Photo 3 Kent Photography scam

Photo 3, the Kent photographer is becoming synonymous with the word 'scam'.

Photo 3 Solutions Scam #1

Offering digital storybook wedding photography services, but charging extortionate rates for digital rights. Most wedding photographers are paid for their time, and the client receives the ownership of their photos. Not so with Photo 3. Not only must you pay hundreds, or thousands, of pounds for a few hours work, but then you must pay again for the privelige of using the resulting photos for something as simple as a computer desktop background.

Photo 3 Solutions Scam #2

Offering Model Agency services. Photo 3 has another name: Model 3, which claims to be a legitimate modelling agency. However, there is no evidence that Model 3 finds the models on its 'books' any work or does anything except encourage young girls to get portfolio photos taken from - you guessed it - Photo 3.

Photo 3 Solutions Scam #3

Offering 'impartial advice'. One the one hand Photo 3 will tell you that if a competitor photographer is charging LESS than them, then it must be a SCAM, because it's simply not possible to offer those kinds of services so cheaply. On the other hand, and with no sense of irony, Photo 3 says that if competitors are charging MORE then them, then it must be a SCAM, because those prices are artificially high.

In actuality, different people will charge different prices based on their skill and equipment level. The only thing that's obvious to anyone with any exprience of amateur or professional photography is that Photo 3 is extremely overpriced and poor quality.

Photo 3 Solutions Scam Advice

Watch out for Photo 3 Solutions (also known as 'The Kent Wedding Photographer'), do a little research before choosing this 'photographer' for your wedding photos, modelling photos or portraits.

There are lots of great photographers in Kent, so make sure you choose one that is going to give you a good quality service, for a good price.

When choosing a photographer, the key things you want to take into account are price and quality. You want to get good quality work, but you want to get it at the best possible price.

Well, with Photo 3 Solutions, you're likely to get poor quality work at a high price.

If you shop around a bit and look at some of the other wedding photographers in Kent other than Photo 3 Solutions, you'll quickly see that the package Photo 3 Solutions offers are quite pricey and don't include very much at all.

Furthermore, if you browse through the image galleries of other wedding photographers in Kent, it's immediately obvious that the quality of the work of Photo 3 Solutions is just not up to scratch - in fact, there are plenty of amateur photographers who could do a better job.

Whether its composition, lighting or post production, Photo 3 Solutions work is laughably bad.

So, shop around and decide for yourself! Do you want to waste your money, or would you rather hire a professional?

Photo 3 Solutions Modelling Portfolio Scam

Modelling Portfolios Scam

If you're an aspiring model and you've come across Photo 3 Solutions or Models 3 then be very, very careful, don't get sucked into a scam that could cost you hundreds of pounds and not help at all in your modelling career.

If you want to join Models 3, you'll probably be told that to make it as a model, you need a modelling portfolio - which is of course, correct - but hey! How convenient, here's someone who can do it for you.

However, the owner of the 'modelling agency' Models 3, and the photographer at Photo 3 Solutions who will sell you your 'professional' modelling portfolio photos are one and the same person.

Of course, you may be told that you can use any professional photographer, but it's clear that you'll have the best chances if you use him, because he's got so much experience, the studio - the whole deal.

The only problem is, the photos will be of such poor quality, that while they'll surely get you into Models 3 - which is only a part time company anyway, and doesn't seem to have much luck in actually placing models - there's no way they'll ever be able to be used in a proper professional modelling portfolio if you do manage to break into modelling by some other route.

So, don't waste your money with Photo 3 Solutions! Stick to genuine modelling agencies, not half-cut, part-time sidelines, and get a photographer who understands things like lighting and composition.

 

Scam Advice: Photo 3 Solutions digital wedding photographers in Kent

Photo 3 Solutions - whistle blowers or full of hot air?

The owner of Photo 3 Solutions - Andy James, makes lists of companies he says are model agency scams and proudly claims to have named and shamed many con-artists over the years.

However, if you start to look into the structure and background of Photo 3 Solutions, you start to wonder exactly what's going on behind the scenes.

