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Christmas

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Original poster

Venture photo shoot as a gift - how bad would it be?

21 replies

OracleInaCoracle · 30/11/2008 22:15

read some horror stories on here about pressure to buy photo's etc but would love to buy sil and bil a photo shoot for christmas. they have an offer on £35 for two shoots. one for you and one as a gift which would sort pressies for my parents (nice pic of us three) and their pressie. they really are the family witheverything and i thought this would be a really nice gift for them.

so how bad are venture really?

OP posts:
IlanaK · 30/11/2008 22:18

Very bad. It would not really be a gift for them as you can often get the photo shoots for no money as they make their money from the photos they pressure you to buy. And the pressure is very very high.

I have seen some lovely local photographers offering packages of photo shoot and inclusive photos for not too much money. This would be a much nicer present really.

Original poster
OracleInaCoracle · 30/11/2008 22:19

We are in Shropshire though, and there dont seem to be many local photographers offering this type of service within our (limited) budget.

OP posts:
LeakyDAISYcal · 30/11/2008 22:22

we have just used a voucher that we got as a gift last Christmas and the photo shoot was great; relaxed and informal and the kids had a great time. The images were really good as well.

We had made up our minds to just get the free pic, but the images were so good that we ended up putting the cost of this to a bigger framed image for the wall. So, we never got the pressure to buy, but I could imagine that we would have done if we hadn't gone for it anyway.

And they are sooooooo expensive. the cheapest wall image is £250!

but, if they do have everything then probably a good idea.

IlanaK · 30/11/2008 22:23

Ok, then I would think of a different present totally. They will not thank you for a Venture shoot. I have had one, and I have read the other reviews on here. It is a total scam really. The photos are outrageously expensive and you do not getyour free (very small) one until you have sat through their extremely long and very presuured sales pitch.

RipMacWinkle · 30/11/2008 22:23

Hmm I've been stung by this "gift" from my db. Not venture just a local photographers. The photos were better than we expected. His "gift" ended up costing us 5 times more than it cost him

I plan to buy him a similar present in a couple of years time.

Anyway, I digress. I would think that most local photographers would offer such a service i.e. for a set price you get a sitting and one free picture of a decent size. If you are worried about venture ad know a good photographers you should call and ask about vouchers.

pinkbubble · 30/11/2008 22:24

I have known people spend over a thousand pound for nice photo's.

Honestly they were gorgeous photos. They offer you finance.

Its a shame really, IMO they would sell a lot more if they took a few zero's off their price!

bythepowerofgreyskull · 30/11/2008 22:25

we won a "free shoot" with 2 free 5" x7" prints

the photo's they took were lovely, but VERY VERY expensive and it is a high pressure sales technique. we walked out spending £400!!!

funnypeculiar · 30/11/2008 22:25

I had a photoshoot as a present. Thought the photography was average, the high pressure techniques unpleasant & the prices bloody outrageous. I'd find a different photographer, or come up with a different idea. Sorry, I know that's not what you want to hear

Original poster
OracleInaCoracle · 30/11/2008 22:26

thanks all, will have a think about it and maybe a chat with them!

OP posts:
bythepowerofgreyskull · 30/11/2008 22:26

I guess the real question is do the people you are buying it for have alot of spare cash to spend on photo#s

Original poster
OracleInaCoracle · 30/11/2008 22:28

they use a local photographer a lot (every couple of months) and i did think about calling her, but the venture pics always look so good.

OP posts:
scrooged · 30/11/2008 22:29

They do get a picture for the cost of the package but it really is tiny. The hard sell to spend is one of the hardest I have ever seen. I wouldn't give one of these as a present without telling them what's involved. They may not appreciate being manipulated by the sales person into spending £££££.

whomovedmychocolate · 30/11/2008 22:29

Don't do it. Unless you have an inlaw you really hate a lot!

I hired a local photographer to come to my parents house to take a shoot for their anniversary, with rights to the photos and it cost £200. Which included one copy of all prints.

Original poster
OracleInaCoracle · 30/11/2008 22:32

oh well, back to the drawing board...

so what can i buy a couple with everything including 2 lo's (who i have already spent a small fortune on) for a budget of about £30?

OP posts:
whomovedmychocolate · 30/11/2008 22:34

Earplugs and a bottle of wine?

scrooged · 30/11/2008 22:35

this?

scrooged · 30/11/2008 22:36

Some theatre tokens so they can go and see a play or concert? They can use the tokens towards a more expensive play if they want.

OFSTEDoutstanding · 30/11/2008 23:00

we got a venture voucher for christmas last year, we joke now and say we got the gift of poverty!! The photos were so lovely we spent £1200 on the credit card which we couldn't really afford

ramonaquimby · 30/11/2008 23:07

what about membership to national trust or english heritage? FIL renews our NT membership every year, it's great.

bythepowerofgreyskull · 01/12/2008 11:27

where are they based? could you get them tickets to a local exhibition?

merrylissiemas · 01/12/2008 11:32

in shropshire too. not really arts people!

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