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Original poster

Regarding Venture photography person in town

63 replies

Flightattendant · 19/02/2010 17:53

I feel bad about it. We were heading into town to get some food and take back something. Walking through precinct a woman stepped up to me from a sort of mobile stall/caravan type thing advertising Venture photography.

She said 'Hello, have you heard of Venture?' at which point I smiled nicely and said 'Yes, we've done it before and we really hated it'. She said 'Oh I'm sorry' and I felt really bad about saying that, and wondered if I could have handled it better.

I do hate Venture, for various reasons, and I also hate being acosted by people with clipboards...but I felt sorry for her. I was polite a I said it, if that's not a contradiction in terms...feel like maybe I needn't have told her we hated it though.

OP posts:
Crapweasel · 19/02/2010 18:00

You weren't rude, you were honest. I'm sure she can take it.

I got accosted by Venture when DD was still in her pram (I obv looked like a PFB perfect target).

"I'm not selling" he says "we just want feedback".

"OK", says I, "I'm not really keen. I find them a bit stark and overexposed".

"Hmm" says he, "that's just the style I guess. So, would you like to book a session......?"

"Erm no" I said.

Original poster
Flightattendant · 19/02/2010 18:02

Lol Crapweasel
You were honest...I thinkIw as passive Aggressive actually.

I still bear a grudge

OP posts:
MillyMollyMoo · 19/02/2010 18:48

Hmm can I have a rant about Venture ? A year ago we bought one of those voucher things, went along for the session and they took some great photo's but the only "product" I liked I wasn't prepared to spend £1,500 on.
So I ordered the 10x8, paid another £50 for this picture and a year later it still hasn't turned up.
I've had every excuse under the sun and today they have final admitted the order was never placed at head office, the franchise has gone bust and I'll never see the money again.
Apparently they are all franchises so be careful if your order isn't processed promptly and pay by credit card for insurance.

allaboutme · 19/02/2010 19:00

I love them. I get a special offer 25 pound voucher every year and then just get the free 7x5 framed print of the best shot.
Got some lovely ones and for 25 its well worth it

troublewithtalk · 19/02/2010 19:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Kaloki · 19/02/2010 19:09

I applied for a job at a Venture studio once, got rejected because my style was, apparently, too individual.

mydoorisalwaysopen · 19/02/2010 19:12

I don't even have to read your post to state YANBU. I hate Venture too.

Original poster
Flightattendant · 19/02/2010 19:22

Bloody hell Milly That's a real shame.

It was years ago that we went...ds1 was a baby. Ponced around trying to get ds to do what twatty photographer said, he hated us, it rained on the way so looked tragic...went back for free phot, only to have to sit through millions of other photos and be required to say 'No' to each one before the really, really stroppy nasty woman would let us have One Cheap Photo. (or was it free?) She was obviously trying the emotional blackmail approach to try and guilt trip me into buying something expensive.

What a cow. I know if it's free it's nice to have but seriously, it wasn't worth the bad feeling iygwim. Horrible

OP posts:
Original poster
Flightattendant · 19/02/2010 19:25

What I mean is, I would have wanted to buy one of them if she had been nice about it and let me have more than 2 seconds to choose, but she was such a nasty person and from the minute we went in she knew we didn't have much money and just was a bitch. I picked up on the emotional blackmail and from that point was never going to fork out...it's against my principles

I don't really begrudge them getting some money out of it, honestly - but I will not give in to that kind of trick.

OP posts:
CMOTdibbler · 19/02/2010 19:36

YANBU - I can't stand Venture pictures.

sungirltan · 19/02/2010 19:40

venture are extortionate. the plymouth one has gone bust anyway

debenhams do nice photos on mounts etc if you want that kind of thing

2boys2 · 19/02/2010 19:47

friends have got a venture one but it seems blurred. We have got some fantastic ones done at debenhams.

Original poster
Flightattendant · 19/02/2010 19:50

I hope if nothing else, it shows her that not everyone thinks they are wonderful and that she might be better off working for a more respectable company.

don't think she knew anything about their modus operandi, poor woman. I wanted to hug her and lead her gently away.

OP posts:
Kaloki · 19/02/2010 19:57

Dp is a photographer, and you should see his face when people ask for his opinion on their photos from Venture. You can see him desperately trying not to point out all the technical errors with the shot

chegirlshadabloodynuff · 19/02/2010 20:33

We had this done and I have to say they were lovely. I got one of those vouchers and they kept extending it until DD was well enough to have it done.

But I knew that there was no way we would be able to buy any pictures and we only went to get the free £25 little photo. So I sent OH to pick it up because I knew he wouldnt be bothered about turning all the others down.

Its a shame because DD is no longer with us and it would be lovely to have all of the prints. But I hate the way the prices leap from £25 to £800 with not much inbetween. In this age of digi cameras the shots are not reall that special are they?

I have my own story about Venture though. They had a stand at our local children's hospice fete. I was helping out and was there all day and the same people (too much tan, over styled hair) kept coming up and trying to sign me up. They obviously didnt register that they had spoken to be 5 times already (too old and dowdy to be visable). One of the questions they asked was 'what would stop you getting a family photo done'. I got so pissed off by the 6th time that I said 'because my daughter just died and I dont want to get a happy smiling bloody photograph without her IN IT!'

