newbie question

[mikemeister_admin]

I'm not DerekFountain, but...

If any commercial photo operation ever gave you any photos to work on, they would be in deep legal trouble. Sure different countries have different laws on physical and intellectual property, but they aren't all that different. Our globalized economy has brought these laws very close together.

These photo processing businesses don't own the physical or intellectual rights to any of these pictures. They have no legal right to allow you any access to them or rights to do anything with them. The only ones who can give you permission to do anything with them are the owners of the pictures. i.e. The customers of those businesses.

I bet if you looked at the paperwork between those businesses and their customers you could find legal language that protects both parties in the transaction. In some cases you wouldn't, but there are laws and legal precedence that define the property rights of the picture owners.

All this leads to the world of professional photography and publishing where we have to get signed releases from just about anyone who appears in our pictures. Otherwise, we pretty much have no rights to use their images for anything. Oh, there are some legal exceptions, but most of us just get releases from any one we shoot.

I'm not a lawyer and don't play one anywhere, but I would strongly suggest that you get signed releases from any owner of any picture that you plan to use in your portfolio. Even if you have to write your own release, get something in writing. Otherwise, if they ever found out they could take you for some really big Euros.

That's why you have to find and work with the owners and NOT any third party commercial businesses. That's also why your family might be the best place to start; as you already have rights to those pictures by way of relations. Of course, there are no guarantees that family fights won't break out, but that's another story.

Hey, no one said that running a business was always fun or easy. Most people forget all this organization, paperwork, regulations, and other crap that takes you away from the actual art you are trying to sell.

Clyde

[mikemeister_admin]

I found one or two shots in the retouch pro forum that acts as a challenge, free to download to be enhanced. That's suficient for the moment.
as, ...well,... I tried to find shops not to steal their client pictures but just to help me find a job when I'll move.

The laws here are the same if not more severe for questions of imge rights than many other countries.

thanks even so
(this thread help me to revise my english)

[derekfountain]

can you tell me if you know portrait chainstores such as venture or pixi photo or even retail photo shops of good reputation (such as Fnac right here) or franchises (such as phox in France), it could help me to prospect, in addition to those I found on the web.

Um, no, I don't know of any such stores. When people here want photos printed, they go to a big supermarket (which sell pretty much every service imaginable these days) or get them done online. These big players don't, as far as I know, offer much in the way of retouching, and if they do it'll be very basic stuff like red eye removal.

There must be small, independent photography outlets and studios that offer retouching services, but I don't know of any chains. What you're looking for is a niche; if it were a big, obvious opportunity it wouldn't be a niche!

[mikemeister_admin]

For the moment, I think that I will give up photo retouching and continue in my actual way, but abroad
I will need a job, something that I can do without fighting, without having to negotiate too much. Just paying the first bills and try to make new social life, thing that I've lost in my own country. So I'm not giving up further training but the question's still hot of "to whom may I give my resume". I plan to move quite quickly even if I know that summertime isn't a nice season to emigrate.

Be careful! I will increase the herd of millions to invade ya country ;)
(even if I'lll never compete you on computer coding) ;D

[mikemeister_admin]

We are glad to be of help, even if it is to scare you away from something. OK, the English practice is good too. It's a tad worrisome to think that I'm a standard for the English language. Of course, those in England would question my American version of the language.

I can't help you with any kind of job though. Mike might get a bit concerned if this forum turned into a job board. Good luck though.

Clyde

[-default]

Not a problem.  Right now the only thing I dislike is spamming the board with unrelated advertising, and that seems to be under control at the moment.  I have no problem with any use of the board that is even remotely related to image correction.

[mikemeister_admin]

I think my post will end up the thread, as I found what I wanted (photos at least  ;) ). It will end up too with a no-off-topic stuff as I found a wonderfull photo of Sarah Ferguson, duchess of york pretty in RED RED RED that's seems to be free of rights and downloadable (I need to check this a bit further, the site -about the breast cancer where she is involved- offer a all downloadeable versions of all the photos) and I think she'll be a wonderful exercise for a next curvemeister challenge or class. And apart that, she need a tiny loss of weight and less wrinkles to appear as a real model. This is my part of the job.

[mikemeister_admin]

I forgot, Thank you to you all :)

[mikemeister_admin]

it's really not the last post
here's my view of the picture (in order to make it more "fashionable")
I know there's still improvements to do, but the rough basis is here
tell me what you think, please

[-default]

I think you did a great job, from a technical standpoint.  It may be a little over the top, and her majesty might feel that you took some liberties with the royal carriage.

Two things that I would change - the shoulders in your last version look too thin, particularly her right shoulder is almost Twiggy-like, and the mottling and banding on her right arm is distracting.