Photo 3 Solutions wedding photographer website analysis

What does a wedding photographer's website say about them?

As with any business, the professionalism of a photographer's website reflects how professional that photographer is.

And it's pretty clear that Photo 3 Solutions take a DIY attitude to most things.

Photo 3 Solutions have several websites out there, as well as a blog, all with spidering layers of hundreds of pages, clearly built for search engines and not human visitors - who can spend hours going round in circles trying to find the information they're looking for.

It's also obvious that the website is home made, considering the poor, busy layout and lack of decent typesetting.

The final serious issue of all Photo 3 Solutions websites is the most damning. The complete lack of high quality photos in a portfolio. And that means high quality from two angles - firstly the skill of the photographer, secondly the resolution and quality of the image itself.

All professional photographers should have at least one clear portfolio, which showcases their work. The Photo 3 Solutions showcase is a cluster of badly lit, badly composed images with tacky, amateur post-production that usualyl consists of a cheesy soft lighting effect.

And Photo 3 Solutions appear to realise the poor quality of the wedding and portrait photographs on offer, because all of the images are so small, you can barely see them anyway.

If you're looking for a storybook digital wedding photographer in Kent, find someone better than Photo 3 Solutions!

Photo 3 Solutions - digital wedding photographers in Kent - Scam Advice

Photo 3 Solutions claims to be one of the leading whistle-blowers of UK modelling scams.

He lists companies that he claims are model agency scams and says he has named and shamed many fake model agencies over the years.

However, there are a few facts that might make a visitor wonder exactly what Andy James (the sole trader who runs the Photo 3 Solutions website) is really all about.

Expensive Modelling Portfolios

Despite proclaiming that expensive modelling portfolios are not necessary for aspiring models, Andy James (with apparently no sense of irony), offers Model Portfolio Test shoots for a fee of £300. Why is he offering modelling portfolios if they are a scam?

Photo 3 Solutions Fake Modelling Agency?

Andy James also 'names and shames' fake model agencies. But a quick search, and even a link from the bottom of his page, goes to 'Models 3 - UK Model Register'. The website is very obviously run by Andy James as well, and is not registered with the Association of Modelling Agencies. Perhaps the reason Mr James is so aware of fake modelling agencies is because he's running one himself?

His 'modelling agency' website also includes 'useful links' that don't exist, or are completely irrelevant, such as suppliers of safety signs! Not very professional...

The many faces of Photo 3 Solutions / Model 3 / The Kent Wedding Photographer

Andy James seems to have a finger in every pie, and a different face for every customer.  So far we've found three different websites, including a blog that claims expertise on a wide range of subjects, his 'modelling agency', his main photography site, and his 'specialist' storybook wedding photography site for Kent.

Genuine professionals usually specialise in one area; even photographers specialise in fashion, weddings, or commercial, for example. Someone who spreads himself so thin is likely to be a jack of all trades and master of none at best, or scam artist trying to throw the scent off his own dodgy businesses at worst.

Before you believe everything Andy James says, think again about what he's got to gain.

Medway Wedding Photographer Reviews

Need a wedding photographer in Medway?

Here are some reviews based on the websites, prices and packages on offer:

Ian Booth Photography
http://www.ianboothphotography.co.uk/
Prices: £325 - £1485
Image Quality: The photographs are good quality, with strong, crisp colours and good balance.
Photography range: There is a good range of images, from profiles, to storybook style shots, elegant close ups of periperhals (such as shoes and the bouquet), posed and natural photographs.
Post production: Post production is minimal - most of the photos appear to be displayed as natural.
Digital images and rights included as standard: Yes
Professional appearance: the website, layout and content gives a very calm, professional appearance. There is all the information you'd expect, laid out clearly and concisely.
Summary: All in all, looks like a professional outfit, with very reasonable rates.

Gary Smith Photography
http://www.garysmithphotography.co.uk/
Prices: £595 - £2200
Image Quality: Quite good quality, though some images could be sharper and some images suffer from balance blow outs.
Photography range: Nice range of images, and some nice ideas for original compositions, anbd use of depth-of-field.
Post production: Confident use of post production, including black and white and colour balance manipulation.
Digital images and rights included as standard: Yes

Professional appearance: The website looks good at first glance, but after a bit of use proves to be difficult to navigate, and flashiness seems to have been prioritised over ease of use. Also, the social media is not regularly updated and the website is not cross-browser compatible.
Summary: This photographers edge is definitely on coming up with original looking photos, which are of good quality.

Photo 3 Solutions
http://www.photo3.co.uk
Prices: £999 - £1999
Image Quality: The images on the site do not look like very good quality. Very small examples given only, amateur looking shadows from flashes, grainy, black and white blow outs and dull colours.
Photography range: Range is okay, traditional shots, clos-ups of certain elements, but nothing particularly original.
Post Production: Post production seems to be limited to converting to black and white or sepia, and applying cheesy 80s soft lighting effects.
Digital images and rights included as standard: No
Professional appearance: The website looks completely homemade, the gallery is difficult and clunky to view, typesetting and layout is shoddy. A very unprofessional impression.
Summary: Definitely not up to the standard of some of the other wedding photographers in Medway, falling down in pretty much every area, from image quality to post production, to withholding image rights and digital versions.

Photo 3 Solutions - Jack of All Trades?

Photo 3 Solutions have no qualms about sharing their opinions on a wide variety of topics.

The areas that they advise on include: camera equipment, modelling careers, scams and even reality TV shows.

But are they really in a position to be giving advice on these topics?

A quick look at the website of Photo 3 Solutions shows an amateur website, filled with amateur photographs.

If someone purporting to be a professional photographer has a home-made website with photographs that aren't of professional quality, it's time to question the advice they're giving out - and their motivations.

For example: camera equipment:

Photo 3 Solutions gives recommendations about buying digital SLR cameras, but specifically badmouths SLR Hut, stating that the products are available much cheaper from the States. But he doesn't take into account shipping - an extremely serious consideration with delicate equipment. 

Furthermore, when buying from abroad, consumers are not protected by the kind of legislation that they are when purchasing from UK based companies.

So, perhaps Andy James of Photo 3 Solutions isn't giving the whole picture, after all. And if not, why not?

We'll write more soon with more questions as to Photo 3 Solutions hidden agenda.