Traditional Retoucher trying to connect with analog photographers

[Katherine J Gillis]

I wanted to introduce myself as a 24 year veteran master traditional retoucher & spotter. My name is Katherine Gillis.

I joined this group to try and connect with those who want to know the science and art of traditional retouching because I just spent 14 months putting an online course together and want interested analog photographers to know about it. Also I continue to work for photographers across the United States and abroad retouching and spotting prints and negatives, B&W and color.

The course launches in May 2017 online at Ofcourseware.xyz (the online school) and is called "Become a Fearless Traditional Retoucher & Spotter." Would anyone be interested in knowing more? Or can you suggest what group I should be addressing. I have been the only traditional retoucher of the Yosemite Special Edition prints by Ansel Adams for 24 years. Recently Anatomyfilms.com featured me on that site. Thank you. Katherine Gillis

 

[jvo]

you've had 58 views to date... obviously no replies... maybe they checked out the ofcourseware site. What i see missing is "why". I'm sure you are quite skilled and more than qualified. Someone may not know why they need this course - particularly over other methods of learning.

it is a special skill, where a little goes a long way to improving a print.

 

[Doc W]

I would love to take a retouching course but I need to know the cost in advance.

 

[Eric Rose]

Haven't we had a thread on this already?

 

[Katherine J Gillis]

Thank you for your comments. I've answered everyone of them individually and on my website. I thought APUG would be a great place to interact but my hands are tied. I've offered for over a year as a subscriber to answer questions but the moment I mention myself "I'm advertising." So here is a parting gift to all of you. I did a real time retouching which is posted on my co-developer's site www.carolkingbutler.com under the navigational bar "Info & Courses." This course will answer everything that 24 years of retouching and spotting has taught me and it's all step-by-step. Everyone who invests in my course gets it for life and can attend my webinars, get a one-to-one with me about their own work and frankly, that's why I created the course. The price of an online course is never given until the day of launch because that allows me to answer questions, talk about it and not have my hard work for now 16 months be treated as this quote so succinctly summarizes: "In Lady Windemere's Fan, Oscar Wilde had Lord Darlington quip that a cynic was 'a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.' As with so much of what Wilde wrote or said, it's more than just a nice turn of phrase – it hits at the heart of the problems of society." I've been transparent with the contents (THE WHAT) and anyone can see all my topics and lesson content on the school site. The WHY is what I teach. You need to decide as a newbie or a professional if you feel what you see will greatly enhance your finished prints.
Here is the personal answer I've sent to those of you who have emailed me about cost:

Cost? Love this question. The reason we don’t give out the price before the launch day is because we do a webinar to show off the contents of the course, answer LIVE any questions and give potential buyers the chance to meet and interact with me. THEN on the first day of the launch (on this one particular webinar which will be via zoom.us for the record) we give a special bonus to everyone who buys the course the first day. There are other bonuses within the course, but the bonus we announce on the webinar is ONLY if you buy the first day and on the webinar.


When you get my FREE Tools & Resources Checklist you get on my contact list which means I can send you information and the day and time of the launch. We are in Eastern Daylight Standard Time. The course is a premium course but we’ve all paid more for a 2 day conference, hotel and flight (so no it’s not ridiculous). But it will not remain up very long to be bought. We of course will continue to add to it and not charge anyone additional money who are already students, but it will not be for sale for several months after this official release and with each release the cost of the course will increase.


As an online course you have access 24/7. You’ll have a password and can take this course at your own speed. Unlike workshops and other “hands-on” options, my course will be available for you to watch over and over as I have videos and visuals. I have included real time retouching videos. AND I have many Before and After photos. Please again, go to Ofcourseware.xyz and click on the course name “Become a Fearless Traditional Retoucher & Spotter” and you can see the contents of the Modules, the lessons, in other words, what is inside the course. I can tell you it was well received by our first beta-students. We’ve posted some of the comments they made about having taken the course.


This is a once in a lifetime course opportunity on this subject matter. I am a master and I’ve continuously traditionally retouched and spotted for 24 years. I didn’t want my knowledge to be lost.

