Expert: Don Wood - 10/26/2003

Question
Hi Don,
Thanks for volunteering for this service. This is the first time I've used it.
I absolutely love manipulating photos. As a group photographer, I imagine you may have been asked to add or remove a person. This, along with much more challenging projects, is something I would like to turn into a career.
I am wondering, if there are career opportunities for this sort of thing, and where to seek them out. Thanks in advance for your consideration.
Mark

Answer
If you like to manipulate photos, I suggest that you get some training in Photoshop or even Paintshop Pro 8 (poor man's version of Photoshop, in a trade school somewhere. This will give you credentials proving to employees that they will not have to be the primary trainer of you. Any place that deals with photos in an editorial vein, newspapers, magazines, advertising could be candidates for your talents. With the advent of digital photography, you could even be a retoucher for portrait photographers. You could be called on to open eyes, eliminate red-eyes, etc.
In the editorial realm, you would be in charge of getting the photo into a format that the press will be able to print. There are many possibilities. Don't forget the small printing companies that might need the services you offer. But get as much education as you can, a guidance counselor at the local high school or college can help you choose the best training you can get. When I started 40 years ago there were very few schools in the country that taught photography as more than an adjunct of the Journalism Department, primarily in the newspaper training. Now almost any good school will offer courses in what you are seeking to do. You're starting practically on the ground floor in digital manipulation so you'll be in good shape and growing with the industry rather than trying to play catch-up in an established industry.
I hope that I've helped you. And no, I've not been asked to remove a person from a photo, usually they use a pair of scissors to do that operation.
Thanks for asking, if I can help further, please ask.
Don