Jim,
Here's my thoughts. It's been a lot of years since I've done any of this
work, but I still know photographers who don't mind working with models who
do. A lot of catalog photography around here is bid on a per-image basis.
This helps the agency set a budget for a recurring expense. This means that
the photographer must give a little on his art, and get his business skills
working. A good example is a local pro who shoots for the newspaper
advertising circular for a chain of stores, Duckwall/Alco, or
McCrory/Otasco, or something like that. Obviously, this is a weekly thing,
so the deadlines are different than you will have, but the process is the
same. He works out of a studio that is adjacent to a service bureau, and his
stuff is walked next door, instead of burning to a CD.
He starts with the simple: arrange objects by size. Using similar lighting
and background, this saves mucho time in setup. He then has assistance in
making a sort of production line, so he gets several images an hour instead
of several per day. I seem to remember he allows something like 15 minutes
per product. This may seem woefully inadequate, but with a common setup,
it's really not, if you're organized.
As I have been known to say, there are things where digital is better than
film, and there are things where film is better than digital. Here is where
an E10 would really pay off. I would keep a computer with a quality monitor
in the studio, and review every shot.
One disadvantage to digital is subsequent use. If the client wants large
prints at a later date (for trade shows, for example), they're screwed. I've
seen this happen. Despite what people think, all the fractals, genuine or
otherwise, can't make a great 30x40 print out of a 10 meg file. There's
nothing that can make information if it's not already there, except maybe by
the CIA. If there's a chance of later uses, film may still be better, or at
least large files.
And price? You need to figure you're day rate, and divide it by the number
of images you feel you can generate in a day. Remember, your rate needs to
include all your expenses, film, processing, assistants, equipment rental,
etc.
Somewhere in this process, it gets to be a little like factory work. Most
photographers who do a lot of it, do it not because it is what got them into
photography, but because they can make enoough money at it to support what
they really like.
Oh, and if it's just product, no models, you are a very lucky man!
Bill Pearce
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