Reviews of The Artona Group Inc (Photo Studio)

Lia

I've come to Artona twice; once for graduation photos, and once for retakes for those graduation photos. Both experiences were super bad. Artona needs to learn how to be on schedule to respect customers' time and they need to learn how to run a business efficiently. My first time at Artona I came on time, and yet I had to wait half an hour for a photographer to be ready for me. In between photo rooms, I had to wait an hour total for kids getting their photos taken because their parents were being fussy and telling the photographers what to do. These fussy parents cut into my photo time and were blocking coat hangers, bathrooms, mirrors - everything. Firstly, Artona said in emails to me that they wanted to limit the amount of people in the studio because of Covid - why were there whole families in the hallway between the photo rooms shoulder-to-shoulder? Secondly, I didn't even know what I looked like because of all of these parents blocking stuff and taking photos of their own kids getting their photos taken. Parents should not be allowed in between the photo rooms unless they are taking family photos. I didn't even bring my family because I thought Artona was going to actually respect Covid rules. Thirdly, why does Artona not respect my time? I was at their studio for an hour and a half that day, and only ten minutes of that was me getting my photos taken. I was super rushed while other people cut into my time. You can tell that my photos were rushed because my jewelery and dress are off-centre. I was annoyed and it showed in my photos. My second time at Artona, I had to wait 50 minutes for a photographer just to call my name. It was only me and one another customer waiting for this whole hour. Because I had to wait so long I got sweat stains in my dress. The sweat stains showed in the photos. I complained to the photographer about them being so off schedule and she told me it was because there were dogs in the studio. Is that my problem? Is a dog worth more than a paying customer's time? Artona should cut off a person's time if they are taking too long and being fussy because it is not fair to everyone else. They need to stick to the schedule that they made themselves! A blonde male photographer took some of my retakes. He was very nice and he put a lot of effort into making my photos look nice by adjusting my jewelery and dress, and adjusting for good lighting. I really appreciate that. If every photographer was like him, and also took to schedule, I would come back to Artona. Not going back to this inefficient monopoly however.

tracy g

I would also like to leave a review in the minus. Over the years the pictures have been mediocre at best but this graduation experience is really terrible. This company has been in business since 1909! You might think that they would have things dialed by now but no. The kids take nicer pictures on their phones and organize better photo sessions than these guys. Sitting fee charges on top of the 6 time hike increase from school pictures. They book separately for group shots when all the kids are already there and booked at the studio getting photos taken but make them come back so they can charge another sitting fee. They take weird pictures in this sitting fee that have nothing to do with graduation to try and make extra sales. Hey how about take the grad pics with and without flowers and with and without the hat. How about get the books behind the person straight. How about get some nice full length gown sitting and standing photos. How about keep your prices reasonable and be decent about it. You aren’t offering any caliber of photos lthat would be worth the fees you are charging. You have a monopoly and it’s rude especially for the late, disorganized, poor quality, money gouging service that you offer while having the privilege of this contract. I don’t want a standard I’m sorry you have had this experience and we take your comments seriously blah blah blah comment. I want you to actually step up your game and stop price gouging, being so late and disorganized, as well as taking poor crooked pictures and making once in a lifetime moments an overly crappy experience on every level

Sebastian Menis

0/5 you get rushed while taking your pictures. My bow tie came out crooked in every single photo and they said nothing. During the photo shoot they made me remove my 300$ jacket and throw it into a dusty bin for the rest of the photo shoot. …

Tina Nguyen

Got my graduation pictures taken by Juan and Paul. They are the most professional, supportive and attentative people ever. They made the whole session so comfortable; they guided me through every single pose. The pictures turnt out so nice (even before retouch). Also, Melissa in Customer Service was extremely helpful and understanding. What a great experience!

Madhu Sharma

Great option for quick portraits in multiple settings, all in one place. Would be great to have natural settings and less time pressure to smile!

Brandon to

Last year, I took my graduation picture here and the customer service was extremely terrible. Despite arriving 20 minutes early, we had to wait an additional 2 HOURS for someone to take our picture. The photographer then rushed the photo taking process and didn’t allow let us view the pictures. They also charge a lot of money for the photos. This left a huge dent in my pocket and I still wonder if it was all worth it. This year we went to Artona again, to take my sister’s graduation photos. Yet again the customer service was terrible, waiting time hella long, and the photos were overpriced. No improvement even after a year, disappointing...

amy wilson

Artona is very helpful and patient. I’ve had lots of problems logging in to my son’s account to view the pictures. And Artona staff was helping me with good detailed instructions and finally I can view the pictures and will place my order soon.

Ada Mew

Good and friendly staff! Just try to be respectful of the no pictures policy while in side the studio. They don't leave too much time for you so if you aren't satisfied with the photo or want to reshoot after seeing the picture, say something. They are there to help you! Also practise posing the night before =)

Khalad Hasan

I wish I could just give them 0 star rating. A few days after my convocation, they sent me a link where I found two convocation pictures of mine. One picture was really bad (later I talked to one person from the company and she also admitted that the image was not good). The person who took this picture should be more careful while capturing such moments as I won't get another chance to retake that. I paid around $89 just to download the two pictures, which was also really expensive. I even asked her about refunding half money as I am not happy with one picture. I suggested her to talk to her manager and follow up on this issue, but she never replied.

Zippi Zebra

They took my school ID picture and gave options to select a pose before a certain date. I selected a pose before that certain date and still didn’t get the picture on my ID. Was disappointed, because turns out you have to purchase a package if you want to change your pose, but clearly the website stated nothing about purchasing a package in order to have the wanted pose on your ID.

William Gregary

They don't correct you when you need to be corrected. My friends picture is so bad, and all the girls say he is so attractive. The cost is higher than mt everest. And you know what? The pictures are always awful. everyone who cares about their picture gets the retake. And the retake is also bad. The only people who don't get a retake is the people who don't care and are too lazy to get the retake. Rip off. In the first picture My friend is looking as handsome as ever, but in the second picture they butchered his beauty

Omar Tsai

Pictures turned out alright. Atmosphere was pretty laid back but formal.

Daniel Tao

I had a pretty good experience, the photographer was nice and made it easy for me to get comfortable. The photos turned out really great, which is saying something since I'm not usually very photogenic. Their customer service is the bomb and everyone was very helpful and patient since I'm a bit dumb when it comes to how all of this stuff works. The only thing I don't like is how high their prices are which is why I docked a star, but in the end you're paying for quality so this is more of a personal pet peeve.

SunnyC

pretty good service but the pictures are not worth the price considering everything.

Melanie C

Had my both my high school and university grad pictures here and they were the best! The photographer was really professional and made sure the photos were perfect. They posed me very naturally and they had high attention to detail. Highly recommended :)

Brandyn Marx

Had an awesome experience with Tony as my photographer. Booking was easy, was able to re-book online when my schedule changed with no hassle, and they have hours in the evening for people who are busy during the day. Would definitely recommend.

tvalavan89

I had an amazing experience during the photo shoot session. The photographers were extremely professional and accepted couple of my requests as well. But the prices are sky high for limited options. I’m an international student having a restricted working hours. I need to pay two weeks of my pay check to get the photos of my choice, that too without any enhancements or retouch. The cheapest thing you can get is folders.

Kitty Meow

Beyond pleased with our family portraits! The photographer knew how to naturally draw out the best in us and the results turned out to be excellent..no re-dos necessary! Can definitely recommend Artona's very professional service.

Tim Zheng

the photographer was unprofessional and didn't not know what he was doing. He placed the light too far to the side and positioned me too close to the backdrop, creating a very ugly shadow behind me. photos costing upwards of 100 dollars EACH should not be this terrible.

Guillermo Caballero

It was a great time with a very classy setting and tons of props for photos. Photographer was very knowledgeable and friendly making the whole experience fun and interesting. Their organized system makes it easy to make appointments and follow through them. Depending on the nature of your visit, this can last from 30 mins to an hour. Normally they will not be as long.

Ellie Kanaoya

I looked terrible in photos. I felt very rushed and didn’t get a chance to properly look at my photos. I don’t look like myself in the photos and felt very awkward getting my photos done

Denek Znaly

I understand that the company needs to make some money but this is way over priced! You need to spend $105 to download 1 digital portrait without digital retouching. On top of that you need to spend $45 per small image printed image. …

Łucja Negrescu

ONLY OPTION what a shame!! I can't afford this we're a low wage family and I believe our food is more important!! And they say FAMILY RUN???! Well I guess for people who rob the whole province's money off the devilish contract with the ministry it is easy for them to pay that kind of fee's!! Look at all the low wage families isn't it sad that many people can't afford to get their graduation photo, where is the spirit of graduation is it all about the money??! And lets say you have good service right?! Then why do you have such a crappy review on Google+??! But no: typically normal service and hilarious prices! What the hell was the ministry thinking when they made you the only option?!! We're not a communist country to have one option only!!! I bet there are many photgraphers who can offer better service and for a lower price, give them an opportunity!!! But no "FAMILY RUN" studio has to make more money for the filthy rich family who owns it!! Oh God just cure the greedy souls of those who are resposible for this scheme!!! People should gather up and do something about this we should all sign a petition to break the contract with this studio!!

