Nightmare clients...part deux

[testcase]

10 seconds with Google Images:

http://www.google.com/images?as_q=winding+road&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&imgtype=&imgsz=&as_filetype=&imgc=&as_sitesearch=&safe=images&as_st=y

[Seacrest]

Much of what I get is "other websites have [xyz feature], it can't be that hard to do?"

When I ask for an example, I get Amazon or Macy*s.com or some VC-funded site with a huge staff of developers plus offshore help.

And it's not that these things are impossible, it's that people underestimate the sweat, toil and time it takes to do them.

This is an article I like to refer to, or refer people to when they say things like that:
http://www.37signals.com/svn/archives2/r...mation.php

[papercup]

Sheesh, this kind of request is handed out daily, and it's what keeps many, many artist in business.

It's a challenge, and it earns a lot of people a lot of money.

Calling her a crack addict for making an art request seems silly.

Maybe your client needs more artists at their disposal.

[MacArtist]

[quote testcase]10 seconds with Google Images:

http://www.google.com/images?as_q=winding+road&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&imgtype=&imgsz=&as_filetype=&imgc=&as_sitesearch=&safe=images&as_st=y
I didn't say I couldn't find a stock photo of the winding road. I said I would go crazy trying to take a side shot of a utility truck and make it appear like it is traveling down the road.

Papercup,

Give me your name and number and I'll be glad to refer them to you so I can deal with the other 60 advertisers who don't make stupid requests.

Did I mention their budget was next to nothing...in other words they pay for the space in this magazine and I get paid my hourly rate. There is no freakin' budget.

I didn't call her a crack addict. She could be a one time (today) user but I wouldn't go so far to say she is addicted.

This is all tongue in cheek stuff. Of course we get stupid requests. I was just looking for what others have gone through.

I am just trying to shake off some stress. People have to lighten up.

[papercup]

If they have no money, then it is a stupid request.

But as a freelancer (or business owner) it is in your best interest to be a problem solver.

You make money, they get what they want.

A simple 2-way strip is really not that difficult, especially if you find the background image first, then match perspective/lens draw & lighting when shooting the vehicle.

Could be done in a day. For a price.

Just sayin.



I have a ton of stupid clients, but as long as there is a p.o. forthcoming, I listen.

[MacArtist]

There is no ability to stage the vehicle shot.

It's a profile shot of their equipment that they provide you. They don't give you a staged product shot complete with perspective/lens draw and lighting.

They pull the equipment out into the sunlight and "click" there's the photo.

I am 2,000 miles away trying to put together an ad for a magazine.

No time and no budget.

I wouldn't be typing a word of this if I was onsite taking the product shots myself.

[papercup]

She's on crack.

[MacArtist]

Ah hah!

[steve...]

I have one client who is constantly asking for changes. I make several additional changes and then they want to go back to a previous version and start changing it. I end up with about fifteen million files and don't know where anything is.

On your truck issue, would it be possible to find a photo of a similar truck with the correct perspective and put the company's logo on the side?

[MacArtist]

That is a good thought, steve but they change the shape of their aerial equipment to identify it from others so it could be a needle in a haystack.

I am just going to do the best I can. The truck will be sitting on a straight section of a road. A winding road will be visible in the background.