to think that at least one person could have turned up?

[pamelat]

My SIL had an event today, she and her friend run a small photography business (weddings and children). They hired the village hall and spent £100's on promotional leaflets and no one turned up.

It was a free photo shoot (I know a lot of people offer this now a days) and they thought it was good timing for Christmas.

They were offering no obligation photos with framed prints starting from £25.

I had got my antenatal friend to sell her books there too and a large provider of childrens toys was also there selling things for Christmas.

Do you think this is the credit crunch? or would you not have gone regardless?

It was 10am - 3pm and I left at 2pm and not one person had turned up, other than our friends to have a cup of tea with us.

I know big photography companies (won't name names) are very popular at the moment but she really is as good as those

Thanks all, if tomorrow is as bad then we will suggest the Morrisons idea (I cant be there to support tomorrow as am visiting my GP in hospital)

I know of at least one person going tomorrow as a repeat client of theirs anyway with their newborn.

My job was to make tea and coffee so it was a bit quiet. I just ate cakes.

I'm really sorry to hear this went badly.

Here's my take on why though:

• Photo sessions are an unnecessary luxury especially just before Christmas and in the shallows of a recession

• It would require commitment ie making a special trip to the village hall

• Often there is pressure to buy if nothing more than you feel sorry for the people

• People not familiar with your SIL's company or style of photography

• People ARE familiar but don't like it (sorry)

I don't know what sort of area you live but without a doubt your SIL would have been better off getting a temporary pitch in:

• a indoor market hall

• Somewhere like Woolworth's

• An indoor shopping centre

You HAVE to give people an opportunity to lurk!!!! That's why a group gathers round street sellers, performers etc etc - they want to see what's going on before committing/joining in. Hence in a shopping centre they have chance to pass the stand, look at other examples of work, even see if they like the background drop and props, see how well your SIL works with children, if she is friendly and approachable or not.

It is getting her name out there that's more important. She might not get that many takers for photos in November, but come February/March when finances have settled, get a call to do a family portrait.

Some photographers get a two-day slot so that people who aren't prepared on the first day (kids not dressed up, loads of shopping to do etc) can come back on the second day, all ready for action.

Mainly she needs to think about Location and Opportunity if/when she plans another venture.

ATM I am all photo'd out; we've just had todler gorup ones, nursery, and both DS;s schools. Everybody else might be feeling the same.

If your SIL has a website, and I saw an ad on the toddler group/nursery notice board I would definately check it out.

Shucks - I have now missed ds's reception ones, and year one in that case!!

i would have gone

That's such a shame. A lot of parents are looking for just what you SIL does - I know we are - but I agree with the others, I wouldn't have gone along especially because I would have thought it was a 'Venture' type pressure sales shoot. But actually from what you've described it sounds great.

My dcs best photos are taken by a woman who comes along twice a year (Oct & May) to Tumbletots. We get a week or two notice, so dcs are wearing something presentable, and on the day go into an adjacent room. She is very quick and very good with the dcs, who are relaxed and in a familiar environment.

It is a shame but we've been sucked in before, not just Venture, I have a PFB £900 photo that I really feel bad about now because there's no way on earth I can afford that for the other 2 and I feel sick every time I look at it.
So I do think putting "no photo would cost more than X "would help.
Having said that I think with digital photography I'm more inclined to take my kids to the woods or park and snap 200 photo's on the basis one will be nice and Tesco's put them on canvass for £75 now.

I could do with some nice cheap pictures but we only seem to have the big names around here

I feel for your SIL, I hope that tomorrow works out better for her.

BTW, not all schools have their photos in the first term. I changed school half way through the year, the first school had theirs in the last term and the second school in the first term so I missed out both ends.

Very sorry you all had such a quiet day Pamelat, I do hope its better tomorrow. I think, actually, Saturdays are more of a day for chores and on Sundays you might go out and do something slightly different, more of an outing, iyswim? Fingers crossed.

Meanwhile - eh? - how can a photo cost £900?

Also starting price £25!!!!!!! That is a lot, one lady near me has made a very successful business her photos start from £5 each for 4x6 prints, reductions if you buy lots. She is not the best photographer but because they are cheap you tend to buy one or 2 anyway.

www.thisisventure.co.uk/products/a-touch-of-classic.aspx?c=viewProduct&id=104

That product is £900 they don't tell you that when you buy your £25 voucher.

A lot of people will already have had them done recently either at half term in Boots etc or via school and playgroup. 200 leaflets is really not that many and they didn't have much other reason to make the effort to go along. She'd probably be better off doing it on the back of another event like a Christmas fair or coffee morning with an appointment book and special discount voucher.

Sorry for your SIL and MIL...

Went to Venture and came back wiser and now don't touch photo promos with a 10 ft pole.

Shame, because they were lovely pics.

What a shame. After all her effort!

The one we have locally is advertised through school and they do sessions after school or on a Saturday and Sunday early November. Its always packed. I think its just a question of re thinking how you harness the people not necessarily that they are not interested.

KatieDDs £900 photo link ]

Ask shivermetimbers about Venture! She has a picture on her wall that cost more than my husband's CAR!!!!!

I had some photos of DS taken when he was born and the prices were SOOOO extortionate that I didn't get any. I was SOOO gutted, as (because of this photographer) I didn't bother taking many of my own...

So, after a bad 'veture' experience as well, I would steer clear of anything like this.

I just don't trust digital photographers any more.

The ones I've met have all tried to rip me off.

Sorry.

Venture not veture

Never, never again would I go to Vneture, apart from the fact that it is a bit passe now, they did actually say I don't know how you can not buy the other photo's and that was after i'd spent £900, jesus I was lucky DH wasn't the violent type when I got home

We organise a photo fundraiser for our local Plunket (no real UK equivalent really).

We mail our clients (around 400) with the offer. They pay $10 to have a family photo taken and we get the whole $10 for the charity. The family get a 10x8 photo free.

They have to have an appointment, and they have to pick up the photo at an appointment too.

The photographer does photos of the children on their own (which is not the free one) and people can buy these if they wish. Most people do presumably or she would never make any money!

We always fill a day and this year 2. The timing works best for mother's day for us.

£25 is for a framed print, the frame costs about £20.

Because they are a small business they dont get any discount on frames.

I really, really hated Venture when we went.

It was awful. It was a 'free' shoot that I 'won' by filling in some crappy two question survey in M&S.

When we went to see the pics, the woman was worse than grumpy, she was obnoxious and rude and showed them really quickly, one after another, so I could hardly tell which to get - I think I had made the mistake of saying we were only having the free one so she didn't give a sh*t if we got one we liked.

The pressure was not subtle at all, I felt like I was awful for not buying something, it was that bad. Tbh I realised this at the time and it made me angry enough that I felt better not buying any.

Sods.

Maybe use a cheaper frame then because I just wanted to fill a wall with family photo's in the same style of frame and bought 30 from M&S for a fiver each.

Agree that timing is just a few weeks too late - have just had nursery and playgroup ones back. Also agree that decent digital cameras are so cheap and the quality is improving in leaps - 10 megapixels is the norm now - that it is easy to take your own shots, and have them of sufficient quality to make a large print. Hope things are better tomorrow, though.

I had venture pictures done, I went with my whole family on a prize shoot. We really enjoyed the day and loved the pictures but there was no way any of us could afford the pictures. In the end we clubbed together and got two albums then did the naughty... At those prices, ask me if I care? TBH the photographer told us it's what most people do.