Martis Peak

[glorybound]

Here is one I just sent out for comments. Usually, I have 1/2 dozen to a dozen projects going at any given time. I saw my project dashboard getting low, so I panicked and quoted a little lower price on this one. My dashboard quickly fulled up again, so I prematurely panicked. Having said that, even though I quoted lower, he said I was much higher than other quotes, but he selected me because he liked my images best. This has been a trend that doesn't seem to have a bottom. I am seeing things like, the first one is free, 100% guarantee, you don't pay until you are 100% happy, and unlimited revisions. Not only is this obviously desperate tactics, but it also makes no economic sense, unless you live in your parent's basement or you can live on a couple hundred bucks a month. Anyway, sorry for the rant. This is the first iteration, so it'll probably change a little.

[Morbid Angel]

Looks pretty cool, I would fix the repeating texture patterns like the wood, and asphalt. Also some how the screen right of the house is more orange then screen left?
Don't fall for their tactics, its just business. Their goal is to get the price as low as they can, and yours is the opposite

[glorybound]

Thanks! Yes, I did put an orange gradient from left to right, which is the sun direction. I did look at the project and I didn't actually quote lower than usual, but he did say I was higher than the others. I do know that a couple recent projects I quoted lower than usual. I take the methodology that you raise your prices until nobody hires you. Usually, I hear that I am too high maybe three out of twelve projects, but I usually get them anyway. The last few months I have lost a few because I was too high. I guess I was spooked because I wasn't working insane hours to keep up.

[JezUK]

Bobby, tell me to mind my own business, but be careful of burnout - I've done that twice in my career, working insane hours for too long, and will not risk it again. The 2nd time I burned out, I needed a very *long* time off (i.e. years) to recover.

[glorybound]

No problem at all. I went freelance about three years ago. The first time I woke up on a Monday without work I panicked. Within a day I was busy again and I didn’t slow down for about another year. The second slowdown I tried to relax, but it wasn’t easy. About six months ago I saw another small slow window so I took a vacation so I’m learning but slowly. Now, I welcome the slowdowns, but there is always that little worry that the work is gonna stop coming in. Only the first slowdown did I not have an active project. The other slowdowns meant I had 1/2 dozen projects wrapping up and no active leads coming in. To me, unless it is signed and a deposit payed I don’t even consider it as a project. Right now I have 1/2 dozen projects wrapping up and one waiting to start. I do have a repeat client asking about my Winter schedule because he has a few projects he needs for Spring sales. I guess in the grand scope of things I’m blessed. When I started solo several years ago I literally hit the ground running and the work seemed to have come from nowhere (all that glory goes to God) and my fear is it can all stop as fast as it started. Anyway, thanks for the advice and the ear to listen

[Macker]

Interesting thread.

Being full-time employed at an architectural firm (not viz studio) I tried my hand about 5 years ago at doing some freelance bits on the side via one of those freelancing websites, and found I was having to quote *so* low that I ended up absolutely resenting the work. After just a couple of projects I packed it in and hadn't taken on any private work in years until just recently when (through a colleague) a guy contacted me in need of some visuals. With the previous freelance debacle in mind I put in what I'd call a "proper" quote without cutting corners fully expecting this guy to come back with "HOW MUCH!?"... But he didn't, and he's paid more/less on time every time since, and keeps asking for quotes on various jobs and some of the people he subcontracts (landscape architects, etc) now want me to do bits of work for them.

He also likes conducting our meetings at the pub/rugby matches which is absolutely fine by me! My wife sometimes has something to say about the length and voracity of these meetings. We do imbibe.

It's got me thinking about whether or not I should start up on my own, and threads like this are always useful to read other people's experiences. Being so used to having a steady pay-cheque I can imagine a quiet month would scare the living daylights out of me. I've toyed with the idea of asking my current employer if I could perhaps reduce my hours (and pay alongside) to accommodate for taking on more private jobs but I expect they'd be reluctant to - and I'd find it hard to be mad about that as they've been very good to me.

all that glory goes to God

To each their own, but I will never understand this mentality

[JezUK]

Interesting thread.

