the process

The magic rolls the moment you contact us. From the beginning to the end, here is what you can expect:

1. Consultation

As always, consultation is free. If you already know exactly what you want, you are already half way there. If you don't know where to begin, we are here to help! With years of experience in still-life and product photography, professional advice is just a click away. Here is some stuff that you might want to include in your initial email:

- Your name (And the name of the organization you represent, if applicable).
- Your contact number.
- What kind of still-life product(s) do you want us to work with (Electronics, food, plants, toys, books, etc).
- The purpose of the photos (Website, magazines, flyers, etc) -- this is to ensure your needs are met.
- Will you be sending products over to have photos taken in our studio, or do you want us to be at your place.
- Any specific ideas you have in mind, and any special requests.

2. Estimation

We will provide you with a free cost estimate. We charge by the hour, based on standard rates listed below. Depending on the complexity of the item, it can take as little as 10 minutes or up to 20 minutes per image, including editing and touch-up time. We can take photos of your items in our Northwest Calgary studio, but if you would like us to work in a location you specify, we can definitely work with you. Expense accountability is a core value here at Link in Box. However, if the bill is going to exceed our initial cost estimate by a significant degree, we will let you know what is going on, and we will work out a solution with you. There will be no billing surprises.

Here is a brief summary of our standard rates:

- $75.00 CAD/hour + 5% GST. Minimum session time is 1 hour. Times exceeding 1 hour will be billed in 1/2-hour intervals. Overtime works the same way.
- For local, out-of-studio jobs or pickup requests, we charge $0.75 CAD/km (GST included) up to 100 km in one direction from our Northwest Calgary (Tuscany) location.

That's our basic guideline, but as always, please do contact us for an estimate. We would love to talk to you.

We are also happy to accept products shipped to us for product photography at our standard hourly rate above. Please ensure everything is packed safely and securely. You will be responsible for all shipping (Including return shipping) and brokerage charges. While we pledge to take good care of your product, we will not be held responsible if it becomes lost or damaged during transport, or while it is in our possession. For all cross-border shipment, due to customs regulations, you must mark your photo sample below $20 USD (Depending on carrier, but this is acceptable for UPS, FedEx, and DHL) as well as declaring as 'Product sample - No commercial value - Value declared for customs purposes only' to avoid tax and/or brokerage fees. If it is a requirement to mark above a certain amount, your company must agree to pay any taxes and/or brokerages, as we will not return any product with the balance unpaid. Please contact your shipping company for more information in regards to this.

3. Coordination

This is the stage where the details will be worked out. We will listen to what you would like, and find out what you really want. With that in mind, we can give you a more detailed and accurate cost estimate. Here is a quick checklist of stuff we will need to get through:

- A specific list of products we will be shooting.
- A sharing our vision based on what you need. Sometimes, email won't cut it. In that case, do prepare some time, so we can talk over the phone.
- How we will get a hold of your product (Drop off, pick up, shipped, shot at your location, etc).
- If this is an out-of-studio job, we will coordinate on the time, date, and location for the session.
- A 15% non-refundable deposit based on the final cost estimate will be due upon contract signing. We will grab you a copy of the contract.

4. Execution

Here is the exciting part -- the stage where photos are actually taken! If we are doing this in the studio, just sit back and relax, we got everything covered. If this is an out-of-studio job, we will work together with you to ensure your needs are met. After that, we will touch up the pictures in our studio, and move on to the next stage -- proofing.

5. Proofing

We will send you some proofs, so you can get a glimpse of what you will be getting. If you don't like it, we will make it right for you. That's because your satisfaction is our number one priority. Depending on the season and workload, please allow 1-2 weeks for the proofs to be ready. Normally, we would have them ready in a couple of days, but we don't like to make promises we cannot keep all the time.

6. Payment

If you are happy with what you are seeing, we will provide you with the final bill. As we have said earlier, expense accountability is a core value here at Link in Box. If the bill is going to exceed our initial cost estimate by a significant degree, we will let you know what is going on, and we will work out a solution with you beforehand. There will be no billing surprises.

You can either pay online or offline. Here are the types of payment we accept:

- Visa, MasterCard, American Express (Through our Paypal Business Account)
- Paypal
- Cash
- Cheque

7. Delivery

High resolution photos will be provided to you once payment is received. We can either mail you a DVD, or arrange for digital delivery. Digital delivery is faster, more reliable, and environmentally friendly, but we will always be happy to send you a DVD, too.