This weekend..... Is MAD!

[ftp-Jeff]

Thursday night I got the file to retouch for a March issue magazine cover.... Had to be finished for first thing Friday.... OK, Done that overnight, so with all the overtime, a nice fat fee! Then....

Phone rings..... London based celebrity photographer, shooting (fri 13th). I remind him about the time difference *facepalm* Has four shots for me to have finished by Monday...

Bang! There goes my weekend, as I have another job with 20 images booked in over the weekend. Oh well, things seem to be getting back to normal.

Then Friday evening, the magazine decide to change the image. So now working on another that has to be done by lunchtime.

All of these on overtime... WooHoo! Think I may be ordering the Mustang on Monday.

[ftp-Jeff]

Read in it whatever you want.... I think it is nice to see that the AD world is getting busy again. It used to be like this all the time. The past few years have been shit! But there you go. I will keep quite from now if you think I was gloating.

Jeff

[SilvaFox]

Feast or famine, my friend.

[ftp-Jeff]

Well that has always been the nature of retouching... But lately I have seen some great retouchers go through lean times. We have all had to cut back in more ways than one. I just hope it is on the turn. Would be nice to get back to normal. Although we used to moan about it! LOL!
Whereabouts in Florida are you? I used to have a house in Florida. Spent 6 -8 weeks a year there for around 10 years.

[SilvaFox]

I hear ya. I've been working my normal gig in Winter Park, and freelancing at home pretty much 2-4 hours a day, 3-4 nights a week since April. I'm lucky I have a friend who needs help and throws some stuff my way.

Magazine covers can make you feel like you're jumping through the flaming hoop. Backwards.

The holidays gave me a well deserved break from the freelance but now I'm (almost) ready. Soon, I'll be wishing for a lull again.

[ftp-Jeff]

Hey! I know Winter Park! Lovely little town. The Tiffany museum is there. There is a really nice little Italian we used to have lunch in whenever we were there. Man I wish I was there now... We have -19 degrees at the moment. I had a place in Winter Garden.

Usually the covers run through with no problem. But this one was a bit odd. Still all finished now.

Hoping to be back there in October, for a bit of a family reunion, well, that's the plan!

[skoobey]

Well... at least you have great rates.

[ftp-Jeff]

Why wouldn't I.... I alway drum that into my students.... Only a few people can do this the right way... Not many do. Do it right and charge the right money.

What is the point of offering these services at min wage. May as well go stack shelves.

[skoobey]

At my rates, I would earn ten times more stacking shelves... I just hope things pick up soon, I'm trying very hard to prove myself to publishers.

[ftp-Jeff]

What? Then perhaps you should do something else? Sounds like you are charging $1 an hour!
If that is the case.... STOP!

[skoobey]

More like nothing for 2 hours of driving, 4 hours of shooting, and 12 hours of retouching. It's just that I'm not getting hired, and I still can't afford a studio nor a truly professional equipment.

[ftp-Jeff]

Well... The description you gave above, is at least a $2500.00 job.

[skoobey]

Is this worth anything?

http://www.behance.net/gallery/The-Apostle/2862707

How about these?

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6...06a7c068_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6...98e212ae_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6...218f4f6a_b.jpg

[ftp-Jeff]

Well the weekend turned into a mad week.... Probably had 15 hours sleep altogether. I even posted up some overflow work hoping someone could help.... No Takers!

Well I guess more money for me..... But frazzled brain.

I think it is back to normal now, until the end of the month... Then the big job comes in!