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The big pricing question.
Hello and thank you for taking the time to read this post. A question for those who retouch wedding photography images. I have begun working with a photographer in a per hour basis for batch and minor retouching on a handful of images. The is a wedding coming up in October that the photographer would like to give the client a quote on for some heavier retouching services. It will be a three hours wedding and the bride has very bad, red, blotchy skin she would like edited on most of not all of get photos along with skimming, wrinkle reduction. Since I have not worked on a project basis this large before and I would be greatly appreciative of any advice you would have. Thank you, again, for your time. May 14 16 09:02 am Link How exactly are you going to estimate a quote about pictures which you have neither seen, nor they have been shot? You should explain to the client that it would be highly unprofessional and irresponsible to put a price on non-existing product. That is not just about what skin someone has. There are many other factors that influence retouching time. You can give a quote when you know what exactly you will have to do and how long it take you. That is how per hour basis works. The other option is to charge for the most expensive case but that is unfair and unprofessional. You can easily loose the client and he may loose his clients. So best advice is - be fair with yourself and with others. May 14 16 11:42 am Link Anchev, Thank you very much for the information. Your advice is greatly appreciated and I will keep it in consideration. I am still unsure on how to go about it since I will be working in tandem with a photographer and it is running/coming from her business and she's basically referring them to me. I've only done batch processing and minor touch ups in the past for this photographer. Would it make sense to give an additional set amount on top of the normal batch processing price negotiated with the photographer for 5-7 photos and ask additional editing for $x p/h if they want more? This way it can get the more basic and slightly heavier retouching for those images and if they want more photos or heavier work, I will get an idea of how long the images take to retouch, and can gauge it from there? Again, I thank you greatly for your time. May 14 16 12:55 pm Link You are welcome. Don't worry too much about it. Just explain honestly and openly to your client photographer what we discuss here. It is really not the job of the retoucher to extract pricing out of thin air. Imagine the wedding is outdoors in a windy weather with leaves flying all around and hair in front of the bride's face on 80% of the shots and they request that you clean up all that. How can this be predicted? Retouchers are not oracles. They get actual images + requirements and proceed from there. The photographer should not transfer to you his/her negotiation or marketing problems and risks. If your client is so concerned about price - then base the work on the price. Suggest as an option that he tells you the budget and do the best you can within that budget without crossing your hourly rate. After all what more can you do? May 14 16 02:00 pm Link It would be useful for the photographer to take a few test shots in the anticipated light. May 14 16 04:13 pm Link Come up with a likely figure for each category of image (headshot, torso, etc) based on time taken. Then quote per image. Eg each headshot will cost $15, each half torso shot $5. Choose the categories to fit the reality of the situation and keep the option to cancel the deal if the shots are worse than you expect when they arrive. May 14 16 04:20 pm Link Thank you everyone! This has been very informative and I will take your advice and talk with the photographer about it. Best! May 14 16 05:16 pm Link Bad skin is a huge problem for many people and can make the most beautiful woman very un-photogenic, but you can't really say that to a bride. The best solution hands down for almost any physical issue on a subject is to recommend a spectacular (air-brush) make-up artist/hair stylist. If she's says "but I already have a make-up artist" tell her this is a very specific type of artist that could save her a lot of money in editing. If you want you can shop around on modelmayhem and find a few credentialed MUA's to refer her to with really impressive portfolios. I've seen amazing air-brush MUA's make acne appear to disappear in pics--then all you'll have to worry about in editing are some shadows from raised pimples. And if the bride could have someone on-hand for re-touching during the day it would be even better for her pictures. If you tell her "investing a small sum for an incredible make-up artist now will save you hundreds (or more) in editing down the road" chances are she'll listen. Especially if it's a big wedding party with lots of skin problems. If the bride's good with getting/changing make-up artists then you can keep her final bill within a reasonable price range. You'll still need more editing but not so much to break her bank. Then when shooting the wedding be careful not to get too many close-ups unless she specifically asks for them. Tight shots are a lot of work to repair on someone with really bad skin and impossible to get around without hours of work. Good luck, hope this helps. And here's a website you may find interesting on the magic of make-up artistry... http://www.timetobreak.com/3358611/make … m-selfies/ May 15 16 11:55 am Link Indigo Syd Horror Photography wrote: You seem to completely forget that the purpose of a wedding is not just creating the perfect fashionized photos. First and foremost a wedding is about people and emotion and those need to be authentic. I don't think the link you show is anything to recommend to anyone at all. It is not magic but rather an example of tasteless converting of one beast into another. Plus the girl on the pictures has severe skin health problems that need medical help. Makeup can only cause more trouble to such person. So not everything in life is just for playing with pictures. May 15 16 03:37 pm Link anchev wrote: I'm sure the client will appreciate you telling her how to run her life and what values to adopt. I don't think the link you show is anything to recommend to anyone at all. It is not magic but rather an example of tasteless converting of one beast into another. Plus the girl on the pictures has severe skin health problems that need medical help. And what makes you think she isn't getting it? Makeup can only cause more trouble to such person. Or it may have no medical effect at all. You're not the person wearing the make-up or her doctor; you have no knowledge of her real condition; really, you have no idea. The person making herself up on the other hand does know what her condition is. May 18 16 08:47 am Link thiswayup wrote: And likewise, you have no idea that he isn't correct, you don't know her condition either. Or are you a medical professional on the internet too? May 18 16 10:01 am Link thiswayup wrote: Are you following at all or merely trolling? What I have been telling from the very beginning is that it is NOT the job of the retoucher to deal with the client. Hello? And what makes you think she isn't getting it? A person who really cares about her skin health and is in a terrible state like this would simply never agree to putting makeup on it. Or it may have no medical effect at all. You're not the person wearing the make-up or her doctor; you have no knowledge of her real condition; really, you have no idea. The person making herself up on the other hand does know what her condition is. You are really in the mind reading business May 18 16 02:08 pm Link I hope this helps a bit with the pricing issue; http://retouchingacademy.com/how-much-t … ng-hourly/ If you're a professional with a skill in demand don't be tempted to go down the route of invoicing for just a handful of dollars, be sure not to underprice yourself. May 25 16 01:02 pm Link To the above post saying someone who cares about the health of their skin never putting makeup on it- you're incorrect. I've done makeup on women with eczema, women with severe acne, a combination of both... It's all personal preference. Makeup doesn't ruin the health of your skin as long as you use the correct products. Many women love makeup to boost their confidence and reduce the appearance of such skin conditions. Ie, covering a wine stain birthmark on the face. A mua I knew would go to a girls house every morning before school to cover the girls birthmark because she felt better about it that way. On the other hand- if the client doesn't want makeup, but wants all her redness covered in the photos, isn't that essentially defeating the point? Why pay for the pictures to be retouched but not be "retouched" in real life? makes no sense... All my personal opinion. May 25 16 02:46 pm Link anchev wrote: This is your opinion as a Totally Ignorant Guy On The Internet. Who cares? You are really in the mind reading business I don't have to read your mind to know that you're ignorant and opinionated; I read your post. Actually my grandparents were doctors, one of them the best dermatologists in our country. Wow! You've genetically inherited the knowledge of Decades Obsolete East Bloc Medical Science! That's almost as impressive as... Actually, I can't think of a witty comparison - I can't think of anything less impressive than the poor excuse for expertise you are already claiming. I'd certainly agree that putting Warsaw Pact Issue lipstick on was likely to be a risk to anyone's health; I don't see what that sanely has to do with a Westerner informed of her own condition, with access to products made for people with skin conditions... which weren't made by drunks from toxic waste. May 26 16 08:09 am Link |
