Photoshop Retouching training and standards?

I am familiar with photoshop and use it to adjust color balance, levels, curves, etc. But I want to take things up one more level and be able to eliminate a scar for example and do whatever is considered standard "retouching" when shooting human models.

The two questions on that are

1. What is considered "standard" in terms of retouching. I am not trying to turn my pictures into an illustration (as in I want to keep the image integrity).

2. What resource (online school/class/etc) would you recommend for improving my photoshop skills especially in terms of retouching. There are only about 10,000 books on this.

Thank you in advance for input.

Photoshop Retouching training and standards?moto guzzi

I was a hobbyist until I found www.worth1000.com This is a site where photochoppers come to compete for fun. There are also tutorials on how to do some of the effects. After engaging in some of these I can create some incredible photos.

As for touchups, this is a great place to learn about touching up. There are a lot of tutorials on the internet, try googling for Photoshop Tutorials.

Photoshop Retouching training and standards?norton internet security 2008

I find there are many ways to do the same thing. The question isn't how to do it, but How to do it in the most efficient fashion.

For instance there are about 100 ways to optimize the dynamic range of a picture. Some of those ways while correct will take up vast amounts of time.

To cut through the Hype I found the Photoshop Bible to be one of the most helpful tools I have come across.
1. it depends on the person. if they want their pics to look flawless then retouch if not then don't.

2. online tutorials always help. i go to

www.arraich.com/elements/pse_hhow1.htm

there are great step by step processes here, their easy to understand and they actually work! hope it helps!