Anyone know anything about VAIG?

[phillipb]

They are in Camperdown and their website suggests that they do everything from weddings to TV commercials but no sample of any work.
Anyone had any experience with them?

[weakerangel]

Yeah, I know something about VAIG....My experience was quite disappointing.
It all started when VAIG studio gave my girlfriend and I a free make up and photoshooting session....so we signed up out of curiosity. However the photos weren't so great and boy, the price was sky high. The cheapest package was $1000 which only had few small sized photos and it was supposed to be the budget package. I felt pressured to buy photos from them as they pushed me to buy expensive retouched packages that are more than $2000. They made me feel bad about not buying and honestly, I didn't like any of the photos. My girlfriend didn't like the photos either.

They also said that they own full copyright of the photos and that they could keep it as long as they liked. So that basically means you really don't have any rights on what's happening with the photos whether you buy them or not. My girlfriend was a bit annoyed seeing as she is a private person and the whole point of the photoshoot was that we wanted a nice, private, professional looking photo for ourselves and ourselves only. I really am curious about VAIG studio privacy policy or LACK OF. To think that our intimate photos were out there and we had no rights whatsoever about it!

The actual photo shooting wasn't good either....the experience was dull, lacking any creativity.
I told them I'll think about buying the photos and get in touch with them again, however they pressured me to leave a $95 deposit before I go just incase I cancel the appointment. So I said, "In that case, I don't want to make an appointment" but they didn't listen. It took me a while to explain to them that I was simply not interested.

Honestly, I don't think I would recommend this place to any of my mates....

[phillipb]

Hi weakerangel, welcome to the forum.
Bit of an old thread this one, I didn't bother to write up my experience with them because no one replied so I figured there was no interest, but basically my son was given the usual line - "you have won a free shoot"
Like you we were less then impressed with the whole experience. I went with my son to look at the proofs. The young lady we dealt with had no idea of what she was talking about. I let her talk and then she left us alone for a while to pick our favorite shots. When she came back I gave her a short photography theory lesson, at this stage she admitted she didn't know much about photography but the photographer that took the shots had done work for the royal family.
Needless to say we didn't buy anything they didn't even try to pressure us although they did offer to re shoot with a different photographer. We declined.

[aim54x]

I have seen them spruik in shopping centres everywhere, I had a 'friend' no longer that did some reception work for them and she thought the sun shone out of their arses (and consequently hers) because they were real 'pros' that shot medium format film. She is no longer a 'friend', you think that being nice and passing on what you and lending people your know would be returned in favour, except this person who gets the occasional gig job at the Gaelic and follow in music work thinks herself too good to consider some free work for people around uni and feels the need to abuse others work purely cause she has no taste for them.

Back on topic, I have never heard anything good about VAIG, and have never been tempted to try them out (who wants a picture of my ugly mug!).

[Hudo]

The experience described is very similar to those of many models we have shot whom had their first shoot with one of the large (chain type) shopping centre studio. Very expensive, average images and high pressure to purchase what they don't really want. Dissapointed to hear but not suprised.

Mark