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irish147

on radio one now.....

AnCatDubh

Heard some of this yesterday. Mad lark altogether but sadly it's the kind of thing that we're coming across too often. The sales tactics rather than the photography aspect of the story - while nothing illegal - you would question the ethics of it.

Worse though from a general perspective - it does put photographers in general in a poor light.

EDIT: Oh, also from the perspective of the forum, can people please be considerate to not posting anything slanderous or libelous which potentially would get boards.ie into deep water. Google index us many times a day. Obviously any such posts/posters would be the subject of moderator attention. So be clear in your post if you are talking about something in the generality of things and cautious in your posts if you are specifically referencing any individual or organisation. Thank you.

irish147

AnCatDubh wrote: »

Heard some of this yesterday. Mad lark altogether but sadly it's the kind of thing that we're coming across too often. The sales tactics rather than the photography aspect of the story - while nothing illegal - you would question the ethics of it.

Worse though from a general perspective - it does put photographers in general in a poor light.

2,500 euros for a few photos.... GOD!!!, they wont last long after this....

irish147

AnCatDubh wrote: »

Heard some of this yesterday. Mad lark altogether but sadly it's the kind of thing that we're coming across too often. The sales tactics rather than the photography aspect of the story - while nothing illegal - you would question the ethics of it.

Worse though from a general perspective - it does put photographers in general in a poor light.

you get a FREE 5x7 photo!! after you win this draw...... and they show you 10 images, and it will cost you about 1,000 euros!! for big images in a frame....

<snip>

oshead

Just heard it. Seems it's the same deal as venture. Both <snip> both very underhanded. Both play on the emotions of the punters to extract money.

CabanSail

I recently saw a stand at a show for something similar. I think the company was called Venture though. I have no idea of the pricing or the tactics they used, though I did comment on their quality. I asked if there was a problem with their Printing or or Post Production as all the skin tones looks terrible. There were huge colour casts & many of the shots looked like the subjects had hepatitis. I was told that it was not a fault, but that was their "style". I looked incredulous and then he asked me if i would like to book a session. The sales techniques I overheard did seem to be quite high pressure.

Fajitas!

€1,000 for 10 images?

I'm quite happy with companies like this around. It makes my prices incredibly competitive enticing. :pac:

smelltheglove

I was confronted by a venture rep I think in Liffey Valley, we kept walking yet he kept trying to sell. I remember telling him I was a photographer so didnt need any but good luck and he was like oh well then obviously nobody will take your photo, I was like well done for trying!

I dont like the approach these companies take and I dont think you would get the same quality as you would from an independant photographer who knows that every shot puts his personal reputation at stake! I would much rather get an individual rather than an national or international company.

daycent

The company do sound like total chancers, but I had to laugh at the woman yesterday giving out because they were pressurising her into buying by "playing on her emotions". Playing gentle music in the background while previewing the shots etc. How devious!! :P You'd think they had a gun to her head or something. Could she not just take her free 5x7 and leave??

PaulieC

it is emototional blackmail. They get you in with a small shoot fee and them show you loads of proofs of your kids looking gorgeous and you feel bad for not buying them at a shocking price. My Sister in law paid 3.5 k for 5 photos a couple of years back. Now, they were blockmounted and one of them was 20"x30", but I was looking at them closely recently and the quality is not great at all e.g. pixelisation around the catchlights, like it was over-enlarged.

As always, caveat emptor

daycent

cambo_gueno wrote: »

it is emototional blackmail. They get you in with a small shoot fee and them show you loads of proofs of your kids looking gorgeous and you feel bad for not buying them at a shocking price. My Sister in law paid 3.5 k for 5 photos a couple of years back. Now, they were blockmounted and one of them was 20"x30", but I was looking at them closely recently and the quality is not great at all e.g. pixelisation around the catchlights, like it was over-enlarged.

As always, caveat emptor

If you feel bad that's your own problem surely

Morrisseeee

I dont think you would get the same quality as you would from an independant photogr

.......but the ordinary man/woman in the street doesn't know the difference.

You'd think they had a gun to her head or something. Could she not just take her free 5x7 and leave??

Noooooooo !!!!!
.......its just some people (probably mainly the females !!! eeek I'll get shot for that) that get 'smitten' by this approach, hense this is why they use it. Scenario: you win a prize for a photo session to the value of €x00, you get an hours session with them, you book your time, you bring the kids along, everyone's havin a great time, they set up a time to call in to review the session, you sit in a cinema style room, tea & biscuits is served, you are given a cinema performance of those wonderful shots, ahh aren't they adoreable, oh I really like that one, and that, and tha.........etc etc, you've already 'told' your OH that we're just here to get the 'free' photo ! but...........something takes over, they go mad, they want them all.....aghhhhh !!!!!!! and the 'free' photo is only a 7*5, all that for a 7*5 eeeek.

