The Process of Making a Fine Art Custom Photomontage
A face-to-face visit is lovely, but not required. I work with clients by phone, the post and email to produce something wondrous. Some of my favorite pieces in fact were made for clients I never met except through their photographs.
Phase 1: Collecting the Back Story
Everything begins with your photographs and personal materials. Give me the back story on these pics, and I'll use my curator's eye to see which photographs will really gel together. Here's what I need from you:
STEP 1. Collect your favorite photos, the ones that have people, pets, places and things that you'd like to see collaged together. If it's a shot of a person, make sure they have as full a body as possible. Stay away from out-of-focus photographs (unless we want to turn it into a dreamy backdrop) or formal portraits (candids reveal the soul or sweetness of a person so much better than posed shots).
Remember that I can also use drawings as the backdrop itself, populating it with people and objects from other photos. In fact, anything at all can go into your photo collage, so long as it can be scanned or shot with a digital camera by you or me.
STEP 2. Think about the occasion. Is it to celebrate, or to roast your favorite person? To say thank you (like a keepsake for a host you vacationed with), honor (like a big birthday or anniversary) or do a good deed (like a reunion photomontage you can mail to the whole family)?
Whatever it's for, make sure you tell me all the quirky things you know about this person (or couple) and let's have some fun with it.
The more anecdotes you can tell me about the better, because anecdotes translate into strong visual ideas for fine art custom photo collages, like the rare steaks that hang from the rafters in Harold D's roast montage. (Harold liked his steaks bloody or else he would send them back to the kitchen!)
Here's how one client, Ellyn B, describes the collaborative process of creating a dreamscape keepsake:
"Our friends the Koffs have a great sense of humor, appreciate the wacky and unexpected and enjoy how life's portrayed on TV and film. So when their daughter, Jenny, turned 13, I wanted Nancy to create a dreamscape that would capture and eternalize our families' special vacation moments.
In the dreamscape, Nancy has us posing in front of the RV our families drove through southern Colorado on an expedition to the infamous Movie Manor Motel. The RV stands on top of Stonehenge, a stop on another road trip we took through the Cotswalds in England. On the Universal Studios set, the girls occupy "Herbie" the Volkswagen which in turn is driving towards the girls crossing Abbey Road. The girls in their pajamas (during an overnight in the Koff's London home) forms the clouds in our surreal blue sky.
Nancy took all these vacation moments and private jokes, and made them the stuff of legends."
Phase 2: Brainstorming
Email is plain awful for brainstorming so let's talk after I have all your photos and materials. (Use my uploader to send large numbers of photos, or email smaller batches to me at nancy@artforyoursake.com.) I'll tell you which images work together in your personalized photo collage and which won't, and why. I'll also suggest what other unique objects or backdrops we may want to add from my own photography to make your custom photo gift even more whimsical, dramatic, or poignant. Together we'll agree on imagery from your photos and memorabilia - people, pets, landscapes, objects, etc. - to integrate into one dynamite composition.
This forms the basis of an estimate, and I'll invoice you at this point in order to formally start the process before refining your piece for further feedback. (Keep in mind that I accept installments and work on a sliding scale, so if funds are tight, it's only a matter of working out an acceptable payment schedule.) Email me at nancy@artforyoursake.com or call me at 773-255-4677 to put your project on my calendar.
Phase 3: Viewing the first mock-up
Good feedback is essential to the process. I'll email you the first mock-up at a low resolution as soon as I start playing with the images on my computer. Just remembered something? Let's add it in. This is, after all, art for your sake, and it's all digital, so it's never too late for a good idea. After a little more refinement, I'll present another version for you to review until you're completely satisfied. And I promise, you will be glowing when you see the one-of-a-kind photo gift we've created from your everyday photos. What a difference when you commission an artist to make you original artwork instead of spending money on a special effects service or "photo collage" software!
Every one of the photomontages you see on my site is custom, but anybody can afford one. I can do big things with a small number of photos. I work on a sliding scale, and I accept installments.
Pricing details. Combining the first two photos costs $48, and every additional photo I work into the piece is just $40. The beauty of this pricing model is that I don't charge a penny extra to digitally retouch, restore, color correct or colorize your photos as commercial photomontage services do. I don't charge for scanning. Shipping of your 8x10 photographic print is free as long as I can send it (with a CD of all your files) using Priority Mail. (Enlargements, photo purses, or photo sculptures, invitations and cards are sent out separately by my affiliates, and only those items have handling and shipping charges associated with them.)
Some of you may already have a fixed idea in mind of exactly how many photos you want to use. But you know what? To tell a good story, often fewer photos produce more artistic results. This is why I always recommend that we talk first before I send you a quote. (Email is really terrible for brainstorming about custom artwork!)
By all means, have a look at some typical scenarios to get a feel for pricing:
- Dreamscape Photo-Purse or Photo sculpture: (3) client photos; (1) backdrop from me, $128
- Holiday Card: (4) photos of every family member; (1) backdrop from me, $168
- 8 x 10 Healing Dreamscape print: (5) client photos; (3) images from me, $288
- 20 x 30 Healing Dreamscape poster: photomontage ($ X) plus enlargement, $130
In every case, the price is determined by the number of photos (yours or mine) that we jointly decide I'll work on, whether all of them end up in the final composition or not. In the same vein, you and I can add images (yours or mine) at any point in the process. In fact, I may suggest images for a piece, working them into a mock-up so you can see if they're your cup of tea or not. If they're not, you're under no obligation to accept them. Conversely, we may decide to drop an image that you approved of earlier on in the process because suddenly it seems to take away from the composition. In this case, you're obligated to pay for the digital work performed on that image.
It takes no time at all to run through important questions about your vision, the condition of your photos and to write up a quote, so call me at 773-255-4677 or email me at nancy@artforyoursake.com.
Payment. Once we agree on a rough estimate of images for your photomontage - and before I begin work - I'll email you an invoice with a payment button that allows you to instantly pay with your credit card via PayPal. Later on- should we add additional images- I'll simply invoice you again for the balance. Paying in installments is perfectly fine with me.
Rush charges. Rush charges are always 10% of the cost of your final photomontage. Overnight charges begin at $21. Or if you have a Fed Ex number, we can pre-arrange the shipping at no cost to you.
Sending your materials. You can send your materials by:
- snail mail (on a CD, or as originals/reprints) to Nancy Gershman, Art For Your Sake, 522 West Barry Avenue, Chicago IL 60657-5417
- digitally by email to nancy@artforyoursake.com, or
- uploaded at www.artforyoursake.com/ezupload
Deliverables. All your materials are returned to you along with a 8" x 10" print of your photomontage on premium photographic paper, plus a CD containing all scanned images and the final photomontage. These digital files are provided as my gift (word-of-mouth is my best form of advertising). Shipping via Priority Mail is included unless weight exceeds 1 lb.
Ready to get started? Email me at nancy@artforyoursake.com or call me, 773-255-4677 so we can talk about your photos.
Special Tip: Next time you are thinking of giving the gift of collage art but you're afraid you'll forget to send me photos in time, send yourself a RemindMe email. It's absolutely free and easy to set up. Not sure you really need it? Just press the cancel key.
Are you a photographer? I highly recommend the following associations and forums - all free - where you can advance your craft to ever higher levels.
PhotoLinks.com
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PhotographyPros.com
Paul Marriott's directory of professional photographers, products and services.
FreePhotoGallery.com
Searchable directory of photography and professional photographers - including such specialty areas as abstract, pinhole, nautical and even stereoscopic photography.
FeaturePics.com
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LocalPhotoExperts.com
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Artmam.net
Artistic photography-related directory.