Venture photography

tite_wadd_so

Hi I used to be a "venture" photographer and sales person and as the feedback on this site suggests they were a little pricey. Dont get me wrong a heck of a lot of work goes into the whole experience but as all the studios are francises the high prices are to pay for the fat cats at head office and there helicopters.
Myself and some other ex venture employees have set up a studio in a beautiful former farm house in Widnes Cheshire. Not only are we less than half the price of venture but we dont do any hard sell and all appointments are spaced out so no one is rushed or pressured. If anyone would like to see our work or contact us call o151 425 6o3o or visit https://www.crushedapple.co.uk , Crushed Apple at Ramsbrook Farm.

Frugal_Fox

Haven't looked at all the thread - however we had a Venture shoot about 4 years ago. Soon after we got our adopted children. We wanted a really special shot. We bought the £25 voucher and got the 'free' 7x5" photo (framed). We then bought another 7x5" and a larger image. It cost about £400 - however I do think it was money well spent. They captured a time that we will never ever have again, I can not help but smile at the image and can't ever see the children cringing when they come and visit in 20 years time - unlike the very 'staged' photo my gran had done of me and my two sisters - its bad!!! If you have a budget in mind - before you commit go in and ask the prices. If there is nothing suitable in your price range, walk away! Venture style shots are very popular and more photographers are offering them - usually at much reduced prices. I don't normally like having my photo taken - but the session was very relaxed and we took our dog! Left copious amounts of dog fur behind !!

jane_adams_2

I signed up for one of their £25 vouchers a little while back thinking we'd get it done for our little girl's birthday (next week).

A friend has also been and even though both of us were told when we signed up that pictures start at about £75, when she went for her viewing the minimum was £500 and the sales person claimed to not know anything about the £75 price. The one she liked (like on a canvas) was £800!!!! She didn't buy any, decided she couldn't justify it.

Still haven't got an appointment booked for the photo session (although they have tried to call today), but I am seriously considering not even bothering and 'writing off' the £25 (I haven't looked but guess we won't be entitled to any money back if we cancel).

We're now looking into alternative photographers who are more realistically priced.

Bubble16

If you are in the Bristol/South Wales area I do very reasonably priced studio portraits in your own home so no need to travel, park etc and there are always changes of clothes, favourite toys available if needed! Can send you my website link if you PM me, guessing I can't put it on here!

jane_adams_2

Sorry, we're in Northants, so nowhere near you.

My husband has found out one of his colleagues is also a photographer so he is looking into whether he can do some for us....

Frugal_Fox

Jane_Adams: We used Venture at Milton Keynes and they certainly honoured the £25 shoot - you WILL get a framed 7x5" out of it. They WILL try to sell you the other images - just decline! They can't make you - however you might WANT one, however I would still take advantage of the shoot. PM if you want to.

jane_adams_2

:rolleyes:

Frugal_Fox wrote: »

Jane_Adams: We used Venture at Milton Keynes and they certainly honoured the £25 shoot - you WILL get a framed 7x5" out of it. They WILL try to sell you the other images - just decline! They can't make you - however you might WANT one, however I would still take advantage of the shoot. PM if you want to.

We're going to the Northampton one. I'm sure they will honour it, its just whether I can be bothered with the hassle for a tiny picture! Prob will go, just wish I hadn't bothered! Should have checked on here first but as someone earlier in the thread mentioned, they caught me in a shopping centre :rolleyes:

vernyvern

i can do cheap venture style photography. i'm in the south uk. if your intested look on my web site xsight.me.uk click portraits menu.
cheers vern:beer:
[FONT=&quot]i've been a freelance photographer for 20 years or so and i've seen different styles of portraiture come and go. the so called venture style has probably stemmed from mtv and the media portrayal of modern trendy people, who knows? but its what people want and it sells "at the moment"and venture have managed to market this style as theirs. very canny as you'll find that any freelancer worth their weight in peanuts can adopt any style to produce the images you require. and as photoshop is know an essential part of our kit the possibilities are endless.

Generally freelance photographers are cheaper than portrait studios as there’s less overheads and you don’t have to have certain packages, you just pay for the time and the prints you want. Or as I do, you get a cd with all the photos i shoot in hi res to have printed where and how you like. session usually lasts about an hour and I charge £50 an hour.
so heres my advise: try here [/FONT][FONT=&quot]http://www.freelanceuk.com/freelancers-directory/category.php/5
or google for a local freelance photographer.
i must say that some of ventures fancy perspex frames are quite unique. i cant find them anywhere on the web. if you do see any post the details would you.
cheers and good luck. vern
[/FONT]

tite_wadd_so

We now have a new supplier and we have more appealing, stylish, funky, contemporary and good old traditional frames than Venture still at less than half the price!

Although I do think venture are well over priced (£115 for a framed 10x8").

For a professional photographer to spend an hour taking your pictures an hour editing them and an hour presenting them then an hour digitally art working them at high quality for printing (4 hours in total), you cant expect to pay olan mills prices (£30 for a 10x8" print) Now re opened you are still herded in to a small room given 10/15 mins with a semi pro photographer and then given 10 mins to pick from 12 images (which are not artworked or framed ). Olan mills cheap and poor quality, Venture good and over priced Crushed Apple Good and just the right price.:T

Just to put it into perspective if you were to go to a vauxhall dealership they charge £90/hour just for labour thats before the expensive parts, for a car which may last five years but as we all know good family portraits last a lifetime.

So if you want great service, great surroundings and great pictures at less than half the price of Venture visit https://www.crushedapple.co.uk the Northwests Best Kept Secret.

Crushed Apple Photography

donny_osmonds_mad_fan

I am a bit shocked that on a money saving site no one has come up with this idea...

first off though I belong to a large online mum and baby website and have done for 5 years since I was pg with her and venture has been discussed many a time and yes whilst the pics are great the hard sell and the cost has had people in tears as it is very hard to walk away from lovely pictures of your babies.

the money spent is ridiculous, in this day and age with digital technology it is getting easier and easier to capture fabulous pictures of your kids, we decided with some inhertience to invest £600 in a real lovely SLR camera but if you wanted to do white background prints..then buy one of those too and you have always got what you need to take fantastic pictures of your kids for the rest of their childhood.

We have a few photo packages...mainly ones purchased cheap or free through paying for a web domain etc (on tip offs from on here).

we have fantastic amazing pictures of our kids from all over, and will still keep getting them, we can edit them etc and free to print them as large as often as we want, plus with those wonderful pictures we also have the happy memories of the days out associated with the pictures rather than a memory of being in a studio.

you dont even need to spend £600 these days on a camera you can get decent ones for less but I love the multiple shot facility etc...trust me invest in it play with it and you will never look back most likely less for the cost of one session with venture!