Broke Photographer needs logo design...

[00silvergt]

Okay change that, "Cheap Photographer needs logo design". A "friend" of mine in HS has opened a Graphic Design business, naturally I approached him for the services, but he quoted me some outrageous amount, $2000 for two logos in .Ai format.

1. I think that's too much, what do you think?
2. Being cheap, can one of you help a brother out? LOL

Thanks in Advance, Garret.

The two logos I'd like done would be:

"The Digital Iris" and "Garret Ambrosio Pro Images"

The latter can be fiddled with a little.

[korman]

If you can't afford good quality, stay with something simple until you can afford something good. One font, one colour, one text, no corny effects or no stupid graphics.

As to free stuff, do you really want to risk surprises about which usage rights you didn't get or what else the creator did with your logo? You also might do a little research about similar logos belonging to bigger fishes not amused by your getting too close to their corporate style.

Korman

[00silvergt]

Originally Posted by korman

If you can't afford good quality, stay with something simple until you can afford something good. One font, one colour, one text, no corny effects or no stupid graphics.

As to free stuff, do you really want to risk surprises about which usage rights you didn't get or what else the creator did with your logo? You also might do a little research about similar logos belonging to bigger fishes not amused by your getting too close to their corporate style.

Korman

Great advice, Korman!

[waple]

Originally Posted by 00silvergt

Okay change that, "Cheap Photographer needs logo design". A "friend" of mine in HS has opened a Graphic Design business, naturally I approached him for the services, but he quoted me some outrageous amount, $2000 for two logos in .Ai format.

I'm assuming you mean "high school" by HS. First, I applaud him for keeping the rates where they should be. People always asume a logo should be cheap because it's just one graphic, but they forget it's the one graphic that defines the whole company for years and years to come. Logos can be iconic -- picture McDonalds, Coke, Apple, etc. The's simple pictures are regognized all over the world and, just as the photographer should be compensated for what they do, so should the graphic designer.

However, the fact that he's just out of high school means he probably does not have much real-world experience. I own a design studio and I've seen a lot of young people submit work to me that screams inexperience. A logo needs to reflect the time we live in, what the company stands for, and so on. It needs to be able to be reproduced in many different mediums and from single color to full-color (if required), and it needs to be able to stand the test of time.

[00silvergt]

Originally Posted by waple

I'm assuming you mean "high school" by HS. First, I applaud him for keeping the rates where they should be. People always asume a logo should be cheap because it's just one graphic, but they forget it's the one graphic that defines the whole company for years and years to come. Logos can be iconic -- picture McDonalds, Coke, Apple, etc. The's simple pictures are regognized all over the world and, just as the photographer should be compensated for what they do, so should the graphic designer.

However, the fact that he's just out of high school means he probably does not have much real-world experience. I own a design studio and I've seen a lot of young people submit work to me that screams inexperience. A logo needs to reflect the time we live in, what the company stands for, and so on. It needs to be able to be reproduced in many different mediums and from single color to full-color (if required), and it needs to be able to stand the test of time.

Yes, HS=high school, but the rest of your assumptions are incorrect. 1." Price is where it should be." I sent a request at Mineeds.com for the same job and the highest bid I got was $300. I will concede that this site encourages low balling, but $2000 come on. This maybe true for an established company that has a portfolio as long as Shaq's arm, but not one that just started a business two months ago. 2. "He just got out of high school", we are both about the same age. I am a year or two older, my high school 20-year reunion is scheduled for 2012.

Sure you can price whatever you want. But I don't know if you have been reading the business page of the newspaper, but cash flow for many is now in the negative and will be for at least another year. I can charge $2000 per portrait...of course I can, but I don't think I will be shooting any pictures anytime soon. Pricing for your audience or for the job means you are willing to make the appropriate adjustments if you want to win the contract, otherwise, you have very little business sense. Reading the scope of work request between the lines would tell you a lot about the requestor. Case and point, if someone is messaging you on Facebook and also proposes to trade work for work, chances are this person is not asking for a very high bid.

[Steven G Webb]

Perhaps your old HS friend appeals to a higher-shelf client. Like a photographer who charges $2K for a sitting, or $12K for a wedding.

[00silvergt]

Originally Posted by Songman45

Perhaps your old HS friend appeals to a higher-shelf client. Like a photographer who charges $2K for a sitting, or $12K for a wedding.

Good point, but i think that-and this is from looking at his portfolio on his website. With two small business clients, neither one is even close to being a large or high shelf client. This is one of those cases where one hopes to be at a certain point, without actually earning the position. It is analogous to a starting photographer aiming at high-shelf clients by pricing themselves out of reach for most, but without the backing in experience or portfolio to justify it.

[korman]

Originally Posted by 00silvergt

Good point, but i think that-and this is from looking at his portfolio on his website. With two small business clients, neither one is even close to being a large or high shelf client. This is one of those cases where one hopes to be at a certain point, without actually earning the position. It is analogous to a starting photographer aiming at high-shelf clients by pricing themselves out of reach for most, but without the backing in experience or portfolio to justify it.

Each entrepreneur has the prerogative to set his prices as they see fit. It's his good right to he believes he's worth as much. Whether his clients see it the same way is another matter and if he's wrong he will see it in his wallet at the end of the month. If you as a potential customer think his prices are outrageous you can either make a sensible counter-offer or walk away.

Korman

[R. House]

Just a couple questions...how will you be using the logo? Cards, stationary, web or vehicle graphics. Do you vector or will rasterized art work? do you have an inkjet so as to print what you need in full color, or will you have an outsource do the work? More info please. Ray

[00silvergt]

Originally Posted by R. House

Just a couple questions...how will you be using the logo? Cards, stationary, web or vehicle graphics. Do you vector or will rasterized art work? do you have an inkjet so as to print what you need in full color, or will you have an outsource do the work? More info please. Ray

I need it in a vector format, so Ai or EPS. I will be using it for many things. I'm thinking of getting some caps done, along with a patch for my shooting vest, etc. Vectorized graphics are excellent, because it is easier to rasterize a vector graphic then vice-versa.