Kaitlyn Kho

So expensive and overall not a very good company. On the website, it said you could bring one change of outfit for your individual grad photos, so I did, but the lady said that "because of time issues I was not allowed to change". Yeah, time issues no kidding. They were over an hour late for my session, with no apologies whatsoever. Also, I took my group photo over a week ago and the preview pictures still have not been posted online. I called costumer service and they said that the pictures are there, they just have not been uploaded yet. They said that they should be up by next week, if not, then I would have to call them back. I have to wait two freaking weeks just to see my photos when everybody else got them a few days after they had taken them. Also, no apologies for them being up late. So glad all my photos are done and I don't have to return to this company.

Shirley Ye

After reading all the comments here about Artona I thought, it's nowhere near as bad as people describe it, since I've taken at least 5 group shots and at worst, our session was pushed back an hour or so. However, a few days ago I went in for my individual grad session and it was just as bad as described here. My session was booked for 7:40pm and started on time. There were some technical issues with the camera in the "white room" but I was patient and grateful my photographer did her best. However, on my tablet, only 2 of my 4 poses showed up, and half were black screens. I was rushed off into the next room before I could talk to her. The next few photographers were in a huge rush because they were behind schedule, and I felt as though there was no time to fix my hair, dress, or anything even for a minute. Finally, I was told to wait to be called into the last room, the "library room." I waited around for over an hour, until I realized friends who had started after me were being called into this room. I spoke to the photographer and told her my session had started at 7:40 and it was now past 9:30. She looked at her list and said it was strange but the system seemed to have "skipped" me, and she could squeeze me in now. My photos were again extremely rushed because I was pushing them even further behind schedule, but I was the one who had been waiting around. When those were finished I finally went back to my white room photographer and showed her that only half of my photos showed up. She said she would retake them, but I would have to wait until she finished two OTHER people's photos. Just because I was being a polite and patient customer, I would have to wait even LONGER so other people could go on time. It was as though if I wasn't willing to wait, I wouldn't get all my photos. When I finally left the place it was past 10pm and I wasn't happy with my rushed photos or the fact that I had been forced to wait that long just to get the same pictures as everyone else.

Simon Cunningham

Well displayed. Lots of digital interaction. It’s an amazing process. I didn’t give 5 star for the following reason. Grad time is expensive and so are the photos. For what they are charging they should not overbook so poorly. The staff seemed overworked and stressed. They did well but I bet at the start of the shift they are way more outgoing. Artona needs a bigger place and more staff to support this amazing servive they offer. I’m super impressed

Jude Gorgopa

I am an instructor at ILAC International College and have brought groups of students to this studio several times for their LinkedIn profile photos. Always a great experience! One of my former students is also working here.

Shengman Zhang

Scam alert: 1) they won't refund your $60 deposit unless you call & ask 2) I want to change the framing option of my order before they even process it & they ask for another $50 for making the change even though it's clearly their fault for not listing all the framing options on the website.

K K

Hi could you please check email??? I can’t reach you at all Or leave a comment here with your email available Thanks

Simran Sidhu

I was interested in ordering the 111th Year Special which was $111 and you could add additional digital prints and sheet poses. However, it wouldn't let me add additional sheet poses so for two days I was on the phone or live chat trying to figure out what was going on. I talked to someone on the phone yesterday and she said she would call me back, but never did. So, today I was going to call them again when I noticed the price of the additional prints went by almost 3X! I was shocked. So, I went on live chat first and they told me they are able to increase prices at any time, so I called them and spoke to someone who said they can't do anything and you could never add additionally sheet poses to begin with. If this was true from the beginning, it feels as though they withheld this information until they could increase the price. I am disappointed and angry. I saw all the other negative reviews about how expensive their packages are, but I expected that from a professional photography place. I was mainly disappointed with the lack of transparency and tripling of price. Update: I saw Melissa's email under another review so I decided to email her. Turns out she was the one who didn't call me back. She rectified the situation by honouring the original price I saw on the website. I appreciate this, but it was a process talking to everyone and everyone telling me they cannot do anything. Thank you Melissa!

Justin Chen

ARTONA IS A SCAM THEY CHARGING $100 FOR 1 SINGLE DIGITAL PHOTO WHO TF IS GNA PAY $100 FOR ONE GRAD PHOTO??!!???

Brandon “B. Rad” Rivas

Great customer service! I got my photos taken in 2016 and they helped me with my orders years later! Also shout out to Saif for being really understanding!

Ranq

An alright experience, I hate how the school system forces us to use this company though. It seemed very rushed. They take photos and then drag you into the next room, it feels like they want you out as fast as possible. For the price the photos ask for this is pretty bad. The photo prices are a rip off. I’m in the creative industry myself, but upwards to MULTIPLE of hundreds of dollars for photos that were quickly shot is really bad. The cheapest you can buy is a couple tiny photos for $80. The staffs were helpful though. But some could have been more optimistic.

Teresa Stainton

I waited for my son to have pictures taken and the waiting area was comfortable, with free wifi. The pictures turned out great, and he had an iPad to pick the pics he liked. The vibe was chill, but they were very efficient throughout the whole process. I was very impressed.

Abby Lee Smith

I've been to Artona before for high school group grad photos, and that was great. However, this experience was not so good. I was already feeling awkward and the first photographer felt cold. He also told me that it looked like I was having a bad hair day... when I thought it was a good hair day? I was not really impressed. The last photographer (out of three) was great, but I was still off put by the first photographer.

Liam B

Professional, and knowing what they're doing. But, super expensive

Sally Poon

My faculty was contracted with another photo company for the class composite but I just had to book with Artona because everything about them is very professional. Prints are expensive, as expected, but I had a great time and felt like all the details were taken care of by the photographers. :) thanks Artona!

Geri GF

Overpriced and unprofessional. Had my photos taken by them for high school grad (which I hated) and I hated how they took my picture now for my university grad. Both photographers I’ve had were fast and I felt super rushed AGAIN the second time around. You’re better off getting your photos taken by an independent photographer. I took my photos almost a MONTH ago, and it wasn’t until I called them that they uploaded them — 5 minutes after I called — which means my photos have just been sitting there waiting to be uploaded onto the site. I couldn’t even use any of the photos for my convocation slideshow (thank goodness I had a backup to use). As I expected, I’m disappointed with my photos. There’s maybe 2 I like and, even then, they aren’t even the poses I wanted. Please save yourself the money and go with somebody else. Rent your regalia from Gaspard and take your pictures somewhere else. Absolutely awful experiences. I don’t ever like to leave bad reviews for businesses but this is just so unacceptable.

Lisa Graham

I purchased my undergraduate and graduate ceremony photos from Artona (both University of Calgary graduation ceremonies) and they were both awful. My undergrad photos look slightly blurry and I remembered them being expensive, but couldn't recall exact pricing. When I received proofs for my second graduation, I was very hesitant to purchase again. I shouldn't have bothered. Quality is still awful and the price is ridiculous. I bought 4-5x7s (2 sheets) for a total of just under $80 with shipping. Very unhappy with the quality and pricing. For anyone else going through a graduation ceremony, go with your family and friend snapshots over the ones from Artona. I feel as though mine turned out better.

Jorja Mitchell

The staff were very helpful and took time to help me with my graduation photos. I would definitely recommend this studio.

Dianne Maye Regala

Staff are very pleasant and courteous. They offered good suggestions for angles during picture taking. Too bad due to covid only 2 people are allowed to be on the group photo.

Laurie Gabriel

Artona did my wedding photos many years ago. They did an awesome job

D Capi

I had high hopes for this. Saw the rating and thought "oh it can't be that bad". My group went for a photo shoot. Artona claims we would receive within 7-10 days. It's been more than 2 weeks. Still no photos. We've gone to the location, NUMEROUS, times to remind them. Their excuse was "the photographer hasn't uploaded them yet" despite us reminding them for 3 consecutive days. Extremely unsatisfactory. Still no photos. Where are our photos. I don't think getting our pictures back would save their reputation for all of us. Even a refund with our photos back would still beg the question as to why they were so extremely delayed in the first place. If you are reading this, keep in mind that 7-10 days will most likely be doubled, or tripled. The saddest part is that iv'e seen other groups post their pictures online whilst we wait. Groups THAT WENT AFTER US I remind you...