PaulieC

daycent wrote: »

If you feel bad that's your own problem surely

ehm...what Morrisseeee said

daycent

Morrisseeee wrote: »

.......but the ordinary man/woman in the street doesn't know the difference.


Noooooooo !!!!!
.......its just some people (probably mainly the females !!! eeek I'll get shot for that) that get 'smitten' by this approach, hense this is why they use it. Scenario: you win a prize for a photo session to the value of €x00, you get an hours session with them, you book your time, you bring the kids along, everyone's havin a great time, they set up a time to call in to review the session, you sit in a cinema style room, tea & biscuits is served, you are given a cinema performance of those wonderful shots, ahh aren't they adoreable, oh I really like that one, and that, and tha.........etc etc, you've already 'told' your OH that we're just here to get the 'free' photo ! but...........something takes over, they go mad, they want them all.....aghhhhh !!!!!!! and the 'free' photo is only a 7*5, all that for a 7*5 eeeek.

Well tea & biscuits changes things...

rameire

my other half recently won a competition for capture, so we went in had the shoot and recently went back for the photos.
was given the slide show, unfortunately wasnt offered tea and biscuits.
wasnt pressureised into anything, was under no obligation.
didnt realise the prices would be so high, the missus did,
after a bit of haggling and bartering got the prices down and we are both happy with what we got.
you win some you lose some.

PaulieC

daycent wrote: »

Well tea & biscuits changes things...

Do you have a wife and child(ren) Daycent? It seems you don't. I think you are seriously underestimating the woman/baby factor in this and how companies use this to effectively blackmail people into parting with huge amounts of cash for pictures of their kids...
Unfortunately, a lot of people don't realise at the time (when their kids are young), that the kids will grow up. If a parent spends a lot of cash on a lot of baby pictures, it's hard to take them down off the walls, but babies grow up so quickly that these pictures are usually out of date within a year and the parents are left with a bunch of overpriced prints of a child that no longer looks like the child they have, which they don't want to take down as they cost so much....

cobweb

have recently 'won' a draw for a free shoot with Capture Portraits

Any advice??

rameire

cobweb wrote: »

have recently won a draw entitling me to a free shoot with Capture Portraits

Any advice??

make an appointment, go along have the photos taken,
then go back for the viewing, then make your decision of what you want.
the free pic or more.

pixbyjohn

cobweb wrote: »

have recently 'won' a draw for a free shoot with Capture Portraits

Any advice??

Just be sensible about what you want to buy. You will get a 5 inch by 7 inch photo from them for free but they will show you lots more and maybe tempt you into spending a lot more than you expected for larger prints etc.

cobweb

thanks was just listeing to the liveline podcast re same felt a bit unsure

the letter they sent me says i will get a 10x8 photo but the 295euro voucher card says 7x5 on back

roboshatner

I went in with my fiance we got a call saying that we won a prize for 295 voucher for 2 adults and 2 children.

So we went in and told them the kids were sick and they were not happy at all that the kids were not there they told us to come back with the kids.

I said sorry but you told us to come in so they took photos of us it was a great laugh we had and the photographer was really nice and got us to relax and she took quiet a lot of photos.

After we got the photos taken they said come back in the you can get your photos back.

I never heard from them again and never recieved one photo from them.

I heard on this thread and and the net that its all a big scam.

just came across this there http://insolvencyjournal.ie/notices/10-05-11/Appointment_of_liquidator_Capture_Portraits_Limited.aspx

My question is Id like the photos you took of me and my fiance at least they are out of business now and they office is empty what ever happened to them ?

CabanSail

I would imagine that your photo's would have been deleted long ago. From what I have heard of these type of operations is that they target their chosen demographic, which is a family with kids. You did not have kids with you, they asked you to come back with them, you stood your ground and rather than risk bad publicity they did a shoot and sent you on your way. If they were interested in your business you would have got the big sell, instead they cuttheir losses with you and moved on to more fertile ground. Of course I could be wrong and they just made a mistake and forgot to get back to you.

roboshatner

Well from the stories I have heard about them I was smart to invent fake kids and get a fun photo shoot out of it.

Too bad we didn't get any photos out of it.

I do feel sorry for the people that got scammed.

CabanSail wrote: »

I would imagine that your photo's would have been deleted long ago. From what I have heard of these type of operations is that they target their chosen demographic, which is a family with kids. You did not have kids with you, they asked you to come back with them, you stood your ground and rather than risk bad publicity they did a shoot and sent you on your way. If they were interested in your business you would have got the big sell, instead they cuttheir losses with you and moved on to more fertile ground. Of course I could be wrong and they just made a mistake and forgot to get back to you.

pixbyjohn

roboshatner wrote: »

Well from the stories I have heard about them I was smart to invent fake kids and get a fun photo shoot out of it.

Too bad we didn't get any photos out of it.

I do feel sorry for the people that got scammed.

Who scammed who ?