I do give an estimate for post, which again, generally includes multiple items. Usually my clients don’t care and don’t want to know what everything is, and why they’re paying for it. Usually the bottom line is what matters to them.

I used to charge an hourly rate (and still will if it’s requested, though, again no one seems to care) for processing, retouching, etc. I’ve never had a complaint about it.

Of course editorially this will, and is changing, as was stated in the PDN article. Some magazines are telling the photographer how much post will cost. Also in the article, Seth Resnick (I believe) states that charging hourly devalues what we do in post. I don’t know if I agree with that. First of all, I don’t think that anyone starts and stops a timer to keep track of this stuff. Secondly, if you are better, or doing more complex work, you can charge more per hour. Many people use this method because it’s easy for the client to understand that it may take 18 hours to download and process everything. If you are better and faster, then you should be charging $250/hr instead of $125/hr. Of course you could, as Seth says (and I generally do), just charge a fee, similar to a creative fee or photography fee, or whatever you call it on your invoice.

I guess what I’m saying is that while it would be nice if there was more consistency in the industry, different tactics may be necessary for different scenarios, for different photographers, and for different clients.

Unique clients usually have a harder time because they don’t commission as much work. They get used to whatever the last photographer did. In those cases it can be difficult which is what I think you are saying, a bottom line price is easier to understand.

I think you do have to have an internal idea of what these prices are, so that your own estimate to yourself includes accounts for these production costs even when you are only submitting a bottom line price.

Sometimes its best when someone comes to you with a budget and you get to say what you can do within that budget. Often they’ll keep it a guarded secret until your cards are on the table, but a few times I’ve been nicely surprised when I’ve been told what we have to play with, rather than my potentially lower estimate. Either that or its immediately obvious that you should just walk away and say no thanks.

You could have gross categories, but I think you need to state what they include, to avoid confusion.

I agree, there is a balance between itemizing toilet paper and providing a detailed estimate. Clients certainly don’t need to know what we pay for things, but there should be a clear schedule of fees like other professionals.

It depends on the client, sometimes the cost and time of educating a client about this is not worth it, however, you should have an idea of what you are charging and why.

Also, when you are providing an estimate that will be negotiated, you have to leave areas that you can protect and areas that you can discount so you can protect your profits when negotiation on a job. In these cases I do find having more line items like fee, production cost, and expense allows you give a discount percentage on one area, say a generous discount like 25%, which shows you are trying to meet a budget but are holding firm on fee for example. And since you have “given” something, they see that they have to budge too. That gets into negotiating which is a whole area in itself, but rational billing is at the heart of it.

If you clients are scared of what you are charging, consider how much hand-holding you are willing to do. They may be assuming other things too, like you are going to retouch or transfer copyright. Being clear up front in an estimate can put the negotiation on the right footing.