I’m so glad you found me. Now it’s my turn to make this the most fun shopping experience you ever had. Here’s how it works.
My Process
Brainstorming with You
Finding the Perfect photos
Uploading Photos
The Deliverable
Purchasing & Pricing
Delivery and Rush Charges
My Process
Q: Can you briefly explain the process, from start to finish?
A: You can go directly to Order Now! and select a pricing package that best suits your needs and I’ll call you to follow up. Or we can begin with a conversation about: Who is your Dreamscape for, and for what occasion? Where will it be displayed? Your answers will give me an immediate sense of what we need (in terms of a story idea) – and most importantly, how this story will make them feel.
Because storytelling pictures are my specialty, I quickly get an idea for a direction and a winning idea. I’ll ask for specific photos to fit this direction, and these images you’ll either have or I’ll search for stand-in images to make the piece even more whimsical, dramatic, or poignant. Once I receive your photos, I’ll tell you which images work together and which won’t (and why).
Best of all, the photos I select for a Dreamscape are returned to you in better shape than they were when you sent them, because I digitally retouch and restore every photo as I work …
Brainstorming with You
Q: How quickly can you show me my Dreamscape?
A: By the end of our first conversation, I will have a winning story for you, but not the composition. It’s only once I start cutting out people, pets, objects and landscapes from your photos that the composition presents itself. Then I create a mock-up to show you via email. You’ll take a look, tell me what you like or what you want to add or subtract, and we’ll go from there. Of course the story will also depend on the clarity of the photos you send me.
Q: Why does every job start with a conversation and not email?
A: Dreamscape stories wouldn’t pack nearly as much emotional punch if I didn’t dig deeply into who your Dreamscape is for, and for what occasion. Unlike an e-commerce relationship that consists only of checkboxes and confirmation emails, you and I are creating a personal work of art, collaboratively. The back and forth that is only possible person to person helps me listen as much for what’s unsaid as what is spoken — something impossible via email.
Q: What if we agree on a direction, but I don’t like my Dreamscape?
A: Not possible, and here’s why. I work on your Dreamscape until you love it.
Remember, a digital photomontage is composed of layers of images, so it’s easily modified. At any point in the process I can add or subtract images. Keep in mind, though, that any work on an image that has been client-approved for the Dreamscape is billable. If you change your mind about a photo you approved from the start, or suddenly want to change direction, you will be responsible for the work performed plus any new images I use in the artwork, whether yours or mine.
Finding the Perfect Photos
Q: How many photos do you need to make a good Dreamscape?
A: Some of you already have a fixed idea in mind which photos you want to use, and some do not. But you know what? To tell a good story, often fewer photos produce more artistic results. My skill is quickly arriving at the winning story and determining what kind of photos we’ll need (and which of these photos will be the easiest for you to put your hands on).
The other thing about fine art is that you always want to have a lot of white space around each element so that the viewer can focus on what’s important, or so you can savor the special meaning behind the artwork. In other words, you won’t ever need as many photos as you think.
This is why I always recommend that we talk first by phone or Skype before you select a pricing package. (Email is really terrible for brainstorming about what photos you have in your albums or hard drives!)
Q: I’m worried I won’t be able to find the right photographs.
A: In all my years making Dreamscapes, clients never have a problem putting their hands on the right photos. This is because everyone has a mental picture of the photos that are really special to them, and where they are stored. Even if they’re at the bottom of a shoebox, they at least know it’s at the bottom of a specific shoebox.
Q: Where do you get the images for my Dreamscape which I don’t have?
A: I work with hundreds of photographers who are my boots on the ground. If we decide we need a specific image which I don’t have in my own image library, I do a photo search on photo-sharing sites, and ask permission of that photographer for a one-time use of their photo.
Q: What kind of photos won’t work in a Dreamscape?
A: If the photo you’re looking for is cropped, make sure it is not cropped on more than two sides. Stay away from out-of-focus photographs (unless we are aiming for a dreamy backdrop). Look for candid photos instead of portrait studio photographs where the subject is posed.
Q: What kind of photographs are perfect for a Dreamscape?
A: Think about the quirky body language of your subject; what do they do with their bodies that nobody else does (like the way they laugh, or dance).
Q: Can we add drawings, political buttons or even military medals into a Dreamscape?
A: Absolutely anything that can be photographed or scanned can go into a Dreamscape. They simply become another digital file to send to me.
Uploading Photos
Q: How do I get my photos to you?
