How do your paid jobs break down by type?

Doug Nelson · #1 06-28-2003, 04:20 AM

It's been awhile since we discussed retouching for a living, so I thought I'd bring up something I've been wondering about.

Of the retouching you get paid for (as opposed to the kind you do for yourself, or do for family and friends, etc.), how does it break down by type?

The retouching work I get paid for is almost exclusively photo restoration work, although I (very) occasionally get a manipulation request in conjunction with the restoration.

So, how about you? What percentage of your professional (paid) work is photo restoration, portrait retouching, color correction, prepress, or any other categories you retouch in?

ArtistColumbus · #2 06-28-2003, 08:01 AM

I would say of all the photo work I do (I come from a screenprinting background and still do a LOT of it), it would break down as the following:

85% restoration
5% retouching/color correction
5% manipulations
5% glamourizations

If I were to include prepress work, that would change significantly. I do a lot of catalog work too and some of the screen printing stuff that I work on is also photo based and goes to an offset printer.

Jack-of-all-art.

tyeise · #3 06-28-2003, 04:19 PM

Most of what I get paid for is simple make the image look better stuff. Straighten, brighten, sharpen, remove the picture frame from someone's head, move the car out of the front yard, get rid of the trash barrel, etc. 65%?

I have also had a little bit of "this is the best photo we have" enhancements for family members who have died. 15%?

I've also had several jobs of straight out manipulation. Put this head on that body - mostly for cards, etc.10%?

I also get handed stuff for brochures, etc, where they just provide a business card, or a xerox copy, or something similar, and I have to make it look good for the brochure. Guess that would be another 10-15%.

Most of the actual repair of damaged images has been for family, which doesn't count for this thread.

Tyeise