Describe photo processing to a client

[Rajah Sulayman]

I recently quoted a job with a base quote for just the work and a DVD of full-sized unprocessed JPGs, and an extra $50 for 50 processed photos. The client asked me what I meant by "processed" and this was the reply I sorta came up with:

Originally Posted by me

"Processed" is basically another term for digitally developing the photos. Meaning I work on them and improve the contrast, colors, clarity, etc. Images tend to come straight from the camera a little flat, and while they're still fine for publication, they don't look as good as they could be.

Here's a rough example of processed vs unprocessed photos:

Unprocessed - http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/...31bf6f21f4.jpg
Processed - http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/...f5c5962f76.jpg

Sometimes the difference between the two is as subtle as tweaking a few colors, sometimes it's as dramatic as turning a color photo into a tinted black & white.

Thing is, I feel like this was a very clumsy and almost self-defeating. I still managed to land the gig, but I think I should have a more elegant description in the future that doesn't a) make the unprocessed photos sound ugly, and b) doesn't require samples.

How do you describe "photo processing" to clients if/when they ask?

[zappo]

Well personally I never give away unprocessed photos. I shoot everything in RAW and every photo is processed so far that I'm not embarresed when it pops up somewhere. The little bit of processing that is needed for that is already calculated in my quotes (As well as time for sorting, selecting etc.).

So when a client asks me about processing, I tell him this is about giving the picture an indivdual style, retouching etc.

[Jim Bryant]

Digital capture fees: $1.00 per shot.
Post processing fees - $25.00 to $125.00 an hour, depending on what part of the country you reside in. NYC.......$125.00

[Rajah Sulayman]

Originally Posted by zappo

Well personally I never give away unprocessed photos.

For anything other than event coverage, I'm with you. I would never give away RAWs or unprocessed photos for fashion, commercial, or editorial shoots*. However my experience with events has been that clients want a lot of photos and they want them immediately (usually the next day, if not sooner). So while I'll run some cursory curve & level adjustments to de-flatten the images, I try not to do much more than that. When you're delivering anywhere from 150-300 images to a client, doing full processing on them can mean up to an extra 5-10 hours of work.


* I'm less protective of RAWs for event gigs because I see them as more mercenary jobs anyway. Plus, more often than not my clients prefer to have their own guys do the post-processing (usually because they have an aesthetic theme they're trying to preserve) and often request unprocessed images. I charge a premium for handing over the RAWs, of course.

[Rajah Sulayman]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

Digital capture fees: $1.00 per shot.
Post processing fees - $25.00 to $125.00 an hour, depending on what part of the country you reside in. NYC.......$125.00

If a client asked you "What does 'post processing' mean/entail?" how would you respond?

[zona5101]

completely off topic but your website name and it's descriptor is outstanding.

[Rajah Sulayman]

Originally Posted by zona5101

completely off topic but your website name and it's descriptor is outstanding.

Hahaha thanks.

[Jim Bryant]

Originally Posted by Rajah Sulayman

If a client asked you "What does 'post processing' mean/entail?" how would you respond?

here ya go!

Digital Production Charge

A basic charge that helps cover the added expense of the equipment and cards. This flat charge usually is in lieu of a per-image digital capture charge (see next item). Photographers at the low end of the Digital Production Charge spectrum occasionally include separate equipment charges, CD burn charges, etc.
$200 - $850 per day

Digital Capture

This is a charge for every picture shot digitally. It equates to the cost of film and processing, a production charge many editorial clients understand and are comfortable with. As mentioned, some photographers in our survey use this line item in lieu of the previous "digital production charge," billing in the range of $200 -$500 for the first 50 captures and incrementally lowering the rate as the number of captures increase.

Some photographers use the following delineation when itemizing this expense:

Fewer than 50 Captures (base minimum): $250
Up to 100 Captures: $300
Up to 200 Captures: $400
Up to 400 Captures: $750
Up to 500 Captures (base maximum per day): $850

Image Prep

Basic downloading and conversion from the camera's memory card to a readily accessible format, such as TIFF or JPG. It is not to be confused with more detailed post-production enhancements. The respondents who included this category often did so in lieu of a digital service fee or a digital capture charge.
$10-$75/image

Final File Prep

Any post production work beyond basic downloading and uploading.
$100 - $200/hr
CD burning
$25 - $35
DVD burning
$35 - $75
FTP uploading
$25 - $100
Equipment charge
$150 -$500/day

Of the respondents to our survey, the photographers having a low "digital production charge," which may be at the insistence of the client, added this expense. This line item has long been a critical component of other equipment-heavy visual media freelancers, such as film video cameramen. As our own investments approach similarly stratospheric levels, we may be wise to reconsider this paradigm.

Contact sheets, prints and digital Polaroids

$200 for Digital Polaroids
$15-25 per contact sheet or straight reference print

Conclusion

It is clear that we are being pressured by clients who are insisting on digital while resisting paying for our added work and investment. It is also clear that if we are to survive, we must make a stand by insisting on added payment for our added services and expenses.

Our suggested pricing which follows is in 2004 dollars. These figures need to be increased over time to reflect both inflation and rising equipment and production costs. Once again, note that these are for editorial projects.

DIGITAL PRODUCTION CHARGE: $300-$1000/day
CD burning: $30 -$50/disk
DVD burning: $50 -$75/disk
FTP uploading: $75 -$150
Digital (inkjet) contact sheets: $20 -$50/contact sheet
Inkjet reference prints: $15 -30/print
Digital post-production: $150 -$200/hour

Let us remember, and let us remind our clients, that all these added services are for their convenience and that convenience comes with a price. Simply because we are now charging our clients for the higher production costs of digital does not make the charges less valid. Further, our efforts and investments in digital technologies decrease our clients' production costs.

We must take action now, while policies are still evolving. If we fail to assert reasonable compensation structures, we will soon find ourselves unable to afford to practice our craft. That will benefit neither ourselves, nor our clients.

[Jim Bryant]

Tell them post-processing is like custom color printing when using film: all that burning, dodging, and color correcting.

[candleman]

one word


photoshop


then show a before and after