Dylan Corbett

Ordered a massive package of photos for several hundred dollars which included 'digital social media downloads' for each photo I picked. The photos they give you to download are basically thumbnail quality (100kb file size), where you can see pixels easily at a glance. Thanks Artona!

Kat Kott

Rent a camera and take your own pictures. You’ll do a better job.

Christina

Great experience with this photography company! Had my entire graduation class come in individually and had great help from Amanda while composing the graduation composite. I recommend this company for graduation classes and photos :)

Dennis Kennie

Okay I get it, it's a business and maximum profit is the goal. But is it really necessary to only choose from a limited amount of ALL the photos that were taken of you? I mean, I did pay for ALL photos to be taken. Doesn't that give me somewhat right to take them all home? That be digital or proof. 60 dollars just to do the business for a singles grad photo and 20 each for a group photo. Same thing goes for the limited choosing quantity with the group photos. Although my biggest problem with the place is how quick these "photographers" get over with your photos. I mean, I'm trying to look the best I can for a photo, I will be looking at for the rest of my life (graduation photo) and these dinks are telling me to "move along" after 1 picture. I get it, they're busy and people go there a lot around this time of year ,but my money is important as well. So I only recommend it if it's needed. Anything other than school related reasons I would not recommend. Instead of paying say 200 for 10 people (20 each) go and invest in a nice portable canon camera, or even a poloroid. At least you can keep all the photos you take with that!

Mariska Rabie

What a lovely experience to deal with a knowledgeable and efficient employee! A big thank you to Kristal from Artona Group Inc. who assisted me online today in making an appointment for my son's graduation photo session. I had some technical difficulty in making the appointment myself, and also could not attend the session on the days they had set out for my son's school. Kristal booked an appointment for my son on a date and time that suited us, and did so in a friendly and efficient manner. Thank you, Kristal and Artona. We look forward to the photo session!

DerpehFX

On picture day, there were many bad pictures taken by the staff members of my fellow students. The person that took my picture took at least 5 tries before hesitating, then saying the picture looks great. The next day when I checked the website to see my photo, what I saw felt like I've been disrespected. One eye was looking at the camera, and the other one looked like it was looking down. If the photographer was gonna put lots of effort into taking more than one try to take my picture, then give up and say that it looks 'great' when its the absolute opposite, then might as well keep trying to make it look decent. (I'm not crossed eyed btw)

bardia barabadi

DO NOT pay them before asking them about the details of payment. The prices are ridiculous, and they won't tell you everything when taking the photos. Absolute rip off... (to be fair, they promised to refund some, but not all, of the money that we payed upfront. The blame is also on UVic, but I can't give more that 1 star feedback to Artona)

Likes Eating

Their photos are great, but so overpriced. Their prices are ridiculous.

Annie Wang

Benny is soooo cool he’s the best photographer!!! 5 star ratings

Kelly Henderson

My overall experience with Artona has been absolutely horrible! I had a grad photo session on Wednesday evening. My sash was ripped at the centre seam. The photographer didn't acknowledge the ripped and tattered sash until I asked about it, after he started taking the photos. They only had one sash for my faculty and school, and he didn't care that the ripped sash made my grad photos look completely unprofessional. The photographer did not attempt to fix the sash, until I asked him if he could safety pin the sash together. He taped it in attempt to fix it, after I suggested taping it. When I apologized for asking him to fix the sash (which I shouldn't have had to do) he cut me off and made a rude comment about it being the end of his work day. The photographer made several rude and condecedning comments to me. This made me feel disrespected. He did not tell me when my hair was covering the diploma, or when I had random strands of hair on my shoulder. The person who came with me pointed these things out to me as he was taking the photos, so that I could attempt to fix them. I was very excited for my graduation photo session, especially since convocation was cancelled this year due to COVID. It was suppose to be a happy and fun experience. I called on Thursday and spoke to someone who seemed to be very understanding and kind. He told me to email a specific email address about what happened, and that I would get a response on Friday. I did not get a response to my email. However, my friend who posted a google review about her recent negative experience with Artona got response on google. I am posting a google review in hopes to get a response from Artona.

Derek Ferchoff

Despite other negative reviews, our experience here resulted in no complaints at all. The staff and photographers were so helpful and friendly, and I truly felt comfortable and at home. I would definitely go back

Carolina H

I wanted to give a good review because I know this place has been around for decades and they deliver good pictures, but I was very disappointed at the OVERALLY priced items and the one photographer who looked bored. Firstly, the prices are EXTREMELY overpriced for no reason and I don't understand why... I ordered the digital copies package because everything else was expensive and I really wanted the photos to share with family, and print them to my liking, but the total came to $336.89 for 16 UNEDITED photos! Secondly, the one photographer looked uninterested and that was turn off because I had hoped to feel more happiness from him since university graduation photos are special. I do find that they are knowledgeable with poses, which is important when taking pictures, I just didn't expect that kind of customer service. Overall, the only time I will get pictures with them again are for my grad photos, but it is not worth paying over 300$ for unedited digital copies as an option, or in general with their extremely overpriced photos.

Johann Wong

Toss and Asako (sorry if I misspelled) the photographers were great

Naomi Damian

The pictures are a bit too expensive and they rushed the family picture, but overall good

Alice Kim

I had my grad photo taken a few weeks ago and it went very smoothly! I went in with my parents and they treated us well with great service and the photos came out very nicely.

c g

stop asking me to tilt my head istg

Landon Manor

Online booking was easy and on campus after class. It went smooth and the photographers were cool. I did these for mom and I'm sure she will like them--they're good grad photos.

Clara Nguyen

They advertise a sitting fee of 15$ at the University of Calgary. When we came on the day they made us pay 75$, saying that 60$ would be reimbursed if we didn't decide to buy photos. Then they sent me a paper advertisement booklet in the mail with some of my watermarked photos in it. They told us, if you don't decide to buy any photos you have to mail the paper booklet back to Vancouver in order to get your 60$ back. They are criminals

Justine W

I had my graduation photos taken in January and it was a really nice experience, everyone was super friendly and helpful. However I am extremely disappointed with the pricing for photos, particularly digital downloads. I understand they have to pay their employees and there are copyrights and other expenses etc, but just for a digital photo, ONE digital photo I'll be out at least $100. This is not reasonable for students, especially high school students like myself who work minimum wage jobs and just want some memories from our grad year, which already sucks. I have to work an 8 hour shift to be able to pay for one digital photo? That doesn't seem fair to me.

Alex.G

Absolutely disgusting customer service. You cant say "maximum 6 people allowed inside the trailer" and then get mad at me for not coming inside while there were already 6 people in there. I showed up on time, followed the covid safety guidlines, and still was blamed for being "late". Photographer rolled his eyes and was harsh with me saying that normally he wouldnt take me in, only to proceed to scroll through social media on his phone when I was done my photos.

Nick Tarasoff

My close friend went to get her university grad photos here and had a terrible experience with the photographer, who continued to make unprofessional and rude comments throughout the shoot. These include: "You're in business? Your sash is so ugly." "It's not too late to switch majors, if you chose another one it would have been better." She would mumble "disgusting" under her breath. When my friend confronted her about her attitude she simply said "I'm out of saliva to talk." On top of all this the photographer was extremely rude to my friends mom. They are Chinese-Canadian and her mom is an older lady that doesn't speak english very well. I can't say if the photographers attitude was racially motivated but this experience has really hurt my friend. I've tried calling the studio but there's been no answer. My emails asking for a manager contact have not been replied to either. So I'm writing this post to let everyone know how terrible this experience was. I don't understand how the customer experience at this studio could be so terrible and how they're still in business. I would give 0 stars if it was an option.

Madi Fauht

I would like to thank Melissa for going above and beyond in correcting my order for my daughters Fall 2020 school picture. There were some mix ups and I was very upset and she came through solving all of the issues with compassion, understanding and professionalism. Her kindness and diligence will not be forgotten and is truly appreciated especially during these current stressful times.

Crystal Smith

Schools do not use this company! No package options for 2 poses, no background selection so they can gouge prices. Plus slow delivery. Website navigation to order photos is terrible - not intuitive at all.

Yun nga!

People are professional good in their stuff.

Sarah Darrell

Cant even get an appointment! I graduated university during the pandemic, so naturally in April/May when it was time for photos, the appointment was cancelled, that's fine. But now that photos have been rescheduled its a race against the graduating class of 2020 and 2021 to even get photos! All of the times they have come back to Calgary I have not been able to get an appointment. Their website is not very mobile friendly so multiple times I have thought I have completed a booking and then it doesn't go through. Then I live chat and ask about a wait list or a cancellation list and they say no. Cant walk in and wait for a potential cancellation because of Covid, which honestly does not make sense, if I want to show up and wait all day for a cancellation after filling out the same Covid form people with sessions do, why cant I do that? I am not asking to sit in the room with photographers, but for them to grab me from the hall or call me knowing I am waiting to get in for even a 10 minute photo session, on the off chance that someone doesn't show up or doesn't take as long. They are contractually partnered to a school that I paid 10s of thousands of dollars too and I cant even get in because they wont be honest and say they don't have the capacity to do sessions for 2 years+ worth of graduating classes. Very unfair. Not a single solution was offered to me either, beyond "wait for the next time".

