Venture is a portrait company I used to work for and who don't always have the best reputation over here in the UK!

Firstly, with other photographers, because they've ambushed the portrait photography market and are viewed as very much production-line photography plus many of the photographers are young people who don't know much about the technical side of photography so a lot of the shots are high-key, bleached out skin tones simply because they're not great at lighting any other way! Secondly, the public are not given enough info before they come in and don't realise how crazy expensive the portraits are. Obviously some people will spend heaps of money - I had a client that I shot twice in the space of 3 years who spent £3,000 the first time & about £7,000 the second - and others simply can't afford it and go away upset & empty-handed. Thirdly, they're a franchise so I know some people who bought into the idea and have lost way too much money on franchise fees & many other ridiculous costs.

Anyways, having said all that negative stuff (!), I popped into their website today to see what they're up to and thought some of you may be interested in seeing their portfolio section. Despite it all, they do lead the portrait photography market in the UK & have pushed it ahead with a very contemporary style and they truly have some amazing photographers working for them - one of which took my avatar for me and I keep telling her how wasted she is working for someone else!

Here's the link: www.thisisventure.co.uk

PS they're planning on heading over to America so be warned of the imminent invasion!! The last I heard before I left well over a year ago was that they were planning on going to Miami first.

PPS Right at the end of the portfolio section is a 16-tile image of the love of my life (don't tell my husband that!), my dog Tyson, which was shot by me & my friend when I still worked there.

PPPS If anyone quotes me on the subject of Venture, I deny it all!!