Venture Photography prices - OUCH!!!!

[ProudWickedFan]

Ok, I'll pop my tuppenyhapethworth in here!!

As a photographer Venture have pretty much comandeered the market in hard sell techniques, these guys when they employ people state that it's advantageous if you're interested in photography. I'm not saying Venture aren't a good company, they've just launched in the US and they're really really good at making people part with substantial amounts of cash, you know that you don't have to go to Venture to have High Key photography there are plenty of us photogs to go around and some of us charge a lot less than Venture. Has it harmed me as a photographer? I don't think it has, if anything it raised awareness of modern portraiture and the fact that you don't have to have a twee portrait of you or your children.

I would like to see how they cope at a wedding though because take it from me, thats a whole different ball game

(thanks to Bagpuss for the lovely compliments)

[EmilyLovedHim]

(thanks to Bagpuss for the lovely compliments)

Except I am not Bagpuss there someone else beat to that one!

[Bluemoonjules]

i think it's a real shame you feel this way. You dont HAVE to buy additional images from them, but they want you to because your photographer will have worked very had on them. Also, if you take away a big or "expensive" one, just think how that would look in your house. the gift products arent good value for money compared to the larger pieces.

My advice would be not to go if you want little, ordinary prints. Go to olan mills. If you want something personal, which will make a statement in your house and wow your friends, go to venture, you get what you put in.

Also, think about asking about the prices if you are not told. I wouldnt test drive a car without knowing the price first.

Don't know if you realised, but you've picked up on a really old thread here (initiated 16/06/06) - just saying as the opinions herein were expressed some while ago.

Just seems an odd thing as a first post on UKS (Google search strikes again, maybe?)

[Smileyk]

I never got round to using my "free" voucher for Venture as I knew I couldn't afford the pics I'd want. Sooo, I used a local photographer who took the pics in my house so they are relaxed and it was fun. The cost was great (£100) and he was happy to give me a CD of the pics instead of the printed album he normally provides as I said I wanted it for scrapping and wouldn't print my own copies to hang around the house and pass to my friends. He also gave me more on the CD as he liked them all and didn't want to take any out! For a 7x5 he charges £13.50 - though a proper wooden frame would be extra. He took the pic in my avatar. Dh and I both hate having our pics taken but we enjoyed it and there are only a handful of pics that we don't like!

[EmilyLovedHim]

Lovely pic it is too! That was really really nice of him to understand how you were going to use them too.

[Emmak]

We've just had ours done at Venture and every time we go there we do get struck dumb by how much they charge but having said that we've absolutely loved the photos that have come out of it. We experienced no hard sell other than the fact that if you go back and want more you get changed an averageof an extra £200 per photo, so of course you really need to chose then and there. Wel all had some done by Olan Mill as Mothercare had a special offer on, They threw in lots of free photos so better value for money but the set up (lighting etc) and the final images are not as good as Venture.

Not been down the indie route yet. will have to try that next time - if we have any wall space left!

[MAX691KTM]

Our friend is over the moon with the pictures of her family and kids. She paid £1,000 for them but was also allowed to pay £100 per month as, basically, she couldn't really afford it. She is also over the moon that her daughter was picked for the Venture brochure. Apparently, having paid £1,000 - she is NOT allowed to use her daughter pictures anywhere else. To have our children featured "anywhere" it makes us proud of us, them, our achievements. However we are often blind in front of reality as our kids are "just" normal kids after all and making her daughter part of the brochure could have been just another selling pitch making her think that the £1,000 spent was worth it.
I would, just about spend £25 for a picture of us taken in a studio - but that as far it goes. What does a £1,000 picture (investment?) do for me? In reality absolutely nothing. I don't like the style of the pictures taken as they remind me much of the pictures that one would find in brochures or advertising - I would call them corporate photography and the style has been around for many years from companies like Corbis. While the picture may look nice and have spontaneity - it would really remind me that the picture could have been taken for an insurance, hospital, car brochure.
A good digital camera can cost as little as £150 - it can take '000 of pictures and surely there must be a friend in the family that can take good photographs. Pick the one that you like out of the '000s and save $$$ ......
Venture is NOT for me, thank you.

[Tracy Pearman]

So true Max!

We have the money to afford to splash out on Venture photos, but we never ever will. I love photos we have taken, they are just far more 'natural'.

[Smileyk]

I had a free session and 7x5 with Venture but after seeing the prices of the pics I chose not to use my session and instead I booked a local photographer. He came to the house and took the pics of us all playing on our bed. They are the most natural, gorgeous photos we've ever had. I said I wanted to scrap them and he agreed to supply a CD 50 of 6x4 pics instead of an album. All for just over £100! I couldn't have been happier! Particularly as he couldn't chose 50 so we had more!

[ProudWickedFan]

Yes, I think venture has done us local photographers a world of good in that sense, We local Togs are far far better than Venture because we create natural works of art for a lot less cash!

[Tinaborder]

Just for info...
If you live in the Banbury / Oxford area there's a really good modern Venture style photographer in Adderbury who doesn't charge crazy Venture prices. My sister did some promotional work for him the other week. If anyone wants the details PM me and i'll get them for you!

[Wisher]

my way round this....

book a cruise!! for the cost of a venture shoot - I got 14 nights full board in the Med AND the cruise ship photographers did "venture" style photography (white background and floor etc) on 3 nights. No sitting fee and the 10x8 photos were £10 each.

The only down side was having passers by watch - however this just added to the fun - I hate having my photo taken but these are just sooo natural really captured my silly mood!

[Valentine]

Venture are a rip off! - i do agree you are paying for the talent/style not the actual photo, however their prices are just ridiculous. I often take my girls/family to photographers and dont mind at all paying whatever it may be to get some lovely photos. There are loads of other photographers out there that are just as good & even better than venture but without the hard sell & rip off prices.
A friend of mine who is a photographer once tried to get a job with venture..she was was rejected because she had no 'sales' experience - to me that just sums them up.

xxx

[Jacobsmum]

We used a free voucher we had in our bounty pack for free sitting and 10x12 from Pixiphoto (used to travel in boots etc?) The studio near us does the digital version and they were great. They did a mix of the traditional pics my DH wanted - you know dark background, lined up type, and the white background playing, laughing, shoes off type ones I wanted. They also captured an extreme close up which is on a wide shot of our DS looking into space.

We got a package of

1 20inch by 16 inch
1 20inch by 24 inch
2 10inch by 20 inch
3 10inch by 8 inch

and our free 10inch by 12 inch for what we considered a great price of £150!

[Miss Magic]

Another vote for feel good. Cheryl took some lovely piccies of me and mt DH earlier in the year.