Rommel Diocariza

we went there 4 days ago for the family picture appointmemt but unfortunately gotten late for only 2 minutes, the receptionist was very inconsiderate and said that we cannot take our family pic anymore bec we got late imagined for only 2 mins. and dont make sense how does 2 mins will make a big difference for the photoshoot knowing that I have my 2 little kids with me got prepared and all the stuff which made all our efforts into waste. Now we wouldnt have a remembrance family photo amymore with my son on his toga because of this ridiculous receptionist. be considerate for a family esp. with kids.

Paul Legge

The Artona Group has done the yearbook for our school the last three years. Their service is first rate and the staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. They have made the annual book a success every year. Couldn't do it without them. Thanks Artona!!

Leroy Sandy

Knowledgeable staff and pleasant environment.

Cris Mihailescu

Great photos! Since it wasn't busy we didn't have to wait too long and the photographer was very nice and helpful. It's really expensive though, which makes it a little less accessible.

terri moore

Thank you for being so organized for my son's graduation photo shoot. He was quite impressed as were we.

Alpha snaH

There are so many things that frustrate me about this company. One: The payments. There is no reason to have a $60 deposit for someone who doesn't want to order photos. The deposit feeds off of the fact that if you forget to refund your deposit, your money goes to waste. Also, why does everyone participating in a group photo have to buy a copy of the photo? Some people have friends who don't have the money to waste $10-$15 on a picture, yet still want to participate in the photo. Two: The quality. Could you guys get some better online scans? I can barely see any of the details in each photo of me. I would like to observe the quality of a photo before I buy said photo. Three: The pricing. More than $100 for a package is ridiculous. School packages are around $50, and those are the most expensive ones. Why are graduation packages 6-8 times more expensive? And why do touch-ups cost more than a singular group photo? Four: The studio layout. I would like to remind everyone that most girls like to wear heals during their graduation photoshoot. Making someone go down a staircase, then back up a staircase, and still not be done is preposterous. Either change your studio's layout, or change the order in which people go to each room. Five: The inconsistency. Some photographers take one photo for each pose and tell you to go along, while other keep you for 15-20 minutes trying to get you to tilt your head just enough. Each room shouldn't take more than 10 minutes, but less than 7. The flow should be even throughout the shoot. Overall, I didn't enjoy my visit to Artona, but I will be back eventually, and hopefully things will have changed by then.

Melody Robens-Paradise

I personally don't like the model of grad photos used. The kids have to do certain poses and looks and are not natural at all. Some of the photographers were really nice and others not so.

T H

Two years in a row with poor quality high school pictures (poor posing, poor lighting), expected to pay an editing fee to brighten the photo. More expensive than elementary school photos (same photo, same setup, different company) and apparently have to pay shipping fees now on top of everything (why not send to the school?). School district should hire another company, I will be passing on suggestions to the school board.

ZHAO ZHAO

My friend and I graduated in the same semester and took photos in this store. We received same booklet (their same price on these two booklets) and select the same package to check out. However, there have around $50 difference between our photos. Because they increase the price during these two months without any notice. That is unfair! I talked with a reception, she said she will talk to manager and reply me on Monday or Tuesday. But I didn’t get any replied. The same reception finally pickup the phone on Thursday until I call so many times. MONEY HUNGRY COMPANY！Please don’t go! Don’t know why they can monopoly on graduation shoot services.

B1GT1ME604 H

THE place for graduation photos. As well as other occasions Polite, professional and great at what they do. Pricing is whoa!, but that is to be expected

Yvonne David

Despite the continous camera flashes the photographer knew exactly to bring about the best angles for our soon to be Grad

Rolando Carpio

I went to get my grad photos, and they turned out simply amazing. The staff at customer service and the photographers were extremely polite and professional. I enjoyed my session and had lots of fun!

서하진

My brother took his grad photo here and we have just received the booklet. Checked it out online and I would say its a bit overpriced. Also why do you charge extra for enhancement photos? I would understand if its $5 extra but 19.99 for one …

Philipa

Benny was phenomenal! He told us when we had to change anything, from poses to even if anyone's hair was messed up. He paused between shots and directed us very nicely and professionally. The entire session went smoothly and we were pleased with the outcome!

Emily Stuart

Sadly, I feel extremely ripped off by my experience with Artona. I am a 2021 UFV graduate and signed up as I wanted some grad photos to commemorate this big accomplishment, especially since we are not able to have convocation due to Covid. I paid $75 for the photos up front, and received the proofs the next week which I was happy with. But then realized I needed to spend minimum over $111 more just to get ONE photo printed and ONE digital download. I feel silly that I didn't look into the pricing and packages before signing up, as I would have wanted digital downloads as opposed to prints anyhow. However, neither are affordable. These prices are extremely unrealistic, students cannot afford to pay these types of prices for one or two photos of their graduation which is something that should be celebrated. It shouldn't cost $200 to get a photo in a grad gown. Really disappointed and feeling stuck, I think I might get new photos done at Wal Mart because it would still save me money in the end :(

Tina Tran

I was a bit hesitant taking my grad photos at Artona after seeing the negative reviews. However, I had a very pleasant experience. Everyone was nice and professional. I'm very pleased with the turnaround time and how the photos turned out. The turnaround time for the digital photos was less than a week, which I very much appreciate! The only downside is the cost. The photos are expensive; however, professional photography is quite costly in general.

Ryan Konesky

This Artona Photo Studio is designed quite well aesthetically but there are a few other things that are slightly problematic. Considering that Artona has a monolopoly on a ton of schools in the lower mainland, there isn't really a ton of time for each school to take their photos. A big issue is that there is so little room in this building and so many people booked at once. It gets really crowed in this building as such little space and seating is available. It would be great if you guys could expand this building or build another location to help meet demands. And one of the biggest issues so many people have with this place is that you have to get a mortgage just to be able to pay for a few photos. This place is crazy expensive. Many photos at least have turned out quite decently though.

Canada UPTO Date

Ridiculously overpriced. Sorry to say you guys just take advantage of graduation photos.... For 16 digital images they charge 377$+tax, are you serious? Also 1 digital image is for 100$+tax.... Why would you guys do this???? You know very well that graduation is very special to students so you over charge and take advantage. Dear graduates please rent out your graduate gowns from university and click pictures at home,they will be much better.

Roy

Shot the grad photo with 【eyes are closed!】 How terrible the photographer's skills are?! Random person on street can take my photo while eyes are open. Your photographer should've been fired years ago. This is not just a bad photo but also no respect to my meaningful moment. Please take your job seriously.

gabby lombardo

had my graduation photos here and had a great experience. the staff were very helpful and kind which made the already nerve racking experience easier. the photographers took their time even when they still lots of people to photographing making me feel important. thank you very much Artona and keep up the great work producing amazing photos that will last a lifetime. :)

Manizha A

I went to take my graduation photos here and it was an amazing experience. The photographers were really friendly, they made sure i was comfortable, they put their time to correct my poses. The atmosphere in the studio itself was great, the staff were helpful throughout the whole 1 hour i was there. The photos we ordered came in under 1 month and they were a bit pricey $200 for 4, 8x10 photos, but they were soo worth it. When we ordered our photos we never bought the face retouching but they retouched my whole face, and it look amazing. Overall me and my family's experience at Artona was amazing.

Randy Walberg

Photos are fine, nothing fantastic. Far too expensive for the end product. The website is not terribly intuitive. Unfortunately there are no options since they seem to have a perpetual contract with the schools. In this age of digital photography and printing, photos should not cost this much.

Nicole Wong

I had a grad group session in October and although it was a little bit behind schedule the guy that was doing our photos still took the time to make sure we got all the poses we wanted and even took multiples of certain ones. That session …

Mark Boyland

They've got a factory format with lots of options, but photos are just OK.

Chen Markson

My first time being robbed. For downloading 1 digital photo, they want me to pay $105.00; for 5, they want $235.99. Absolutely they know the price is way too high, but with ALL the 1-star reviews …

Daniel Choi

Grad photo photographers are nice, but some rush too much. Customer service is rude and unfriendly. Company is a proper money-grabbing scheme. Overpriced and inflexible options in the lower price points.