So I'm not being negative, just realistic and for those of you who have supported me, email me. I'd be glad to answer any question you may have for me about traditional retouching and spotting. Sincerely, Katherine

 

[faberryman]

Another advertisement.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Wow you guys are HARSH!

 

[pentaxuser]

Katherine, I write this as a complete outsider in the sense that I am over 3000 miles away on the other side of the Atlantic so hopefully I am a disinterested spectator but if I may say so, it is still not clear to me why you cannot specify cost. I have read your explanation several times but still cannot understand why it isn't possible to specify the cost. In all other photographic courses I have seen there is a cost specified, albeit there may be a reduction for "early subscribers" The whole way in which a person gets involved in order get more information seems very complicated. It seems to leave a lot of uncertainty and where money is involved, I suspect that most potential consumers abhor uncertainty.

Just a few thoughts on my part. I have no axe to grind.

pentaxuser

 

[EdSawyer]

The cost was posted on the website at one point, I think it was around $500.

 

[pentaxuser]

The cost was posted on the website at one point, I think it was around $500.

If this is the case then I wonder why Katherine hasn't simply repeated this in her reply?

pentaxuser

 

[Eric Rose]

Sounds like a time share pitch.

 

[Katherine J Gillis]

Katherine, I write this as a complete outsider in the sense that I am over 3000 miles away on the other side of the Atlantic so hopefully I am a disinterested spectator but if I may say so, it is still not clear to me why you cannot specify cost. I have read your explanation several times but still cannot understand why it isn't possible to specify the cost. In all other photographic courses I have seen there is a cost specified, albeit there may be a reduction for "early subscribers" The whole way in which a person gets involved in order get more information seems very complicated. It seems to leave a lot of uncertainty and where money is involved, I suspect that most potential consumers abhor uncertainty.

Just a few thoughts on my part. I have no axe to grind.

pentaxuser

Hey and thanks for giving me the opportunity to reply. We launched the course May 20th. The price always (on any premium online course) follows at the end of the webinar launch because it lets people see the contents, the value, the bonuses, the Q&A which is all LIVE so there is NO misunderstanding about what they will purchase. It's up, so the price is easily seen now ($596) and if you don't watch the replay of the webinar you'll never know what you're missing especially at that price. Carol Butler is the online school owner and she's bought MANY courses as she looked at what worked and what she felt didn't for over 2 years. (Former top broadcast sales person and presenter). She's taken the advice of the largest school platforms before either of us even announced we were doing this. She's personally sat through over 107 webinars to see WHY it's done like it is. Very simply, people look at price and know nothing of value so someone like us, and others, who've given the best of their love, passion, talent and years of training, skills deserve less than an hour of show and tell and then if you don't buy, at least we feel the decision was an informed decision. The replay isn't up just yet but legally, ethically, if someone wants it, I can easily send it to anyone who gets my FREE Tools & Resources Checklist at my website www.katherinegillis.com. I won't be posting on this site and continue to be criticized for advertising. No one does what I do, has a course like this to offer and just opening my mouth about what I do (as we can see on this thread) amounts to being an advertiser. I have lived my life professionally helping thousands of analog photographers and I've never forced myself on anyone. I've been word of mouth most of my life so advertising was never something I ever had to do. But because I care about this not being lost, the art, the science, the techniques, the "HOW to" we created this course just for analog photographers. The reaction on other forums has been so much more welcoming so I don't understand. I even became a subscriber (paid) and I frankly thought, like other forums, I'd be shared all over and you'd be doing a fellow professional photographer a favor. I think that about covers it. Hope this was educational to everyone who reads it.

 

[pentaxuser]

Thanks Katherine, I think I understand now. The potential customer gets a live interactive free webinar during which he can ascertain what will happen on the course and at that point or shortly thereafter gets a price to which he/she can subscribe or otherwise. At no point does the potential subscriber have to do anything which he later has to take action to "unsubscribe" if he decides the course is not for him. I take it that the potential subscriber can also unsubscribe from a mail-list should he automatically be on one if he opts to.

If I have got it correct then depending on APUG rules I see no reason why you cannot announce dates of future courses. This would be one simple thread which requires no action on any member's / subscriber's part other than to ignore or follow-up depending on interest.

I have used the word "he" as the generic term for person for convenience

pentaxuser