Fake Modelling Agency?

Photo 3 Solutions apparently 'names and shames' dodgy modelling agencies. But even from his own site you can find a link to 'Models 3 - UK Model Register'.

It's clear from the first glance the this website is run by the same people (or person, as it happens ) as Photo 3 Solutions. Could it be that Andy James is running his own fake modelling agency and is just trying to get rid of the genuine competition?

The 'modelling agency' website Models 3 is an extremely scrappy site, full of broken or inaccurate links. Not very professional.


The only testimonials on the site are years old, and are impossible to prove, plus there doesn't seem to be any evidence of actual paid work for any real models - just lots of pictures taken by Photo 3 Solutions - and you can be sure the model paid plenty for those.

Photo 3 Solutions Whistleblower Scam

Is Photo 3 Solutions a scam?

The company appears to have multiple websites, which do everything from offer studio photography to model photography, to being a model agency, to storybook wedding services, to blogging expert on all kinds of subjects.

Despite its many faces, Photo 3 Solutions appears to be run by a single person, who on his blog claims to be a whistleblower of fake modelling agency sites.

However, it only takes a little digging to find he offer his own modelling agency services, under the guise of Models 3. Is it possible that Photo 3 Solutions makes such a big noise about other modelling companies because he doesn't want people to look too closely at his own? Or perhaps he's just hoping to get more attention that way...

Maidstone Wedding Photography Model Release Scam

If you are choosing a wedding photographer in Maidstone, then watch out - make sure you know what you're doing when you sign a model release form.

What is a model release form?

By law, if a photographer, or anyone else, wishes to make photos public, for sale or promotion, then any people who are recognisable in them must give their consent in writing.

This is common practise for working models, who are being paid to be in the pictures, after all. But if you are looking for a wedding photographer, you are paying them for their time, not the other way round.

Why do I need to be careful?

If you sign a model release form as part of your contract, you're giving the photographer the right to display and print your photos for whatever they want, including money.

What can I do?

As a paying customer, you are not obliged to give your consent - so check the contract carefully, and if you don't want to sign away any your rights, make sure they cross out the model release section,

Otherwise you could see your photos used anywhere, for example on a blooper site, or making money in a brochure and you not seeing a penny.

The Kent Wedding Photographer Digital Copyright Scam

Beware! The Kent Wedding Photographer wants to keep your copyright!

The Kent Wedding Photographer (aka Andy James of Photo 3 Solutions) promotes himself as a specialist in digital storybook wedding photos in Kent. But there's something in the small print he doesn't want you to see...

What is copyright?

Copyright determines who 'owns' the rights to use photographs. That's not the prints themselves, but the creative property. Whoever has the copyright is allowed to use the images however they wish, and anybody who doesn't have the copyright has no rights to access, print or make digital copies of the photos.

Why do I care if the Kent Wedding Photographer wants to keep my copyright?

Firstly, because it means you don't have any rights when it comes to accessing your photos, and secondly because The Kent Wedding Photographer can do whatever he wants with them.

Let's take the first problem - you not having access to your photos. If a photographer turned up for free, took photos off his own back in the hopes that you might like some of them and pay for them afterwards, then it would be fair for them to own the copyright (although they would still need you and all your guests to sign a model release if he wanted to use them for anything). But in the case of most wedding photographers - including the Kent Wedding Photographer - you pay for their time. If you are paying for someone's time, then you are entitles to whatever they produce within that time. If you pay for their time and then have to pay extra for copyright, you're paying twice.

The second problem is slightly more sinister. As The Kent Wedding Photographer owns your photographs (and if you check the contract you'll find you've signed a model release as well), it means he can use them however he wishes. This may simply be to use as promotional material on his website and brochures, but is he wishes he can also sell the photos, use them on stock photo libraries, or even add the unflattering ones to blooper sites. And there's nothing you can do to stop it.

So, before you sign a contract with the Kent Wedding Photographer - or any wedding photographer for that matter - check carefully who owns the copyright, and also look out for a model release. You are not obliged to sign it - you can get them to cross it off.