Our branch of Venture is running an offer for a shoot inc. 7 by 5 print for £25. I had a mate who had some family portraits done by Venture years ago, and they were really good, but effing expensive. I'm interested cuz at £25 it's not much to loose if we don't go ahead, has anybody used them?

Yeah they are pretty good, got two of the free pictures, but the prices are ridiculous, they will try their hardest to talk you into parting with more of your cash.

They will be your best friend until you say you with just have the cheap one!

Yes, used them a couple of times, the trick is that they lure you in with the £25 shoot, but once you see the rest of the pictures, you want to buy them.

I know because it cost me a fortune.

They are great pictures though.

they'll get you in, take loads of pics and invite you back for a viewing so you can pick your 7×5 print. if your weak you'll remortgage the house to buy more as that's the bit they are good at – packaging it all up and makeing it look special.

remain strong and go with a budget otherwise you're screwed.

I think they're incredibly expensive and not worth the money. However, they're photographs (often of nearest and dearest) and it's incredibly subjective as to what represents "good value".

Venture run a very slick operation designed to separate you from your cash. If you can resist this and decided solely on price etc then go for it. Nothing usually costs until you have to buy the pictures (and they will show you umpteen on a big projector screen with low lighting, free drinks and ambient tunes). If you have a wife etc and kids prepare to be absolutely fleeced (IME).

I've had better pictures that I've actually owned the rights to from other photographers for a lot less money than Vultures charged me for a few poxy prints in their cheapest frames 😉

Times must be hard they used to offer the small print free. Use a good independent photographer, they'll offer far better value for money and also do the fancy framing service.

agreed with all the above.

We have a couple of big prints of the kids on the wall & really like them – but nearly had to sell the wall to get them.

Certainly their sales technique is well worked out

Expect the hard sell – personally I don't like anyone that does that and would choose to go elsewhere.

My sis and her husband went for this offer when the 7×5 print was free.

Venture tried their best to wrestle as much cash from my sis as possible and when it finally became clear that they were actually only gonna take the freebie, they got really huffy & rude, before pretty much shoving them out the door.

A few of my friends have been along. If you are happy to be put through a really hard sell for a very long time then go for it.
They tend to airbrush the prints a lot as well, they don't look much like the real person.
Personally I see them more as a sales team then photography company- the photos are a ruse to get you in then sell sell sell.
Not much better than a time share company.
Use an independent

Never used them. The 'Venture look' is achievable elsewhere though, if you don't like the sound of the above.

Do independent photographers do the staging bit where you can put on some tunes and take in items from home to relax the kids? I've had some pretty bad experiences from photographers (mainly at weddings), the Venture thing looked like something the kids might enjoy (my daughter will deliberately spoil shots if she knows she's having her picture taken)

I'd echo an independant… Venture's hard sell model is just that, and they are essentially turning out pretty generic images from their stuidos. I do a little bit of portrait photography on the side, and talking to other photographers their framing etc is pretty average and not worth the big money they charge.

if your after 'lifestyle' shots then a decent photographer will interact with the kids and let them get on with their thing eg playing and they will forget they are having their photo taken – you will get much better images from this as well. If you rock up to a studio, music or no music your daughter is going to know she is having her photo taken and will play up (my 2 year old does this every time you point the camera at him, so I know – family photos now consist of adults and a blur as he runs from the frame). If you specifically want the high key look then most togs will have a portable background they can rig up – personally I dont use it part from nursery photos, prefer environmental stuff of kids and parents interacting etc etc, so you don't necessarily;ly have to go to a studio – they could come to you if that owuld help with relaxing her

If you specifically want the high key look then most togs will have a portable background they can rig up – personally I dont use it part from nursery photos, prefer environmental stuff of kids and parents interacting etc etc,

Agree – those high key pics that seem to be popular are awful imo.

As an independent photog, I shoot and price on the basis that I hope to generate a 'client for life' – clients will come back, if not once a year, maybe every couple of years.
Venture, however, would appear to work on taking as much as they can (fair enough, that's business – though, their sales techniques are alluded to above…) seemingly knowing that folk are unlikely to return as the cost / time to pay it off was too high / long… that does not appear to worry them as they know there are still streets full of people who have not yet been through their doors.
Worries me though as I've had a good few people through the doors here who would like updated pictures of their kids but are still paying Venture interest free loans…
All IME and IMO o'course.

if your after 'lifestyle' shots then a decent photographer will interact with the kids and let them get on with their thing eg playing and they will forget they are having their photo taken – you will get much better images from this as well.

agreed(most recent shoot was the two kids running around the families meadow – jumping off bales, holding their chickens etc – generally being kids, it's how I prefer to work, however that can lead onto a whole other thread 'it's only snaphots with fancy presentation' 😉

Do independent photographers do the staging bit where you can put on some tunes and take in items from home to relax the kids? I've had some pretty bad experiences from photographers (mainly at weddings), the Venture thing looked like something the kids might enjoy (my daughter will deliberately spoil shots if she knows she's having her picture taken)

Sorry – missed that post, then had someone pop in to the shop…
anyways – the answer, I would hope, would be 'Yes' – the good ones will do what they can to create a good environment. Two things I do
1. Allow time – I allow an hour for a shoot – not to bore the pants off the sitters but, to allow time for tantrums / nappy changes etc
2. Encourage the parents to 'look away' / 'leave the room' – they're just pretending but it's funny how kids relax when not being ordered to smile by parents…
3 ( ok, i lied about the two things) – work on location – at their place or at their favourite place – they'll be more relaxed to start with than trailing everyone into town to a studio etc…
Hope that helps..
Oh, where are you in the country – it may be I can point you in the direction of a photog who would offer what it sounds like you're after?
Chris

I'm located in the East Midlands.

Your website looks good too marsdenman 🙂

We got a 7" x 5" done as well , We were there for over and hour and the photographer shot 120 pictures. When we went back they ended up extorting over £500 of my mother in law for a massive picture. We ended up with the 7 " x 5" . They throw all these finance deals at you and I was saying to the wife "Yes Its nice but at the end of the day Its a f**king photo , I cant drive It home".

Be careful not to fall Into there bullshit or leave the wife at home when you go to view.

they are a PITA, we made an enquiry once and they tried to fish us in with some £20 odd pound deal, then couldn't get rid of them on the phone for about 4 weeks after that. Hard sell, my mates had some pic done and it cost them £500 – sure they are great pics but jees that's expensive

Inventive photographic techniques where young children are concerned and you get some fairly abstract photo's, if a little over exposed and bright.

Hard sell is over the top and they will do you no favours.

The free photos are actually fairly small poxy efforts and you will walk out with a wallet that is several hundred pounds lighter for even a modest sized photo.

Tbh, perhaps I'd look for a photographic student and ask them if they can cope with something similar if the venture style is something you like…They need the money more and will be half the price.

Be careful not to fall Into there bullshit or leave the wife at home when you go to view.

How very true 😎