by Naets
8 replies
I need some help with a situation I'm in. Im'm fairly new to the freelancing thing. I've been working on a website for a client of mine, an art gallery. Every month when they have a new exhibition they ask me to add a new artist profile and add artwork images. I charge them by the hour.

I added a new artist profile with her artwork images. The images were supplied by the artist and are photographs of the artworks. I re-size the images and add them to the site. The gallery was happy. Then I get a call from the gallery and they said the artist told them the images on the site are too dark, and asked if I can edit it a bit so that it looks more like the images on the artist's website. So I looked at the artist's website and saw what it is supposed to look like and edited it accordingly. It's almost 40 images so it took some time. Then I get a call from the artist and she said it still doesn't look 100%, and she said because she created the artworks she can see small details that don't look right. So I told her, in stead of me having to edit the images again, to get her website guy to send me the images he used on her site so that I can put it on the gallery site. I received the new images and after confirming with the gallery I added it to their site.

Now what I want help with is what I should charge them for. Should I only charge them only for the time I spent adding the new images? Or should I charge them for all the time I spent working in total, including the editing that they weren't happy with? When they gave me the original images I assumed it was what they wanted on the site, and I haven't seen the artworks before so I had no idea what it was supposed to look like in terms of brightness etc. Only when I saw the images on her site I got an idea of what it should look like, but I couldn't replicate it 100% because the images on the artist's site were also photographs but had bright lights shining on it, and the images that were given to me were just normal photographs without any special lighting.

I don't to overcharge them, but I also feel that they kind of messed me around and the artist could have sent the images from her website from the beginning. What would you guys do? Help and advice would me much appreciated!
#charge
  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    Charge them for all your time.
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    • Profile picture of the author Matthew J
      Originally Posted by Rus Sells View Post

      Charge them for all your time.
      I couldn't agree with this more! When in doubt, charge...
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      • Profile picture of the author AndrewCavanagh
        Generally speaking charging and charging more is good
        business.

        If you feel you can't charge ask for something in return for
        doing work.

        Educating your clients to make it easier for them to work
        with you and educating your clients on the benefits of
        working with you are both also good business.

        Kindest regards,
        Andrew Cavanagh
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  • Profile picture of the author kellyyarnsbro
    You have worked on it so the best thing to do is to charge them. There's no such thing such as free work unless it's charity your working on.
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  • Profile picture of the author Danny Turner
    I had a laugh when I read this - I have done work for quite a few artists over the years - they can be the worst people to deal with.... I'm surprised she did not ask you to sign a form saying you wouldn't use them anywhere else and charge you for the use of her intellectual property!
    On a serious note - you need to discuss it with the gallery and negotiate something your both happy with, after all they are are regular customer and you don't want to blow a long term earner for a few dollars.
    Put this down to experience yes, they should have given you the right images but your response should have been to put the onus back on to her to supply better images.
    Anyhow, I feel for you and knowing how artists can be you'll likely come across it again - so get an understanding from the gallery about guidelines for the artists submissions
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt@viewswin
    Submit some of your own art.
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  • Profile picture of the author Cobaki
    They are regular customers so make sure you don’t offend them. Talk to them about it and be clear with them that there should be done about this but in a way which you both will agree. Let them understand you have worked for it and wish to charge them for it. If they’re not up for it, make it clear that the next time won’t be free.
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  • Profile picture of the author Naets
    Thanks for the help guys
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