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anyone had a portrait done with venture?

Hi girls,

I booked for me, Jack and H2b to go for our photo taking next week with a company called venture, i initially bought this as an offer in a shopping centre and it was 25pound for the session and you get a free 7x5 framed picture. However, since then i've read that if you want any other prints they are really really expensive and that they do a proper 'hard sell' to get you to buy them. I am terrible with anything like that and worried that i'll end up spending a fortune cos i won't be able to say no. Just wondered if anyone else had had anything done with these Venture people, they have studios all over the country so it's not a local place.

Thanks x x

Replies

  • We've had the done, and they are fantastic!! Yes they are expensive but it wasn't any hard sell at all! We did buy a couple but there was no pressure to do so, we've since had more done with the my parents, bruv and nan, and we only took the freebie pic, even thought we could have had them all!! I wouldn't worry, just relax and enjoy yourselves x
  • Hi,
    Wasn't sure to post as I'm afraid the only thing I've heard about the one in our town was exactly as you say and in the end my friend (her son had booked it for her and her 2 20 something children as a birthday gift) just left with the little picture which she was very happy with but they just couldn't afford all the others. She didn't complain about the 'hard sell'thing though.
    Have seen the shots (a little girl in my class brought her album in to show) and they we fab but I said to her Mum about the expense and she just laughed.
    I guess it'll depend on your local studio and at least you now know what to expect so they won't catch you out if you know what I mean!
    Hope you all have fun and you never know seeing as times are tricky they might have some better deals? xx
  • hi i had the ??25 one done for my daughter and when i went back it was very hard sell, so much so that i did feel pressured into buying the next size up and my sister was pushed into buying a picture too! they then phoned me twice a day for the next 2 weeks to see if we wanted anohter veiwing with "held" prices for the rest of the family! as nice as the phot i have is (and it is fantstic) i would not go back because of how i was made to feel afterwards with the hard selling x
  • hi
    i have been 3 times to have shots done. We went once with my DD and DS when they were 12 and 10. Found out 2 weeks later I was preggers during the shot. Sooo needed to go next year to have new addittion snapped. Preggers again sooo back for more shots. Have had another since then but not been back as yet. they pics ARE expensive but they are brilliant. I have had others done in other studios and they are not the same.

    I did not go for canvas prints or expensive frames. i went for the photo album which is *gulp* about 1000 pounds.This had 15 pics in which I then framed with cheaper frames than the ones they sell.

    I did not have hard sell either. They were lovely. Look around and ask friends for local cheaper places. You could get one or 2 from venture then get some took at cheaper place??? Its hard to not buy the lot when they show you them as they are all so lovely.

    Good luck

    d xxx
  • I know people who have used them and they are fab! Yes very expensive but worth it. I know the one near me keep you pics for a year so you have time to save and go back if you change your mind bout taking bigger ones.
  • We've also used them a couple of times - need to go back now we have lo! We didn't get any hard sell at all, although we did buy an extra print each time we went because they were too nice not to! You can spend a fortune in there, but the basic 7x5 prints in the basic frames aren't too expensive, it's only once you go big, or have effects put on them etc that it gets pricey x
  • We went when Poppy was about 6 months old and much as the pictures are lovely ( very airbrushed though and brightened up etc ) they are shockingly expensive and for that reason alone I couldn't recommend them. I do not regret going, there was no hard sell but I paid ??1400 for 3 prints (link to my fb below), they aren't huge either! We also got the little 7X5 upgraded to a 10 X8 for free. I will have shots done again when Poppy is a little older but I'll use an independant photographer so that I will at least receive all the images that are taken. As it happens, Venture 'own' all the rights to your pictures and they are currently using the one of my dog and daughter together in our local studio and there is nothing I can do to stop them or make them give me a free image!!
    http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41704&l=cf426&id=573888974
  • Donna & Poppy - I LOVE yor pics!!!!
  • we have been 3 times.. spent a fortune- bt well worth it! my avatar pic is one from them....
  • Thank you, but honestly - do you think they were worth ??1400?!!
    xx
  • I don't like Venture at all. I think that they are ridiculously expensive and the photo's we got weren't even that brilliant. I 'won' a free venture shoot when it was just me and oh. As we were poor students we only had the free image and too be fair I don't remember any hard sell, but their prices are daylight robbery.
    When Millie was small we had a similar shoot with a local guy and the pictures were a similar style to Ventures but much better (and cheaper) We ended up with 2 small canvases for presents, a print and one large canvas and it cost us about ??300 for the lot, with Venture the same stuff would have bee ??1000+
    I don't think you've got a lot to loose by going and having the free one, but I would maybe look for a good independant if you want more photo's
    xx
  • The other downside of Venture is that although they say your images are personal - they aren't! If you look on their website there are loads like the ones we had done kissing Poppy, they seem to be standard shots that they get you to pose for. The only one I haven't seen replicated so far is the one of ours where we're holding the dog and baby up in the air. They're all same old same old and although our pictures hold pride of place in our lounge, next time we will be certainly using an independant photographer.
    xx
  • Donna those are lovely!!! I think you are quite near me, we have been to a photographer in Atherton who is really good called Vicky Leanne. Not the cheapest but a lot cheaper than venture and they seem to do a similar style.

    I have to say i would use venture but i would only have the little picture. My SIL had a picture done which was beautiful but i was shocked when i found out how much a canvas had cost her.
  • You do live near me and if you are going tomorrow, I'll see you there!!
    We're going to wait another year or so before we have more done but I will look into that Vicky Leanne woman, worth a look!
    I don't think there is anything wrong with Venture - I just don't think they offer value for money - I've just looked at my receipt and I have 2 10x10 images and one 30x10 one and they were actually ??1500! Not masive photos at all!
    I didn't find them hard sell at all - they just put all the images onto a slide show and the ones they want you to view are all perfect and it's just very hard to walk away from pics you really, really want!
    My oh is a graphic designer and he's well aware of the obvious re-touching that goes on to get them looking as good as they do!!
  • We had some done with Venture when cam was 4 1/2 months, we got the hard sell and ended up spending ??1100 on a big frame with 9 pics in...dont get me wrong they are gorgeous and im glad we had them done as we dont get many photos of all 3 of us but i regret not sticking to my original ??500 budget and getting talked into spending so much!
    I stupidly agreed to have a venture party where you show off your pics and get your friends to buy te vouchers but i dont want it now cos my friends cant afford such expensive pics so im not going to pretend its worth it. anyway they keep ringing me every few day to try and get me to have a party.

    When we went for the viewing, they didnt even show us the one we should of got free, i asked him to see it and he dug this tiny, battered frame out of a cupboard to show us. I had to ask him to leave us alone to discuss what we were going to do cos they just hang around waiting for you to make a decision!
    I would advise when you go for the viewing, set a budget and stick to it! after your shoot they will give you a price list, pick what you want and dont be persuaded otherwise!!
    x


  • Yes im going tomorrow!! She is lovely and you view the pictures straight after the shoot so you discuss with them any airbrushing before they do it. this is one of the pictures i had done when frankie was 6 weeks old. It was ??25 for 8x6 picture.

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1317212&l=0bdf7&id=607705664

  • That's very cute!! Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then!!
    xx
  • Yep, I had a photo shoot with me and Isabella a few weeks back, i was convinced i wouldnt be purchasing any photos as i got 1 free, but believe me its so hard, I walked out having ordered ??500 worth of photos, can honestly say they are amazing and the experience is unforgetable!

    xx
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