Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Find affordable services
Some people (Tim Ferris?) have talked about some sites where you can find people from all over the world to do services for you for very competitive prices (many of the freelancers live in the East). At the moment I'm thinking about simple photoshopping. Does anybody know some of the sites to find that? (A googling was not very helpful.)
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9 comments:
"photoshopping" I this a new word that you've invented here. I can only assume (ya I know) that it is a verb and is defined as doing work in Photoshop. Or I guess it could be the act of shopping for Photos. But then again, you preceeded this with "simple" and that might add new dementions to this verb of yours..;-)
But alas, Google does find this word with reference to Photoshop, so I guess shopping is out the door. Sigh!!!
Eolake,
The one I've heard of is called "elance", a word play on "freelance".
I haven't used them, but they're at:
www.elance.com
More specifically, I just found that ScanCafe will also do light photoshop work even if they don't do the scanning. Here's their info on it:
http://www.scancafe.com/services/photo-restoration
I'm interested in ScanCafe doing some scanning for me, but I haven't heard anything about their photoshop work.
Good luck.
Thanks, Mark.
Light Photoshopping is like partially pregnant. Never take on a 'light Photoshop' job - it'll grow into a monster and if you were promised lunch for the original 'light', that lunch won't be for a year if the project grows out of proportion.
Been there, done that.
Either quote the job based on commercial rates, or decline it. Doing a favor is one thing, but being sucked into a psychic vampire environment is another thing entirely.
I am confused. I thought you were looking to pay somebody to do Photoshop work, but Robb's post seems more to suggest you are offering to do that work yourself.
I do "light Photoshopping" in the sense that I receive images and process them for screen (as web galleries if required) or prepare them for print publication (with page layout if required) or both.
I recognize Robb's scenario: the brief is everything. If the client does not have a clear picture of the requirements, and a clear brief has not been agreed, then it's almost impossible to deliver satisfaction.
A well written brief, and a client who knows the goals and the limitations, and finishing on time and on budget is almost routine.
The web has shifted expectations on price and service ("many of the freelancers live in the East" sounds as much like "sweatshop" as it does "Photoshop") so I try to do the work at a cost consistent with working without the overheads of a commercial studio employing operators, but without the rigid 'one size fits' all approach to service.
I also expect to provide a sample of the actual work that will be undertaken, while clearly setting a point at which payment is expected before work can continue.
I hope some of that may help. Getting into a satisfactory workflow with the right person is probably the most critical part (for either party) of the project.
I've come to the conclusion that unless does it unethically, there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of lower wages in other places in the world. Their expenses are *also* much lower. And one must imagine that they would not take the job if they were better off without it.
And the super-cheap prices we have gotten used to for all kinds of consumer goods could never have existed without this world setup.
My use of "sweatshop" was shorthand, not a jibe. However, I note your use of "taking advantage", and mostly that is used about places where there is a clear record of a disadvantaged workforce (I blush to use such a euphemism about children crawling into hot brick kilns because they are expendable and therefore cheaper than machines).
I wish the workers of the world success in their endeavors. If you ever find a way to determine if "unless does it unethically" is the case, tell the world. I have to work long hours for low returns for much the same reasons that "sweatshop" (again shorthand) workers do, and it's all much more complicated than just seeing the globalization of economies as some sort of magic wand to bring the benefits of lower prices for all.
I also note that we are supposed to be discussing services, not consumer goods. The proportion of the cost allocated to labor might be expected to be much higher in services, although that is not always the case.
So was that the only thing in my post that you found worth commenting upon? I thought we were talking about getting Photoshop jobs done, not debating politics and economics. First things first.
Yes, right you are.
A few people have mailed me, and I think I've found a guy.
But you're welcome to send me a mail if you're interested and want me to have your contact data.
Glad you found someone, and thanks for the offer.
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