Casey H

Photographers were friendly. However ordering photos is a terrible process. Pictures are highly over priced. The booklet I got in the mail gave me different prices that what was shown online. I wanted to get the 4 squared photo that comes with a picture frame however, the frame is out of stock. I tried the online chat asking if there was a discount because the frame would not be included. Person responded saying there is no discount on the frame. The 4 squared photo is already over priced at $90 for a single 8x 7 picture. I was already on the fence if I should get it but thought I would because there were 4 poses and all of the other options only provided with 1 pose. I ended up deciding not to get it as I would still be charged full prince without the included picture frame. If you have the option I highly recommend not getting photos done at Artona. Only reason I went was because they are graduating photos for my post secondary institution.

Peyton Liscomb

I booked an appointment for my graduation photos, "the yearbook ones", and was sent a confirmation email requesting that I be at least 15 minutes early for my appointment - which was at exactly 7:06! I arrived well in advance, but it soon became apparent that the photographers were running very late. By the time we actually began to have our photos taken, it was almost 9 o'clock. While the staff at the front desk did their best to handle the backlog of folks waiting for their portraits and gave updates as to how long the wait might be, the photographs themselves seemed very rushed. The photographers took little time to take care of any questions or concerns, and as a result I was not satisfied with the photos. Artona clearly has a very lucrative system set up, with graduation photos very much engrained into the culture of local high schools, even encouraged by school staff. It really is a big part of graduation - and I am very disappointed with my experience.

Jordan Cross

Enjoyed the online ordering service... "quick and efficient". Customer service was helpful and kind. Thank you.

James Shephard

I got photos taken at Artona with my grad regalia and paid a deposit of $60 for it. They also came the day of my grad to take photos for the commencement. They refuse to let me apply the deposit to the commencement photos. Utterly bad customer service, it’s $60 either way to them. From the email: “Your deposit can be applied to any portrait order for 90 days from the date you were photographed.” Key word is any portrait order. Not portrait order from *this photoshoot*. Any order. Ridiculous. Horribly overpriced photos as well. Even after you pay their exorbitant prices you have to pay shipping on top of it? And have to wait upwards of 3-5 weeks for the photos to arrive? Laughably bad. Please go elsewhere for your photos. Update to response: I don’t care about your relationship with the university. Just let me apply the deposit. I should’ve had it refunded, yes, but nevertheless it’s still $60 that you guys have. Just create another coupon code for me, or maybe if you are gracious enough you’ll refund it so I can immediately spend the same $60 on photos from you guys. It’s not that difficult. If you’re gonna charge the prices you charge, you can at least provide a modicum of decent customer service.

1HunnieB

I originally gave it 5 stars just to be nice and before we started the ordering process but now I'm taking that back! The place was fine enough, but the process of ordering grad pictures has been a confusing, frustrating and over priced experience. Families are struggling through a pandemic and they want to charge $200-$500 for a very special moment in a kids life? shame on you for taking advantage of that! and please simplify your ordering process and add more information! You want to steal that much money from families then make the process more informative and simple! I would give it a 0 star if I could!

Margaret Wills

I must give a BIG shout out to the Artona Group. I am an executive member of You Wear It Well...Just For Grads. We are a non-profit group that provides formal wear to graduating students with a need. We host a "Boutique Day" every spring where the kids come and choose their outfits and have their hair and makeup done and then are professionally photographed by the wonderful Artona photographers. They are then provided with graduation photos at NO charge to the student. It is amazing to see the Artona photographers make the kids feel comfortable and they have a way of making each student feel special. This is not a small contribution from Artona; it is a very large contribution. Each year they provide photography services to several organizations such as ours and provide photos to hundreds of students who otherwise would not have a graduation keepsake. I always receive a lot of feedback the week that the students receive their photos from Artona - there are lots of smiles and even some tears when they see their pictures. I cannot say a big enough THANK YOU to Artona for supporting the community and making a difference in the lives of these students!!

Ryan Greenlees

Just an average overly used photo studio. Felt unwelcomed in the oddly antique environment until my group stepped in front of our lovely photographer, cheerful and creative... and fast! Very expensive, but you definitely get what you pay for.

Melanie Janzen

I just got to see my grade 6 sons photos today. These are the worst photos and possess I have ever seen and I have three children's worth of school pictures! My son looks bloated with a double chin. The pose he is in with his arms behind his back is so unflattering. Then if you decide to get the photo (so you can all laugh at it) There is an extra shipping fee and tax fee. These have always been included with photo packages with other companies and my other 2 sons in middle and high school do not have these extra charges!

Lauren Sentis

DO NOT GET FRAMING DONE HERE!!!! LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE I was so excited to get my graduation photos in the mail and after having a disappointing graduation year due to the pandemic these are the only photos and only memory I have of wearing a cap and gown for a four year degree program. What terrible framing! I spent over $700 and got two custom frames done because I was under the impression that a professional framing company that charges over $200 for a framed photo would have the common decency to at least include matting. Instead there is a digital print with shadowing done to make it look like they included matting with the worst frame I have ever seen. I could have taken these photos to Michaels or even Walmart and gotten better framing done for the fraction of the cost. Shame on this business

Jonah Fairweather

Good photos, but terrible customer service. I don't know why they put on their website that the group sessions will take 10-15 minutes, this may be true for the photo taking portion, but it doesn't include to 45-60 minutes they will be behind schedule. Our session was booked for 7:50 and we ended up taking our photos around 8:45. The camera man was friendly, fun and good and the photos were solid. But please just include the fact that you won't actually be going on time on your website, caused a lot of scheduling issues for me and my friends.

Brian Robinson

I was hoping that everything would go smoothly at Artona despite the many negative reviews. Unfortunately, even after 16 days from the day I took a group session, I have yet to receive any previews. I am absolutely frustrated as anyone else I've spoken to miraculously has had their group session photos given back within a few days. I can not believe how this is being dealt with, if at all.

Ericel Chang

my experience with the artona group was nothing short of excellent. everyone is friendly and professional and go out of your way to make you feel incredibly comfortable. I will definitely be going back for any personal or business needs.

Jasmine

Artona provided excellent customer service and generous support for my brother who has special needs to take amazing photos and enjoy the experience. The staff's thoughtfulness and patience helped put my family at ease and also allowed us to fun with the time.

B Stanisa

I had a great experience at Artona today with Thomas as my photographer. Highly recommend you give him a shot. I'm super pleased with his attention to detail and care! If you have the option, ask for Thomas, highly recommend him.

Laura Dzayee

a little expensive for subpar photos.... some of the photographers are SO NICE but then a few are... meh. also people at reception were very nice too

Natasha Philibert-Palmer

The process of getting pictures done is nice and efficient. The photographers are good at directing you. My main complaint is with their pricing - for what you get, their pricing is absurdly high, especially considering students are forced to get their photos done here if they want to be in their yearbook/composite. Another minor complaint as someone graduating from a second degree is they are definitely more oriented to high school students than university students - all of their forms and materials require you to include parent's contact info (I just put mine in again). This shouldn't be part of the process for university graduation photos (or at minimum made optional on the forms).

Andy Frroku

I returned my booklet and was told I would get my deposit back in 3-5 business days. I waited a week then called in. The person on the phone said the check would come in at the end of the week. I waited until the end of the week still no check. I waited for another 3 days, called in again, and was told again at the end of the week. I don’t understand how you guys can send me the booklet in 2-3 days (probably trying to convince me to buy the overpriced photos) but can’t give me my money back in the same time. I just want my deposit back because my school payed already.

Haneul Song

The lighting looks like it was taken with a flip phone flash... I don't even know why my school hired this place.

Andrea Carolyn

TERRIBLE. I WISH OUR KIDS' SCHOOL WENT WITH LIFETOUCH

Ida Dutt

I had such an amazing experience getting my graduation pictures done. Benny, our photographer, effortlessly navigated the shoot while boosting our energy. He made sure to capture every angle to ensure perfection. He was very accommodating and was a delight to work with. I will definitely be contacting Artona again for further photography services as they surpassed my expectations with an amazing photographer and atmosphere. Would definitely recommend Benny for your photography session!

Mike Greene

Realized late that I wanted to put a school photo in an email to the family, and Artona's note to parents said that downloads would be available immediately after an order. Let's give it a try, Christmas only a couple of days away. Website for school photos has some steps, select your photo, photo packages, photos a la carte etc. The closest thing I can find for a download of a single image (after 15 minutes of confused browsing and website orientation) is a package which includes an 8x10 which I don't need but I am in a pinch so let's go. Long story short, after placing the order for $150 I find: a) download not available for 72 hours as part of an image package and b) there was an option for a single image download (at $105!) tucked at the very end of the last step as a special feature. So I spent nearly $50 more (on a printed photo I didn't need) and didn't get what I did need (an immediate download). Customer service tried to help but said all he could do was put a rush on it. Maybe saying "Hey, based on your story, why don't I just place an order for you, for the download you already paid for" might have been something within their power? My bad for not browsing the website better, but I am not lying when I say it felt like the option for image downloads were a bit hidden away.

