So here we are surfing the web for interesting finds, when we run across a very talented firm, Retouchme, in the U.K. who display exceptional abilities in the area of post production. As we perused through the examples of their work, we both wondered - do photographers need to have real skills anymore? Obviously, retouching requires a great amount of skill, and we mean no disrespect to the post producers in question, but, remember the days before the digital craze, when a photographer was only as good as his ability to manipulate light in real time and not in post production digital time?This is a dilemma that puts photographer's in an awkward position. Either you have skills or you have skills. Skills implies the ability to capture the shot with the light and quality a client needs without total reliance on post production and Skills implies that while you have a good handle on how to light an object, your ability to retouch that subject takes your creativity out of the box and into a whole new competitive level. The question is, which skills make you more valuable or more respected on the market? The answer? Still being debated. There are those who would say hands down, knowing your light makes you a master, but there are others who argue, who needs light when you have Photoshop?
All would be well in the world for the Skills set, if they didn't find themselves dealing with clients who say, 'Hey, I have a little digi-cam, if I can shoot my kid's Halloween costume and alter it in five minutes at the press of a filter to make it seem like he's the best Yoda ever, why can't you do that with these car shots in the Dubai desert? And by the way, why are you charging me soooo much for that five minutes?' Hmmmmm, could it be that the answer is that photographers who choose to enhance their skills through retouching have to educate their clients on what kind of work it actually takes to achieve their perfect car shot and clients have to rethink how good their pictures really look after five minutes of playing with the Gaussian Blur?
As for those who believe technical ability is everything in the Skills set, we feel your pain, but don't be distressed, you have time on your side. When the light is right from the start, who needs to spend tons of time and cash on retouching? Your problems lie in whether or not, technical ability in lighting can keep up with technical effects in retouching. I have seen some shots that look damn near out of this world - unreal.
But maybe that's the point.
Perhaps we all should break for a little reality check.
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