Venture photography

lostunderthedust

Hi, thought Id add this, we also went to venture after winning a local charity auction for a session, we were also determined not to be sucked in, so although we wanted a large piccy of our two little darlings we chose 3 desktop pics in frames 8"x10"(I think about £30 each),one of each child, one together, then took them to my mums work place and had all three mounted and re-framed in one large frame (3 seperate appatures), reusing the old frames for other pics as gifts. The same idea in the shop was £800.

JonathanA

We went to Venture when we had our first child and to be different from many of the posters above, we thought the photos they did were excellent. The photographer was quite young (mid - late 20's at a guess) and was very good with a 20 month old - he had young children himself. He got some excellent pictures and yes, we did spend way too much with them. We tried haggling the price (I'll haggle for anything given the chance!) but to no avail. They wouldn't budge.

When we had our second child, we didn't go back to Venture as quite frankly we couldn't afford it. We used a good photographer local to us who produced some excellent quality images for less than half the price. Framed them equally as good as Venture.

The Venture we had the good experience with was in Shipley, West Yorks. That was 5 years ago and they didn't put us under pressure to buy any more than we wanted (we did that all by ourselves without them speaking).

I'd say it is definitely worth haggling, but be prepared to be refused.

Good luck

vickyj

If you like the style then give some of your local photographers a ring. you will find that many now offer the same style. We offer it during half terms in different toddler and pre schoolgroups so that familes can come along, you may find that due to them getting commission they will be mre than happy for you to come along with your family for the shoot.
vicky @ photonix

Pinklepurr

Several people I know were sucked into a photo session by Venture. They entered a prize draw for which they were led to believe there was only one winner. A week or two later they all get a phone call to say they were the lucky winner. Feeling flattered, they booked their free session and came away having been seduced into spening 100's on larger prints. Only later did they discover that almost everyone who entered the prize draw got the free studio session as well. In addition, they were hassled to sell the experience to family and friends and a rep from the company would ring them several times pressurising them to make referrals.

bylromarha

My experience last saturday was nothing like some mentioned here...must be completely due to who you have selling to you.

Our photographer gave us the price list when we left after the shoot. So we had 2 weeks to look through how much everything cost.

Then our photographer was our seller too! The AV presentation was okay. It was easy to root out those we didn't like. No hard sell at all. We came away with our free print and a 10 x 8 (at £75).

We're more than happy with our experience and would happily repeat it.

Welshlassie

I have never been to venture so can't comment on their service, but wanted to comment about the photographers they use. One of my friends used to be photographer for them. She is fully qualified and fantastic with people (the only reason she doesn't work for them anymore is because she went travelling for 18 months). She did my wedding and I was thrilled with the results, she did this through her own company, but the experience she got from Venture added to the quality of our pictures.

I think it depends where in the country you go and can't compare each branch like for like as the reps and photographers will be different in each. If you tell them what you want and they don't produce that then fair enough, but if you are getting a free session and picture out of it, what do you expect when they try to sell you other photos you've had taken. They have to make their money somehow.

Simba_25

I definately have mixed views about this now... we are due to go tomorrow evening to have pictures done (me and my 2 kids and my sister and her 3) I already know how expensive they are...a friend had hers done and spend just over £1000 and another girl i know spent £3000!!!!:eek: Now i would no way spend this much money, but i really want a picture of my 2 together. They are also taking all 5 kids together and then of me my sister and all the kids....the kids seperate and then me and my sis seperate, then lastly the familys. How they are going to fit all this onto an hour i'm not sure tho lol

The thing thats worrying me now is, i find it really hard to say no at the presentations! I went to a makeover shoot in London about 10 years ago now (thats the last pics i have of me lol) and i couldnt say no and ended up spending almost a grand on pics i wasn't too keen on! I'm worried this is now going to be the case again tomorrow.

Do they have a cooling off period after you have ordered do you know?? We are going to the new Hull studio....which has been open less then a year and is apparently fab!

headchef

"but if you are getting a free session and picture out of it, what do you expect when they try to sell you other photos you've had taken. They have to make their money somehow"

Welshlassie I would agree up to a point. The point being Venture charge way over the odds and use hard sell tactics. As a graphic designer I've used professional photographers and (going back a bit I must admit) you would pay about £500 for a HALF DAY's shoot but you would have the whole set of pics. OK you would have to do some post production work (not too difficult to get a pre-press company from Yellow Pages to do) and have it printed out large format but there are loads of companies out there who could do it.
I was given a free voucher and took along my step children - the only decent ones were of them seperately but I just couldn't afford them and was furious at the prices quoted - way over the top. Had I been alone rather than with my step children I would have gone to town and haggled like mad jsut to see how far I could get (they of course would have been mortified). So haggle - I would haggle on a professional basis with any suppliers (and I'm sure most of you do) any day.

Simba_25

Well i have just got back from having the pictures taken and to be honest.....i wasn't all that impressed. The big family pictures he got me and my sister to sit on the floor and wanted all the kids to jump on us. Now this would of been great had he not wanted my 6 month old sat on my knee!! I was more concerned with her not getting hurt then actually enjoying myself!

Saying that he did get some good ones of my 6 month old wearing my sunglasses. and my 4 year old wearing his then them together with them on.

We have been sent home with the price list and i have to say....he can get knotted and i am calling a local photographer in the morning to get some more done! The cheapest pic they do is a 7x5 pic for £134.10!!!! I can get one pronted for 10p offline lol

I am going back monday dinner time too see the outcomes so we shall see if they are fantastic (they would have to be for them to even get me to consider buying) My sister on the other hand has already piced out the pics she wants and it totals almost £2500!!!!!!! Shes mental!

clairehi

Venture have definately raised the game of "family photographers".

When DS1 was small we went to Olan Mills and got the sheepskin rug/blue clouds background pics. Unbelievably cheesy!

We went to Venture when DS2 was a toddler and they were quite new. The pics we got are good, but their formula is so easily copied by anyone who is a decent photographer, that you can get Venture type pics done for a fraction of the price.

And copy shops everywhere will happily reproduce/blow up Venture shots. ok they may make you sign a copyright waiver but really, having paid £300 for 1 hours studio time plus 4 cheaply framed prints I am not going to lose any sleep over it.