Josh Zhang

I don’t understand this whole monopoly - they make horrible pictures and make grad pictures unaffordable.

Amaan A

I went to Artona out of necessity since that's the official partner of our university. The good: The staff is very polite, they follow all covid protocols and they have an abundance of props. The bad: The shoot feels rushed, and the photographer seemed more focused on getting my body framed rather than me having a nice picture. Once your shoot is done you can pick a picture from their website. This is one of the unedited photos provided to me from my shoot. I should that this is the only picture that came out like this, but when you're charging hundreds of dollars, it doesn't feel right getting even one picture as low quality as this one. The digital images didn't live up to my expectations and cost way too much to purchase. Add to that the fact that you can't download a higher quality watermarked image and you can't help but feel cheated. I'm sure there are significantly better options out there for a much fairer price. Would not recommend

Tommy Fejns

Nice studio and it's cool that it's been around since 1909. Must be doing something right to still be here in Vancouver. It wasn't crowded when I went in January and it went a lot better than reviews indicated.

Renjou

Worst photographers at graduation ceremony and they told you it is good when everything just seem weird. What they want is just finishing your photos in secs and rob your money.

Renjou

Worst photographers at graduation ceremony and they told you it is good when everything just seem weird. What they want is just finishing your photos in secs and rob your money.

Play 4 Moon

We had photographers at graduation ceremony for all students. The photographer just shoot the photo without waiting for me to smile, so I have this really weird facial expression in the photo and it's the worst photo from my graduation. And it's single take you've got no choice???? can't believe a Such important event photo shoot done by someone really unprofessional????????‍♀️

aidan southin

I never did my graduation photos here, but I did have a family portrait session for me and my family. The photographer Layla was very professional and really made us feel comfortable in the rooms. The prints are slightly expensive, but the quality and overall good experience is definitely there. Will definitely be going back.

Amelia Nguyen

I'm not one to write reviews but here goes. I'm graduating from high school this year and decided to use Artona to take my graduation photos. The session felt rushed and the photos I received showed a lack of professionalism. Take this one for example. I could have asked my 3 year old cousin to take me this picture. I am 5'3' for reference, and that photo makes me look way shorter. And any photographer would know the trick to angle the camera to the floor near the person's feet. To end, Artona is overpriced and unprofessional and that to all the grads out there, you're better off getting an individual photographer to get your pictures done and rent your gown somewhere.

Octavio Rodriguez

This photograpy studio has been doing portraits for kids graduating from High Schools in Vancouver for many years. They have perfected their craft in such a way that they can provide you with a very wide range of options for your photos (settings, backgrounds, props, etc.) all done very quickly. Also, the professionals working there are experts at finding the best angles and choosing the right poses that will bring out the best in everyone, all the time doing their jobs with so much patience! Highly recommended for any kind of special events!

Samantha Armstrong

The photographers were really friendly and I thought they handled covid safety well, but the overall experience was very disappointing. They didn't tell me that my hair was bulged out over my ear once the cap went on, so I'm not happy with how the photos look to begin with. I still wanted to buy photos, but the costs are extreme and you get so little. Don't waste your time or money with Artona... for what you'd pay them, you'd be much better off with a private photographer.

Tina Lin (Tuna)

Expensive and ugly pictures

Claire Tkachuk

awful. they rush you through the process and they make you look like syd the sloth from ice age. literally the worst, smh.

Lucien Lu

True professionals at what they do. Artona has taken all my photos from elementary, high school, all the way to university, and they NEVER disappoint. I recently booked my graduation photo session here and the process could not have been smoother. We were actually so impressed that we did a family shoot of 4, and ordered the full package - probably the happiest I'd seen my mother all year. Everyone has high expectations when it comes to photos, but there's not a photo studio in Vancouver that I'd rather go to.

Karina de Leon

Insane prices. I paid over $350 for 16 digital downloads, not even printed copies. Unreasonable processing time of 3-6 weeks for a digital download. Photo shoot is rushed through. Service is mediocre. Not worth it at all, the only reason people come here is because of their monopoly on graduation shoot services. Very very unsatisfied and disappointed that this is the only place I could get my college graduation photos done.

Gracielle Maru

I had such a wonderful experience at my grad portrait session today. The two photographers that I got were both so lovely. I wish I had gotten their names! They kept hyping me up. I also took my dog with me. We had to try a couple of poses to get the perfect shot. They were so patient with me. So excited to see how my photos turned out!

Peter Ji

My girlfriend and I ordered one printed copy and 16 digital downloads for my graduation photo. (Over $400 by the way). The digital copies were promised to be ready in 3-4 weeks, and the printed copy in 4-6. It’s been over 3 weeks and I received an email telling me there are “unexpected delays” and that my photos will not be ready by the promised date. I’m not gonna pretend I know what goes on between me taking my photos and me receiving them in my mail. There are procedures that must be taken, and there are thousands of students who take photos here, so I can understand that there is gonna be a wait. What I don’t understand is why the digital copies that I ordered without any photo retouch is taking this long to process. I saw my photos ready on their computer when I was at the studio, and the previews were ready for me the day after I took them. I chose Artona despite the poor reviews, the poor experience I had in high school, and the poor experiences I heard from my classmates. Sad to say that I was disappointed once again. Highly encourage students and parents to look elsewhere for people to take graduation photos.

Rizwana Burleigh

Professional and Courteous

thysand灰灰

I honestly hope there could be a negative 5 star rate. I would never go there if our school hadn't made us to. I have awful looks in the picture and the photographer kept saying "you look great" while I thought I looked so bad. But this is not what make me angry. I ordered a digital download online, cost me 150$, insane price with no retouching(whitening teeth = $17? i can do it in 1 minute) AND IT WOULD TAKE 4-6 WEEKS! I did not understand why giving you a link to download your photos is so hard. The girl at the reception said "it would need color analysis" And what? I know there is a queue and the artona makes quite a fortune being monopoly (almost) in grad photo, can't you just give me my photos? disappointed, angry and super bad experience.

Queen Sambola

My experience with The Artona Group Inc was great and I had fun. My make-up did not look good on the photo, Artona was generous enough to fix the problem. My photo looks good and can't wait to hang my photo on the wall. Thank you so much Artona. i recommend you and your customer services

3Hams&aRose Matt Le Page

Very smooth operation. Excellent settings.

user1

Terrible angle, non informative on whether we are having a full body shot or just a face shot at all leaving students with akward body positions. Awful lighting and evidently just rushed it. Even the photography students including myself couldve done 100x better. The student photos do not look like how we actually look like. Sorry but just terrible job and I am dissapointed.

Dave Fong

Had family portraits done at Artona. Photographer was professional, made us feel comfortable and print quality is great. Overall I'm happy with the experience and would definitely use them again for future portraits.

Michael Duong

Very nice customer service and a good amount of professionalism between the staff. Great photos 2 !

Naushad Virji

Very professional photography..

Susan Waterman

Nice and quiet studio during the day, was photographed on time by Albert who has photographed there since 1993! Choosing poses before the photo session was a nice update to what I remember the first time around. Yes, it's a pretty penny, but you get what you pay for. I wouldn't be happy with a a $0.25 grad photo.

Timothy C

Let me tell you: I hate photos, but I may dislike Artona even more. However, my experience yesterday did shed some positive light, driving away some past negatives. Here's how it went... I went in, dreading my photo session, despite it marking the end of my high school career, something that (for some reason) EVERYONE looks forward to. But, being the opposite of photogenic, I despised my photo session. What's worse was I never had a half-decent experience with Artona, as the photographers would take a super quick picture that ALWAYS ended up looking like the worst piece of modern art. And, yes, these pictures ended up being on the Yearbook since Grade 7, hence my hate for photos. Fortunately, there was this guy named Tony (hi, Tony, if you're reading this :)))) who was super friendly and made the experience and results what they should be. He took his time to take actually superb pictures, and truly cared for his customers. The 4 stars I am leaving here is thanks to Tony (otherwise I would be giving a 0), but the missing one is due to the haunting yearbook experiences I've had with this Studio for the past many years. I sincerely hope that in the future, you really do take the time in taking QUALITY pictures and not overlooking the person at hand as if they're just one of many in a line. Kudos to you, Tony!

Audrey Cheng

The experience I had with Artona was more than I could ever ask for. I had my graduation photos taken here and the staffs who helped me out were all so kind and patient with me. My photos turned out beautifully and in my opinion, the quality of how these photos came out is really worth the price. I'm looking forward to bringing my family here for our next family photoshoot as well!