Being full-time employed at an architectural firm (not viz studio) I tried my hand about 5 years ago at doing some freelance bits on the side via one of those freelancing websites, and found I was having to quote *so* low that I ended up absolutely resenting the work. After just a couple of projects I packed it in and hadn't taken on any private work in years until just recently when (through a colleague) a guy contacted me in need of some visuals. With the previous freelance debacle in mind I put in what I'd call a "proper" quote without cutting corners fully expecting this guy to come back with "HOW MUCH!?"... But he didn't, and he's paid more/less on time every time since, and keeps asking for quotes on various jobs and some of the people he subcontracts (landscape architects, etc) now want me to do bits of work for them.

He also likes conducting our meetings at the pub/rugby matches which is absolutely fine by me! My wife sometimes has something to say about the length and voracity of these meetings. We do imbibe.

It's got me thinking about whether or not I should start up on my own, and threads like this are always useful to read other people's experiences. Being so used to having a steady pay-cheque I can imagine a quiet month would scare the living daylights out of me. I've toyed with the idea of asking my current employer if I could perhaps reduce my hours (and pay alongside) to accommodate for taking on more private jobs but I expect they'd be reluctant to - and I'd find it hard to be mad about that as they've been very good to me.



To each their own, but I will never understand this mentality

That's because it's not a mentality, it's an experience

[Macker]

Hah, so I've been told.

[Morne]

Overall this one came out very nice. Well done. (even with all the cheating going on in there)

[dean_dmoo]

Really like this one, good job! Love this kind of setting in the woods. The tint of the wood on the left side is really pleasant.

I've said it before, but is it possible to add some life behind the windows? Maybe just a couple of lights near a wall to have something happening inside without having to do interior styling or draps/blinds. The windows near the front door "look" like something is going on, even if it is just reflections or seeing through to the back. Other then that maybe some mist (very subtle) between the trees in the background to add some depth and a small colour correction of the hedge on the right to match the rest a bit more. Slightly too blue for me.

[Macker]

Oh Yeah, I got sidetracked by my own ramblings; nice project. The rate and quality that you turn out never ceases to amaze me.

[glorybound]

I have talked a lot of people through this, so I know what to do. I guess I just need confirmation sometimes. I need stop, look around me to make sure I am not running the race alone. Those race to the bottom sites are no good and I will work at Walmart before I went there. I actually tried a few case studies and nothing I received I could use. I have had people contact me, working for $50 an image, saying that they can't get more money until I talk them into charging a fair rate. One $50 an image guy asked me what to charge, I told him and he said I was crazy. Guess what? He got the project. The posts about rendering studios hiring is encouraging and I have been seeing a few of those popup.

[glorybound]

This was a timely post, which helped.

[M.Max]

I really like it ! one of your best in terms of lighting and colors imo .
I've moved to freelancing at the start of this year and it was great experience so far. I was afraid to do the move as here where I live the prices are too low ,but then I found that I don't need to have 30 clients - like what we have in my previous job- ..I have 3 main clients that pay the prices I want and keep me busy almost all the month..Also I used to be the supervisor in my old firm I started outsourcing part of the work to some of my students/friends mainly the modeling /texturing and that save huge amount of time so I can have more free time to work on my skills or simply accepting more work .
another thing I started also doing is targeting projects in VFX and animation mainly for TV idents as the competition there still a bit more healthy and the quality slandered more strict than what it is for Archviz so the 50$ guys can't easily compete there .

Fabio videos are gold! actually I send one of them to a client after receiving some crazy comments like " Please use the nice beige color not the normal one" !

[glorybound]

I do a lot of work, as you might know, but it is for a lot of people. I have several clients, I call blue-chip clients, that I do work for often, but it wouldn't pay the bills. Putting all my eggs in only a few baskets has always scared me, so I haven't sought out those kinds of clients. Having said that, a couple of large projects a year sounds nice, but those just don't come my way. The majority of my work is single view exteriors and sometimes a kitchen and great room here and there. A trend lately has been inquiries for a large number of images, in a short period of time, for little money. Yesterday a lead came in wanting 6 exteriors by Monday, which I turned down and last month was 100+ exteriors, for $200 an image, which again I turned down. I do think people are wanting nicer images then they currently have, but they don't want to pay a premium price for something nice. They are getting the work done, but they are settling for something a couple steps nicer than they have but cheap. I try to pre-qualify people and I have been turning down a good number of projects. Either they have a huge ego, ill-prepared, or they are overly concerned about money.

Anyway, thanks for the kind words. I haven't heard back from the client, but I do know he needs to start marketing the house by Thanksgiving, at least that is what he says.