To not purchase any photos even though my children sat & posed for 20 minutes

[mariemarie]

A few weeks ago one of the mums from my DC school organised for a photographer to come into the school on a Saturday (today) and handed out leaflets asking if anyone was interested in getting DCs pictures done. There were 10 places and it was £10 for the sitting which included a free 10x8 picture.

Well, today I went with my 3 DC and the photographer took some really great pictures.

The problem is this, I sat down with his assistant to browse the pictures on his pc and picked out the ones I liked. However, at this point I find out that I cannot order any prints, I can only order "chunky photos" which look like pictures on blocks/canvas, nice, but not what I want, and also v.expensive. And the only basic prints that can be ordered are put in a frame (choice of 3 only) and again, none of these are my taste.

All the time, I felt the assistant pressuring me into buying. I eventually settle on a framed picture that sits 3 pictures in and choose a picture of each of my children. Problem - two of my chosen pics are portrait and the other is landscape, I am told I have to have all matching.

I eventually settle for 3 landscape style pictures in the frame, at a cost of £145 (but these were not the best pictures of my children) and then point to a picture which has all 3 of my DC on and tell the assistant I would like that one as my free 10x8. She then tells me thats not possible because the free pic has to be the exact same as one of the ones I'm buying. I tell her thats of no use to me because I have bought 3 individual pics of my children and to choose which one of these I duplicate is pointless because I cant even give it to my mum because its only of 1 child.

In the end I tell them I'm not happy and walk out without buying anything.

All the other mums are writing cheques left right and centre and raving on about how wonderful the pics are. When I came out they were all waiting in the hallway and asked how I'd got on. I told them what had happened and they all seemed shocked that I had a problem with it.

AIBU?

[BCLass]

Nope, YANBU and I think you know that

[Wilkiepedia]

Nope - it is a lot of money to spend so do not feel pressurised.

Had a similar situation with Pixi Fotos, got voucher for £10 free sitting and 10x8 photo. Had the sitting, some fabulous photos but V expensive so I just picked one photo out to have as my free one. Assistant got REALLY nasty and said that I could only have the first photo she took as free photo (it was shite and she HADN'T explained that) so I had big row with her and demanded I either got the photo I wanted or I walked out and she didn't even get the £10 for the sitting. She eventually agreed.

I also think people get sucked into the 'Ahhhh' factor with these photos places and don't think CLEARLY about the amount of money they are spending on PHOTOS.

That is just my opinion but YANBU.

[lou222]

no. No-one can force you to buy and she should have been a better sales person and accommodated you rather than lose a sale.

[cthea]

YANBU. If they're not worth the money you're being wise, not unreasonable.

I also had a bad experience with Pixi Photos, v poor picture quality. Venture v good but exorbitant prices. I really loved some photos my Dd1 had taken at ballet classes because they didn't have parents around and I felt i truly had a glimpse into how she is when we aren't there. V sweet.

[nooka]

Totally not unreasonable, and if they had been up front about the deal I don't suppose you would have signed up in the first place. I expect that they make all the money on the accessories (frame etc). If you are going to spend that sort of money you should expect to have a lot more choice. Good for you for withstanding the pressure and walking out. Spend the money on a good digital camera, and get lots of good pictures for the next few years, rather than a compromise that you will look at in future and think 'I was had'. Given enough time most people take excellent pictures (just along with lots and lots and lots of duff ones, but with a digital camera that doesn't really matter).

[LilianGish]

YANBU AT ALL. Can't believe you were even contemplating paying £145 for pics were weren't ecstatic about and even more astonished they wouldn't throw in the one you wanted for £10 to get the sale! Good for you for sticking to your guns - and well done for saving yourself £145.

[nippersnappers]

YANBU Well done for sticking to your guns.

They were trying to fleece you left, right and centre, trying to get you to buy more to get exactly what you want.

I am a children's photographer and this kind of practice really makes my blood boil

Why on earth should you shell out that much for pics that weren't even your favorites?

If I had a client spending that much on prints that I had taken, I would be bending over backwards to accomadate their wishes.

And don't get me started on Venture and Pixi Photo because I will be here all day.

[mariemarie]

Thanks girls, although after reading your replies its made me realise that I'm slightly stupid for allowing myself to come close to buying pictures of my children that I didnt even really like.