Andressa Ravanello

It took so long (1-hour waiting) just for one picture to my daughter Yearbook. All the process of registering is done by yourself on a computer provided and you sit there and wait with no further information on the process and how long it will take. #wait #waitingtimes

Joanne Vuong

I love Artona! They have excellent customer service. I bought my son there two weeks ago to take his graduation photos. The girl at the front desk was very helpful. I asked her to see if she can find someone to help my son tie a tie, she quickly called a staff to assist (who happened to be the photographer). The photographer came to reception, but he was clueless about tying a tie. Lol. But he quickly went to another room, and within 2 minutes, my son's tie was all ready to go. They had it all prepared and my son just had to slip his head into it and tighten the tie. I was also online tonight to place my order. I was confused about some of the packages but luckily they have online chat. This was so handy and even better when it's 9:30pm! I was so impressed! I really enjoyed my experiences with Artona!

P Spee

Hidden costs and crazy pricing left us with a very bad experience. Tarnished graduation. Avoid, if you can.

Angelie Suarez

I'll try to be as objective as I can. I had an individual grad portrait session including a family shot with my parents. WAIT TIMES Appointment wait time: Was booked for 2 pm, arrived 20 min. early and started taking photos on schedule--or possibly before (but I didn't check the time). 5 stars. Phone wait time: Called right at opening (9 am), was caller #1, but had to wait 7 minutes until someone answered the phone. 2 stars. Wait time for deliverables: Ordered digital downloads on Thursday, and received them the following Wednesday. How it takes almost a week to post photos is beyond me, especially considering how many people I saw at the front desk when I came in for the appointment (4 not including the photographer) but maybe there's only one person doing the uploads and the number of orders is too damn high. At least I got them within a week, which is sooner than some of the reviews here. 3 stars. CUSTOMER SERVICE Front desk: Helpful, but when problems arose, none of them really seemed to know what to do except the boss. 4 stars. Photographer: My photographer was very nice. He never rushed me, always tried to make sure my hair, pose, etc. was ideal, and even reset the 5-min. timer to take a few extra photos. He was also just as patient with my parents. 5 stars. PRICE Sitting fee: Email said there would be no sitting fee, but I guess since my university isn't big or popular enough to work out a deal with Artona, I had to pay $15 on top of the $60 deposit. 1 star. Packages: As others have mentioned, their prices are ridiculous. The university grad photos cost twice as much as the high school grad photos. In the end, I just opted for digital downloads, since I would actually save more money that way based on the print sizes and quantities I wanted. 1 star. MISCELLANEOUS Wardrobe issues: My university and faculty doesn't have the most straightforward/user-friendly sash, so it actually took us a while to figure out how to put it on properly and keep it that way. I do appreciate all the effort my photographer put into making sure it was correctly worn and clearly shown in the photos. 5 stars. Technical issues: For two of the rooms, my photos weren't showing up on the little tablet they give you. I had to wait for them to reset the connection since I had to choose the pictures before leaving. 3 stars. Crooked photos: A few of the photos were significantly crooked, and you could actually see the bottom edge of the backdrop for a couple of photos. 2 stars (since I had other similar poses to choose from). Customer consideration: The customer after me actually arrived before we started taking photos, so they had to wait for quite a while and were obviously pissed off. I felt really bad for both my photographer and for the customer, since the wardrobe and technical issues caused some delays. I assume the reason why there wasn't a second photographer to get them started on time is because it wasn't a busy day/time/season. I guess how much time you get and what time you start depends on luck, since you're definitely fudged if they're busy and probably still fudged if they're not. 2 stars. Clarity: I had to call Artona to clarify their packages (hence the phone wait time above). Digital download (5 or 10 poses) provides the same resolution as the digital image package (16 poses ONLY; NOT your "complete portrait sitting"). 2 stars. SUMMARY The photographer didn't rush me and I actually got some pretty good pictures out of the grad photo session, but it certainly hurt the wallet. Based on my personal experience and the overall value, I'd say 3 stars is a fair rating.

Owen Fan

Tony is absolutely wonderful!! Thanks for being so accommodating.

Frank Sommers

They have a great setup going. Efficient and easy to get the shots you want. Staff are reasonably friendly.

J. Martin Moreno Aguilar

Definitely a very professional location; very much enjoyed it. From family photos, to grad photos. All very high quality, as well as some beautiful lighting. ????

Mira Hayre

I had a great session with Artona and was happy with my photos and the level of service! One thing I was really upset to find out after ordering their 111th year special (one digital download with no retouching, and a single print) is that the digital download will not be available for 3-6 weeks after the order is placed. This seemed like a very high turn around time, as there is no retouching, and it is simply a digital file. I ordered this specifically for quick access, had I known it would take the same time as a print I would not have ordered it. Extremely disappointed that this was not made clear until over $100 had been spent.

Derek Lin

Photos looked great and I was really happy albeit, the photo session was almost an hour late. Then I go online to check my photos and see what to purchase. 5 Shots for over $400? What is this, highway burglary? IN ADDITION, if you opt to purchase the digital downloads, Artona does not even supply the original quality photographs, and instead, only offers the low quality "social media" suitable pictures. If I'm paying that much for a picture, why would you not even offer to give the original image? It is just not morally right. I acknowledge that a business needs to make money but what is the harm in giving original photo files instead of lowering the quality of them. Yes, I could go somewhere else to print them but at least offer to download all shots, even if at a higher premium. Thanks.

Bal Parmar

They were so wonderful with my special needs son. They did social distancing with the grads that were there.

Kyle Wisniewski

Overall not too impressed with the experience. Photos went okay and I had no real issues. The pricing to buy the photos was the real issue. I feel for how many photos you received and the options available it was way too expensive. After selecting a few digital copies and one framed photos, 4 weeks later I got a photo and a frame. I at least expected for the photo to be installed inside the frame. Not a big deal but again for the money I expected better.

Vi “LiVi” Li

Took poor group family pictures with my daughter"s grad pictures: my dress top was a bit stiff and puckered up badly on all four pictures. The photographer should have told me. After that, she only took one better one after we looked at the pictures & she said they had not enough time to take a few more (the family members did not look so good). Poor service for a company who takes many of the schools pictures for so many years. There should be more competition.

Betty C

Terrible photos and a complete RIP off when I tried to get the one decent photo retouched (which is a $19.99 option) it wouldn't let me without buying the most expensive option (which isn't an option when there 8s only 1 good post and retakes are an additional $169) I tried to add an extra sheet of 5x7s for $19.99 but I was told I can only do that $32 a sheet for God knows what reason! These are important photos and these people are money gouging trash!!!

Matthew Chan

The photographers that helped me take photos were very professional and nice, important to note that different photographers— different attitudes. Their COVID-19 protocols were well thought out and did not impeded the efficiency or the quality of the session (My photos were done in a trailer that was fitted out with 2 photo stations, fully lighted and wardrobe). However the limitations to Artona come from their online side of things, the website that you do ordering with is very limiting. When I logged on mobile vs. computer, different things were displayed. On the computer, I could access only the ordering panel, on mobile I could access the ordering panel as well as the different photo options, purchase history, and a lot more. Also once you create an order, you can't delete it ? I don't think that Artona deserves 2.7 stars, maybe 4 at the least. I agree that they have some kind of monopoly on all the Sunshine Hills district schools, but it isn't a bad thing. Different photographers, different situation, however I wish they updated their websites. UPDATE: After trying to order a photo (and succeeding), I've brought down my rating from 4 starts to a 2, their website is poorly designed. The pricing of the photos is questionably high... people are professional, website and cost are not as good.

Apple Milk

the photographer was unprofessional and didn't not know what he was doing. He placed the light too far to the side and positioned me too close to the backdrop, creating a very ugly shadow behind me. photos costing upwards of 100 dollars EACH should not be this terrible.

