Re: What fee should I charge?
A few thoughts.
Charge time and costs. Fair to you and fair to them. Include prep time, car loading time, drive time, and setup time. If it is quick you aren't getting screwed since you are getting compensated for all your time. Nor are they since it costs less. If it takes forever because it's a semi sculptural wall piece with glass and metallic junk hanging everywhere and takes forever to light well, once again it's fair to all parties.
You could have a lower rate for prep time, car loading time and drive time, and full rate for shooting.
Film and processing I generally simply said X dollars per roll. Remember you spend time getting to the lab, picking up same film, etc. If the cash costs are ummmm $15.00, add a couple of bucks for your time.
I no longer do copywork for others, but if I did, I would only do it on a time and costs basis.
I encourage the artist to help, show me what he/she wants out of the reproduction, help move pieces around, etc. and that makes it work better and keeps the time factor down.
People who do tons of copywork and are willing to take an occasional bath on a difficult job do fine by a flat fee of some sort, but I kinda liked the complex and difficult jobs and avoided being locked into a fixed fee structure. If it's low enough to be an incentive, complex copywork becomes a charitable gift to the artist. If it's high enough to pay when a job is complex, it overcharges the main run of work.
Beware people who try to nickel and dime you. They will start trying to get you to use cheap film and the like to bring the cost down. Suggest they go elsewhere, perhaps to the flat fee people. I'd rather not get a worthless job than put in three times what it's worth only to have a dissatisfied customer mouthing off about me forever. I didn't want the bad karma. Such customers are better suited to photographers who's selling point is price.
Re: What fee should I charge?
Here's another idea....consider that there are different market segments for this service.
On the low end you'll have artists who just need something--anything--to send in to an competition. Or something on their simple, little web page.
Then there is sort of a middle end where you have a person who is aware of color correction issues and wants you to do a decent job. They want a nicer web page, or a portfolio of 11x14s to show.
Then you get the higher end people, especially in more competitive markets. They want the print/trans to look as close to perfection as possible. They may want to make large images for sale.
Seems like you have at least three different levels of service (and thus price points) for such a service.
--Darin
Re: What fee should I charge?
How about a trade?
If there is work of theirs that is comparable in value that you like make a trade.
If they give you any grief about the value of your work don't make the deal.
Re: What fee should I charge?
Hi Milt,
Please cover all your expenses, whatever it may be and have a markup of 30-40% towards your profit.
This may be charged for the whole assignament or per photo basis also.
Re: What fee should I charge?
Are you shooting with a view camera?