonepicture.com
  • Quantum3Quantum3 Registered Users Posts: 54 Big grins
    edited February 9, 2009
    thenimirra wrote:
    thank you everyone for you replies and suggestions! I will check them all out. Although I just got a batch of some great Photoshop Actions from Totally Rad, Kubota etc that I've been having fun working with.

    Hi,

    Did you read my e-mail?

    Mart :)
    س LOVE!!! TRSUT!!! JUSTICE!!! س
  • dogwooddogwood Registered Users Posts: 2,572 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2009
    You might also consider a combo of retouching software like "Portrait Professional" and Photoshop.

    I've been testing out Portrait Professional (PP) for the last couple of weeks and find it amazing for the price (though you'll definitely want to spring for the studio version so you can handle 16-bit files).

    I open my raw files in CS4, make sure the exposure and WB are cool, then save 'em as tifs. You could do this in Bridge too. Then I open in PP, do the face dots thing the program requires, usually tone down the skin settings (PP tends to be a little heavier than I like) and double check the face sculpting.

    If it looks good, the file gets saved and reopened in CS4 where I take the healing brush tool to polish it a bit, apply some selective unsharp mask, and save as a print.

    It sounds like a lot of steps but it's faster than manually retouching and you get the cool face sculpting features of PP. This alone is worth the cost of the software in my opinion.

    If you need to crank out a bunch of portraits fast, this method is much faster than the techiniques you'll find in "Skin" (a retouching book by Lee Varis) or Guy Garness's tips. You might not want to do this techinique with all your photos-- but for quick, quality retouching, it's the fastest method I've used.
    Portland, Oregon Photographer Pete Springer
    website blog instagram facebook g+

  • Scott McLeod PhotoScott McLeod Photo Registered Users Posts: 77 Big grins
    edited February 10, 2009
    thenimirra, I think it all depends on what you are looking for. Are you wanting someone else to do everything on a 1000 photo wedding, or are you just wanting someone to perfect 25 images from the wedding?
    WTB: 1GB and 512k CF cards.
    I have a need for a decent # of these smaller cards. If you have multiple cards that would be great. I am located at zip code 35243 & 35255.
  • heatherfeatherheatherfeather Registered Users Posts: 2,738 Major grins
    edited February 26, 2009
    ChatKat wrote:
    www.lavalu.com is another one but shootdotedit is getting some raves too.

    I think lavalu isn't the one you think... It comes up as a dating service... ne_nau.gif Anyone have a better link?
    Heather
    my website
    facebook
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