MicrostockGroup
Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: sauser on June 24, 2016, 07:00
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If i use the retouching service to make the photos looks more better, do i need to tell them that i'm gonna upload the photos to the stock photo sites?
If the answer is yes, is it gonna be more expensive?
And do I have to prepare documents to something write down? (if the retouching service is loacated in overseas, what shoud I do?)
I've never used retouching service, so i'm little worry about giving the whole pictures.
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OK it looks like nobody has anything to say about this thread so I'll start off by saying what is obvious to me.
To answer your questions:
1. You don't have to tell a retouching service what you plan to do with your photos after they are finished, they are your photos and what you do with them is your business.
2. The costs of using a retouching service will add up if you want to do microstock seriously. However the stock agencies themselves will not sell your photos at a premium just because they have been through a retouching service.
3. Ideally you should find a service that will retouch your photos the way that you want, and be in constant communication with them - this could be an expensive option - but I would never send my work out not knowing what I am going to get in return.
Having said that I would advise against using a retouching service for a number of reasons:
1. It costs money that you are unlikely to make back on a lot of your photos.
2. You have a perfect oppourtunity to motivate yourself to learn how to do your own retouching.
3. Learning how to do your own retouching will make you a better photographer, knowing what can and cannot be done within your own skillset both in the field and in Photoshop.
4. There is no magical "make the photos looks more better". If you shoot a bad shot its just plain bad. If you shoot a great shot then you may not have to retouch it at all.
I recommend Lightroom and/or Photoshop.
Get the software, learn how to use them via millions of tutorials and forums on the Internet, save yourself money (the software will be cheaper compared to using a retouching service if you want a healthy portfolio).
I don't mean to sound condescending, and I'm sorry if I gave you that impression but here is a wonderful oppourtunity to learn and develop.
Don't rob yourself of a valuable life skill thats looking you right in the face.
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Plus as you suggested you're giving the photos to the retoucher, so they can always have copies, and even in reliable companies there might be rogue employees (or there might not be).
I agree: learn to do it yourself. Adobe has loads of web pages themselves, plus CreativeLive, lynda.com and no doubt many others. Creative Live at this very moment is streaming for free Ben Willmore's Complete Guide to PSCC.
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I myself offer Retouching services to some of the top MS photographers already so I will suggest you to hire one. It will help you to work as a team and grow your port faster. You can earn multiple than what you will pay to retouching team. To avoid any mishap you can ask them to sign NDA before starting the job.
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I don't mean to sound condescending, and I'm sorry if I gave you that impression but here is a wonderful oppourtunity to learn and develop.
Don't rob yourself of a valuable life skill thats looking you right in the face.
it's not that difficult doing all the post-processing yourself.
moreover, only the creator of the work will know what he or she sees in the photograph taken.
you would not be truly satisfied with someone else retouching or post-processing your work,
at least i won't.
it's like having someone else finish your painting.
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You don't have to pay extra as they will charge the same for that. I have used Retouching Expert services and they charged me same for that i.e. only 0.40$ per images for stock photo retouching (http://www.retouchingexpert.co.uk/stock-photo-services.html). Quality was good and I am happy with the services they offer. You can also contact them for the same.