How do you charge for collages?

[msf]

I was just wondering how the pro's here charge for collages. Since they usually contain at least 3 pictures, and maybe up to 9 or more pictures, how much do you charge for it? They may only buy the one sheet of all the pictures instead of buying additional sheets. Do you charge them extra because of this?

Right now im thinking charge the session fee, the time it takes to work the pictures in photoshop to get them ready, and the time it takes to organize them in a collage. Then perhaps a special price per print. If you normally charged $20 for an 8x10, perhaps charge $30, or something.

What do you all do?

Hopefully im spelling the word collages right, as in the combination of a bunch of photo's on one page, not the educational facility for higher learning.

 

[Blank]

This example I have posted is my most recent completion. Delivered to my client yesterday. I have changed the persons name for their protection.

Poster arranged in Photoshop CS3.

To price this 16 x 20 poster out, I charge $35.00 per hour for the artwork (selecting images, creating the poster, color, all the design features, etc. I generate a draft and send a low resolution jpg to my client. We go back and forth for an email or two about suggested changes. I will get approval for the final to be sent to print. I outsource my large format printing and apply a 20% margin to my printing and delivery cost. This is for a one off. Volume printing is a lot cheaper, but that will be for my clients who need a run of brochures or similar where quantity is 50+.

This poster cost my client: 2hrs at $35.00 ($70) + the $31.00 print charge.

Do not undersell your effort in editing. Arranging posters, collages, whetever you want to call them, will take time from image selection, to editing, to creating and arranging effects, text selection, sometimes you may have to even purchase a font you dont have.. Hours will be put into poster arrangement, and to sell them an 8 x 10 (some people charge up to $60 alone for and 8 x10 photograph!), and you want $30, seems like you are giving services away to me.

And for the record, I dont live in a big city, where I can get away with my prices, I charge what I am worth and my client s know that.

 

[msf]

Thanks for explaining the way you do a collage. Emailing back and forth with the client must be annoying. Im guessing people seem to not really know what they want, or want something crazy.

Oh man, I had another question like 30 seconds ago, now I cant think of it. This is going to bug me for a while.

 

[Blank]

No, no problem. It's all billable hours, the more indecisive they are. I will make suggestions if I sense they are creatively stuck. Generally though, my first draft looks close to the final, maybe some color changes and text alterations.

 

[msf]

What about other types of collages? Say 9 pictures of a baby. The design im thinking of is sort of basic, so half an hour should be plenty of time to put it together. The customer may only one the one sheet instead of 9, so by doing the collage, you could be possibly loosing business. Thats just something that im concerned with.

 

[SpeedTrap]

One thing to consider is offering the collage after a minimum order or that they must order every print they would like used in the collage.

I know of one photographer that will not allow you to purchase 4X6 prints untill after you have spent $3000 or more on one session. Then you can buy off the bonus list.