A: There are several options:
- Upload multiple digital photos here
- Or email photos to nancy (at) artforyoursake (dot) com
- Or snail mail photos between stiff cardboard to: Art For Your Sake, 80 East End Avenue, Suite 15D, New York, NY 10028-8017
The Deliverable
Q: When do I receive the first mock up by email?
A: After our conversation, I’ll email you a list of images approved by you in our conversation. Once I receive payment, I start work and email you a low res “rough” with all approved images roughly in place but not yet finessed for photo-realism. I wait for your feedback and then I proceed to tweak the montage, again, until you love it.
Q: How soon after the rough mock-up do I get to see the final deliverable?
A: A Dreamscape for review comes on the heels of the low res mock-up. Unlike the mock-up, this “peek” is finessed, with every image neatly cut out, with shadows, color correction, color saturation and if slightly damaged, defects invisible to the naked eye. (More serious photo damage due to moisture, manhandling, under or over exposure can be repaired for the fee of $75/hour.)
Q: In what form is the final deliverable?
A: You receive an 8”x10” or 11″ x 14″ glossy or luster print print of your Dreamscape, a CD of all digital files (including scanned prints, a hi-res vector file and low-res copy of your Dreamscape).
Q: Can I order an enlargement from you?
A: Enlargements larger than 11”x 14” are created by an outside photo lab, and can be specially ordered, and are paid for separately. The price includes a standard 15% handling fee to cover my inspection of the proof before the final print is created, as well as a shipping fee. If you prefer, we can use your FedEx account number and bill you directly for shipping.
Q: Can I order my Dreamscape in black and white instead of color?
A: If you have a very specific décor, by all means, share this information with me early on. Turning a photomontage from color to black and white requires a bit of finessing to bring out the contrasts so the images have more crispness and dimensionality.
Q: What if I want to make something else out of my artwork?
A: Clients make all sorts of photo gifts from their Dreamscapes: for example, photo-purses, photo blankets, photo trivets, even 3-D photo-sculptures. I recommend suppliers on my Photo Gift page. Once you know what kind of photo gift give you want to order, take a look at my list of preferred vendors. Once you’re on the vendor’s site, order the product. Be sure to email me your purchase confirmation number so I can attach it to your order when I upload your digital file to the vendor making your photo gift.
Purchasing & Pricing
Q: How do I figure out the cost of my Dreamscape?
A: We can start either of two ways. You can go directly to Order Now! and purchase a “Dreamscape” pricing package (because we can always add images, yours or mine, at any point in the process). Or we can begin with a conversation – by phone or Skype – and determine the number of images (yours or mine) that we jointly decide will go into the piece.
Q: How do I pay for a Dreamscape?
A: Go directly to the Order Now! page and select a package that fits your needs. You will be asked to pay with credit cards or PayPal before work begins. Later on – should you want to add additional images to your artwork – you can return to the Order Now! page and add those images to your shopping cart.
Q: What if during our process, I have second thoughts about an image, and want to delete it or exchange it for another photo?
A: Even though creating a digital piece of art is fluid and changeable, understand that all performed work on approved images must be paid for; that is, work that we jointly decided upon in that initial conversation. “Work” involves any digital work I do to incorporate an image into your Dreamscape, whether the images are yours or mine.
If it’s my recommendation to add an image, I may show you what that image looks like by working it into a Dreamscape mock-up. However, you are never under any obligation to pay for this work unless you approve the mock-up. Conversely, we may jointly decide to drop an image previously approved of because it suddenly seems to take away from the composition. Because it was on your “approved list of images,” you are obligated to pay for the work performed on that image, even though it will subsequently be deleted from the final composition.
Q: What if I decide on a pricing package, but later on decide to add another image?
A: You can return to my Order Now! page at any point in the process and order single images. There is no minimum if you have already purchased a photomontage package and are returning to buy more images for the same photomontage.
Delivery and Rush Charges
Q: How do I guarantee delivery of my Dreamscape in time for my deadline?
A: Delivery of your Dreamscape depends on how many projects I have before yours, and also how quickly I receive your photos. Generally, I require a two week lead.
Q: If I’m in a pinch, can I get my Dreamscape rush-ordered?
A: A rush fee enables me to bump you ahead of other less pressed clients so that I can lavish more time on your rush project. Shipping via U.S. Priority Mail is always included but in this case we would do Express Mail ($15.85 up to 1 lb). Overnight charges are based on weight. If you have a Fed Ex number, we can pre-arrange the shipping at no cost to you.
Rush Charges at-a-glance:
3-day turnaround: add 50% to total
4-5 day turnaround: add 25% to total
6-7 day turnaround: add 15% to total
7 day turnaround: add 10% to total