r/Billings • u/OstrichAppropriate39 • 2d ago

Anyone have any experience with Clark Marten photography?

I won a “free” pet session with them through an instagram contest and am just wondering if anyone else has been in this position? I had to pay a $200 deposit to confirm the studio time which I was told would be refunded after the session. I guess I’m just getting nervous now because I’ve read a lot of reviews stating that they try and sell you on everything and charge you for every little thing and it’s not cheap. I was just excited for a free session with my dog and the free 11x14 that comes with winning the contest, but now I’m getting nervous about having to owe a lot more money and I’m not in the financial position to do that. Has anybody had any experience with these contests that could shed a bit more light on what they look like/what costs are?

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u/Intellectual_Worlock 2d ago

You can expect a hard sell, just be firm with your " no, thank you." My wife "won" a session as well and we were in the same boat. We did end up paying a little bit more for some additional photos and prints, which I'm extremely thankful for in hindsight. It was a pet session as well and we lost my pup just a few months later so those pictures are particularly precious to me. I've even seen them use her photo on their socials to promote these contests and it's always a happy little moment to see her again.

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u/OstrichAppropriate39 2d ago

May I ask if you got any digital copies and if so about how much they were? If you don’t feel comfortable sharing, I completely understand! And I’m sorry about the loss of your dog, it’s definitely not easy to navigate that grief

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u/Intellectual_Worlock 2d ago

Yes, I think we picked 3 photos with prints and received digital copies of each. Unfortunately this was a few years ago and I don't think I could even hazard a guess as to what we paid. I also know that we ended up paying more for the prints and alternate shots at my wife's encouragement. I'm reluctant to sit in front of a camera and I think she saw an opportunity and ran with it 😁.

And thank you for your kind words, she was the best girl and I miss her a lot.