Logan Johnson

Review of The Artona Group Inc.

This review is based solely on my group photo expe...

This review is based solely on my group photo experience at Artona. As a photographer of my own I was absolutely appalled and felt quite sad for what the group I was a part of had to go through. We came in over 30 minutes early and were still an hour behind schedule after being herded downstairs into a narrow hallway with about 50 other teenagers by the staff upstairs. I could let this slide, it's a small facility on a Friday night, everyone wants to get the portraits done with their friends. When we finally all finished paying and were on deck to do out group photo, I took a look at the back of the basement and for what people are paying (3 figures for those doing single portraits and most likely more for large groups), the waiting area is disgusting. There's garbage thrown everywhere, it looks like an abandoned house. You would think that a place like Artona would at least invest in some storage compartments that would hide away some of the unsightly things and put a couch or two for those who were waiting.
What followed was something I've never seen working in studios as a photographer. We were screamed at and yelled at by the photographer who was extremely aggressive. Everyone was put in a bad mood. We only received one pose which, for $20 each with more than 5 people, is absolutely ridiculous. Afterwards, our photographer gave us 10 seconds to find a pose that we wanted as a group, and because we didn't come in with one prepared we were scrambling to find something fun to keep. But instead of being able to talk it out, the photographer started shouting and counting down from 10 giving us all anxiety and forcing us all into positions that were last minute and uncomfortable. Needless to say we didn't get that photo so we were left with just one pose arrangement of people.
Sad and appalled that most of Vancouver's youth have to come here for senior photos that are supposed to last a lifetime to be memories in the future.