Its not even like money is no object for me. I feel quite angry now and I feel that their prices were an absolute rip-off. But, when your there looking at some gorgeous pics of your children its easy to see how people get duped into spending hundreds.

Thank god I didnt, hubby wouldnt have been very pleased either.

[Wilkiepedia]

I do think they rely on that though - when you are sat there looking at these beautiful photos of your darling children it is so easy to spend the money.

Well done for not doing!!

[ellingwoman]

I can't believe they would limit you in this way! All the shots go on a disc and can be any shape, size or texture you want. What meanies. Well done for walking out

[KathyBrown]

I had the same situation with venture they wanted £1500 for a product that I didn't really like. It was all latte's and flattery when they thought I was ordering, when I said I just wanted the one that came with the voucher they put the phone down on me

[skramble]

Sadly thats how they work.

My Bil got us a fantastic Christmas present, one day when they had they kids for the day they got their student photographer freind to take some pics, and the results are great, all very relaxed and natural. Got a couple in frames as pressies and the rest on a disk. Don't think it cost them anything as she wanted to get pics for her portfolio and website.

Find a freindly student of photography and let them get some pics for their portfolio in exchange for some pics for you to keep, deal done!

[CherryChoc]

Oh skramble, great idea I had been looking for a local photographer but they were all quite pricey (not as much as venture and pixi photo though!) - students would be willing, I'm sure. I could even say hi to my old tutors, if they're still there.

[GypsyMoth]

Cherubs are excellent!!

[thell]

Grrrr at Venture, they are SO outrageously expensive!

[MollieO]

No. Venture turned my blonde boy to ginger and a very photogenic chap to an ugly mug. I didn't give in to the hard sell as I was laughing so much at the dreadful photos. Instead I got a friend to do the Venture style (white backdrop) photos and ds looks gorgeous.

[solidgoldSneezeLikeApig]

Allthese photography studios are total rip offs. They lure you in with 'free' picture offers and then hard-sell these overpriced package deals of not-very-good photos of your dc... if you have £150 to spend contact an independent photographer and book a sitting, you will get better service and better results.
Mind you, last year a photographer did a shoot at our playgroup and did very reasonable package deals and very good photos: I was expecting to be disappointed but was v please with the results - about £25 got 2 large prints and 3 small ones, choice of shots.

[Pamboli]

YANBU at all, if all of us were like you we wouldn't be bullied into paying exorbitant prices for things we didn't want to buy in the first place. So thanks in behalf of myself and many other people who have been bullied by Venture or other photographers into that.

[staylucky]

YANBU Posed pictures are godawful..

You could buy 2 really neat digital cameras for the cost of those 3 identical photos and give those to the kids to use daily. Kids take the best photos.

[helpYOUiWILL]

I have used debenhams - not sure who does their photos. We did have to go back twice to get what we wanted - natural shots - no posing etc, cos the first photographer insisted on doing crappy posed shots - we just refused to buy ANY until we got ones we liked.

Next time we had a photographer come to the house and he was fantastic. He took about 160 photos and put them all on disc for us to keep. We have a photo printer so we printed our own photos (christmas was SO cheap last year ). If we had wanted ones larger than we could of printed we could either get him to print them off or we could send them to someone of our choosing - for example an internet based printing firm.

We intend to go to the park in the summer and get some shots done of us playing.

[MrsStig]

YANBU - well done for not being pressured into buying something you didn't want.

Is the 10X8 any good?

[SoupDragon]

YANBU.

A local photographer comes into DD's toddler group once a year and takes the most fabulous photos. They are very reasonably priced and you can buy just photos or the fancy pants canvas/framed stuff. She also can come to your house which I am very tempted to do.

[MadameCastafiore]

Have a look locally - I booked a local photographer for £75.

He took 150 pics of the kids in our home, brought his own 'venturish' white background, and then I picked the 6 that I really liked and he cleaned them up and put them on a disc and we had the disc so we could have as many printed in what ever format we wanted.

You will probably find a local photpgrapher to do this for you so don't ever feel pressurised into buying the ones at school and playgroup as they have a huge mark up.

[MadameCastafiore]

The top one on my profile page is one of the ones he took - I have it as a mousemat now (that was about £2.99) and so do half the family as they got one for Xmas - so was a bargain in the end!

[nannyL]

YANBU

how stupid of the photographer... to have lost all that incme from you...

WTF does it matter if its porttrait or landscape? tell then you are into modern art and intend to display 1 picture on its side