Richard Kenward wrote:
How many of us have supplied photography for a few pieces of material like brochures and price lists for a pittance and then seen the designer charge �1,000s for a very modest amount of work and make 10% of the print bill on top?
Having successfully straddled the fence between commercial photographer and designer for nearly thirty years, I can assure you that what may seem like a modest amount of work generally involves a whole layer of hard work that most photographers never see. From developing the initial concept through design and layout of the piece can be long road, frought with pitfalls and demanding a level of understanding of everything from strategic marketing concepts through physics, and, on occaision, self defense.
Getting 10% on the printing most of the time barely covers the time required from getting competitive bids, negotiating prepress requirements, doing color approvals and press proofing sometimes for days at a time, often in the middle of the night, and always in places that aren't that comfortable. Now and again, things go smoothly, and the markup includes a little bonus, most of the time it's a wash between taking the markup and charging an hourly rate to ensure that the client is happy and ready to use both the designer and photographer on his next project.
-- Jeff Smith
Smith/Walker Design and Photography
P. O. Box 58630 Seattle, WA 98138 ph: 206-575-3233 fx: 206-575-3960
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