At least it made them remember me and they didnt come back. But I did feel bad - they were stupid and vapid but not nasty. We WERE at a childrens bloody hospice though, a small clue that not everyone would appreciate their tactics.

I feel like I have got a weight off now I have made that confession!

mum2all · 19/02/2010 20:55

DB and SIL got us a voucher when we had DD1 and we thought it was a lovely idea and were really looking forward to getting a proper family photo taken, none taken when she was born as I was so ill. We went along with a couple of changes of clothes as advised and all psyched up for session. Unfortunately photographer was running late so by the time it was our turn we were given about 2mins to change, including 3mth old DD and then she rushed back in exclaiming 'we really must get on'. Felt rushed through session and she wasn't interested in the slightest. I was keeping a bib near DD at all times as V sick/drooly baby but photographer whipped it off me and said it would be touched up later, DD then spit up on herself and me. Was SOOO disappointed when we went back to see the proofs as they were horrible. Our voucher meant we only got a 4/6 so we paid extra to get a slightly bigger one and were then told it would be extra to get the baby sick removed. Eventually after much toing and froing the salesperson relented and said we could get touch up free as session had been so awful. In the end we settled for the best of a VERY BAD bunch which OH and I look passable but DD looks deranged and ashen faced (she looked worse in most of them). What upsets me most is
1 it was a really thoughtful gift, spoiled by a crap company
2 DD was and is beautiful (not just us who say it) and OH took a quick snap of her laying on the floor later the same day which is absolutely gorgeous and we had blown up at a fraction of the Venture costs

shockers · 19/02/2010 21:02

They told us that we had won a free session for our family once when they were touting in Sainsburys. When we went to claim it, I mentioned to the photographer that we were in the process of adopting DS2. She told us that we would have to pay for him to be photographed as he wasn't one of our family and that was what the prize had been

We walked out... their loss, we're gorgeous

chegirlshadabloodynuff · 19/02/2010 21:05

shockers WHAAAA!? That is bloody rank!

I have seen a couple of complaints on other forums from single mums who have been turned down for the offer because they are not a whole family!

whomovedmychocolate · 19/02/2010 21:14

We went for one and then when they called to arrange the hard sell session viewing DH refused to go back because he thought they were heinous. I said I'd go (I'm immune to high pressure selling) and they said 'ooh you have to return as your whole family or we won't see you.

I said 'well I guess you won't be seeing us then, shame as I was thinking of buying the really big one', then I hung up and ignored the seven phone messages they left subsequently

cornsilk · 19/02/2010 21:22

We had some done. The photographer was awful - got arsey with dh and I when we said that the photos were only to be of the ds's. I think it's venture law that the whole family have to be in it.

Ohforfoxsake · 19/02/2010 21:30

Yep. Bloody awful and I didn't get as far as the photoshoot, just a big row about their salesman telling me I would get all the pics on CD to take away (which I knew was unlikely) and then him calling me a liar.

As I said to the saleslady in the shopping centre the other day "wouldn't touch Venture with a bargepole". She followed me around asking why, and promising to do something for me to make it up. Maybe business isn't great (snurk)

nancydrewrocks · 19/02/2010 21:33

YANBU in the slightest - you were honest.

We had some done and tbh although I have a lovely montage (mostly of the DC) we have a one photo of the whole family (which was my one wish from the shoot)which is horrid, the shoot was awkward, the hard sell irritating, the photos are pretty umimaginative and we paid £2k+ for the experience.

Pikelit · 19/02/2010 21:40

I am also a photographer but promise I'm not biased! I'll also refrain from discussing Venture's technical shortcomings since nobody wants to be bored witless.

Venture is a franchise and, somewhat hilariously they advertise the need to have an "interest in photography" as one of the useful elements of becoming a franchisee. Which is a somewhat tragic case of stating the bleeding obvious.

However, it goes to explain why all Venture snaps look alike. Punters get whatever the current point and shoot (they'll call it "reportage") style is to which is added lashings and lashings of Photoshop. Not very imaginative Photoshop either. Although if you like that sort of thing, fine. But their pictures are diabolically over-priced and the way they attempt to attract new business borders on very sharp practice indeed. I'd hazard that their insistence on the whole family attending the viewing session actually is sharp practice though. They know that someone in the family is going to weaken or that pressure from the children is going to be impossible for parents to resist.

I wouldn't cross the road to spit on a Venture studio! There are still honourable photographers out there who will do family shoots at affordable prices without the hard selling.

shockers · 19/02/2010 21:44

Two thousand pounds plus???

che I know!

We bought a fab camera and take our own. They're nicer for us because there is always a memory attached and the children look natural.

shockers · 19/02/2010 21:50

pikelit do you think they might have thought that if the adoption fell through, we wouldn't want the photos? They told us we had won a draw to get a family portrait ( I had entered one)Is this something that they do regularly to 'get you in' ?

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