Catherine

You guys deserve that!

vanessa mohan

BY FAR THE WORST EXPERIENCE EVER. PARENTS AND GRADS BEWARE! My first experience with Artona was in 2014 with my high school graduation photos. At that time, they weren't too bad, photos turned out nice, but they were overpriced. However, at the time, they did not seem so bad. My most recent experience with Artona was by far the worst experience with a company that I have EVER had. I just graduated from university, first in the family to attend, let alone graduate, so it was a big deal. I booked my photo session to be taken at the studio in Vancouver. Everything was fine, up until I got to Artona. When I arrived at Artona, my photos started later than when my appointment was booked for because the person who was booked before me, came late. While my photos were being taken, they not only rushed my appointment, but I had to wait for people who came AFTER me to get their photos done first. My parents were annoyed but I tried to keep it as a good experience. It wasn't until we placed the order for my photos where the real trouble came. We ordered a collection of photos, about 5 different poses, for about $500. This in itself was a rip off in my eyes. I don't know why they charged so much for photos. When the order was placed, I didn't get an email confirmation for over 2 weeks, and that only came because I had to call and ask for it. My order was placed on May 5, and I did not receive my photos till June 13. That is after I called them to follow up on my order as well. The pictures turned out okay, does not look anything special. The real problem occurred when my family wanted more copies of my photos. I didn't think it would be a big deal. I went to London drugs and they told me they couldn't make copies because of a copyright (which I had no idea about because Artona doesn't tell you these things). I called Artona, the First Lady that I spoke to was super friendly and said that she would give me a copyright release form via email. I sat and waited in the London Drugs parking lot for the email, and it never came. When I called back to inquire about the email, the RUDEST most ARROGANT manager picks up the phone and tells me that they cannot give a copyright release form because they still have my photos on file (why? they are my pictures, why is your company still keeping them?). I asked how long they would stay on file so I could just wait it out and then get the copyright release form, they said that they still have photos from 2013 (its now September 2019, why are you guys still keeping photos of people from 6 years ago?). The rude manager proceeded to tell me that I could get the digital copies which were already copyright released. I asked how much they were, and it was $200. THEY EXPECTED ME TO PAY $500 FOR MY ORIGINAL PHOTOS AND THEN ANOTHER $200 ON TOP OF THAT. Ridiculous. I told them that it was already expensive enough and that I just needed copies of 3 photos, and one copy each, so in total just 3 different photos. They told me it was possible if I paid the $200, otherwise it was not. I have never dealt with a company that is so greedy for money than Artona. Let alone the rude staff, unacceptable tardiness on their part, and overall unprofessionalism. No student, graduate, parent or grandparent should be expected to pay $500-$700 on just photos alone, not even frames included, or sitting fee, or whatever else they charge for. Graduations are supposed to be a time for celebration, not stressful or overly expensive. Please parents, DO NOT GO WITH ARTONA. Go somewhere else and get photos done, go get them printed elsewhere. DO NOT DEAL WITH THIS MONEY HUNGRY COMPANY. They do not care about you or your photos, they care about the money. If I could give them an honest rating it would be -5 stars.

Jenny Derinzy

Photos were low quality, session was super short maybe 5 minutes. Cost to order is insane. No consideration for virtual grads. Please do not get your grad photos done here it literally ruined my graduation.

Nicholas Swindale

Complete and obvious rip-off. With luck they will take some nice photos and then they will charge you a minimum of $50 for each pose plus other charges. All for work that can easily be done by anyone with a computer and half-decent printer for cents.

Simran Kaur

It was a right choice made for my graduation pictures. Ankit was very patient and did a great job at taking pictures and Kristal was really friendly and a great help! Great customer service. Highly recommended

Clara Wong

Very disappointing experience. Heard bad things about this company but I have to grad photos here anyways. The photos are very over-priced and the quality is terribly low. when I look back my photos, a lot of them are in wrong angles and wrong lighting. The process is very rushy and I was told to pose something very 90s. Very unhappy about this experience and I hope the school can stop contracting with is company. Our students are broke and we do not deserve this. And this is a once in a lifetime moments.

Chantal D

At first I was not pleased with my experience in dealing with Artona; however, I would like to acknowledge how happy I am with Melissa and her ability to accommodate my needs. I want to point out that they care about their clients and will do what it takes to help change a bad experience to a good one.

Simran Brar

Went in for University Grad pictures and I was very excited. The photographers were not engaging whatsoever, unenthusiastic and did not direct me on how the pictures were coming out. The photographers did not even exchange in any …

ISABELLA CASANOS

came for my grad photos even after the school sessions were finished. the staff were super helpful and i ended up really liking the pics. overall a pretty solid session.

twon

Honestly the photographers were all nice and fun to be with, Its just that paying 400 dollars for 16 photos especially when covid has impacted most of us and the fact that we have post secondary schools to apply to 400 dollars for a set of photos is such a waste of money its so overpriced completely regret renting a suit and getting a haircut just for me to never get the photos I took

Anna Nyarady

I had an awesome experience having my corporate picture taken. I was expecting the same old stuffy style but instead I had lots of fun. The photographer had a good sense of humour which made me comfortable which resulted in more natural-looking poses. As well, he provided great feedback and suggestions. I would definitely recommend them for professional corporate photos.

Lorna Quinn

Horrible photos, rude staff. $60 deposit for a book they mail out. so you have to wait to get your money back. I feel bad for the kids.

J Kaur

Accompanied my younger sister here for her Grade 12 grad photos the other night. Sign-in was quick and efficient. We really enjoyed picking out poses on the tablet provided and also liked having the ability to check out our photos right away (this isn't something I have personally ever had the option of at other photography studios in the city). If we weren't satisfied with a smile or pose in the moment, we were allowed to retake the picture. I'm surprised reading some of the reviews on here because we genuinely had a fantastic time with the photographers. It helps that they laughed at my jokes and didn't make me feel unwelcome, even though I was definitely hovering to make sure that my sister looked great. Taking photos can be a super awkward experience and that was simply not the case at Artona. Would definitely recommend this place and return for more sessions in the future!

Gene Kim

I missed to take my high school grad photo at school so I took mine here. Since I was not taking in school, I was concerned that my picture will be missing in the yearbook, so I asked four times that is my grad photo going to be in the yearbook. And every time I asked, they gave me the false information that they work with our school and my grad photo is confirmed in the yearbook. However, I couldn't find my picture in the yearbook when got it. I called ARTONA and all they said was SORRY, I THINK SOMEONE WAS CONFUSED AND GAVE U THE WRONG INFORMATION. WE DON'T HAVE THE CONTRACT WITH YOUR SCHOOL. They ruined my 4-year school life and tried to compensate for freaking 8×10 photo. I really don't understand how they could make the same mistakes 4 times. I first asked you before I take the photo, asked you right before taking the photo at the place, and asked you twice when I received an email from my school that my grad photo is missing. They even said they had confirmed my grad photo To my school. At least once, if you guys gave me the right info, this wouldn't happen. I am so disappointed and frustrated that how could this even happen. You ruined my 4year high school life and only saying SORRY, thank you SO MUCH.

Michael Hicks

I Had my High school grad photos taken here and it was an awesome experience. Photographers were very nice and patient and ensured we had the perfect photo for yearbooks and etc. Didn't take too long either, and everyone was very professional and in a cheerful mood. an all around great experience and would recommend them for any event'

Demian Raine

Photos are mediocre and a total rip off for the price they ask for. I know people who can take amazing pictures and edit it any way I want, and it wouldn't take nearly as much money for a picture to look amazing.

Stéphane Gingras

I know, it seems harsh for a review, but really, I cannot give them more. First, I think the idea of getting everything done in one place would be great. Get your photos, your frame, some digital for your own. So we ordered the 5 Star Deluxe and another frame. The other, I will take the blame for not reading the description that said "Frame Only". The 5-Star Deluxe frame is far from living up to its name. No mat, only a single sheet with 5 photos on it. My wife uses shadow boxes for her arts at a fraction of that price with significantly higher quality material. Oh, they come with a mat. Sometimes, I understand that you need to pay the price to get quality. For instance, I can be extremely happy paying $70 for a great meal, but feeling ripped off for paying $7 for a pizza not worth that. With Artona, I feel like I just bought a good sandwich for the price of steak. We're returning ALL of it. To the Artona Group: My hope is that one day, you will go back to your roots and really focus on customer satisfaction and retention. Somehow, I think you started as a great place where people left we a smile and happy feelings. Now, you have a group of people who cannot either buy from you, or when they do, they leave you with a feedback that averages at less than 3. You can defend yourself all you want by replying to these feedback, but unless you start listening, people like me will continue to review you as a below par business. Best of luck in re-inventing your ways.

Logan Johnson

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.

N M

At first, I was panicked after reading several horrible reviews below and wanted to explore other options, but not many companies take graduation pictures. However, I had a great experience. The photographer was delightful and made the process so much easier. I was done in 30 minutes last Tuesday. I've purchased my pictures and am looking forward to getting them in the mail! Thanks! ps. I rarely post reviews ...

judyscraps

Hello, Would like to pass on a huge thank you to Josh. He helped me place an order this morning, and took me from completely confused to completing my order. He was not only very helpful, but extremely polite and considerate. It was a pleasure doing business with him. Judy Olan

Sonia Frew

All staff and photographers were great with the grads this afternoon. Took their time to ensure the best shots were taken.

Tomer Torgeman

Had to take my grad photos with Artona and a year and a half later I still cannot bring myself to purchase some. The pics are WAY to expensive...

Bob Jones

the photographer was unprofessional and didn't not know what he was doing. He placed the light too far to the side and positioned me too close to the backdrop, creating a very ugly shadow behind me. photos costing upwards of 100 dollars EACH should not be this terrible.

BspScott

Great photography studio and staff! I love family-owned businesses!

Sara

UPDATE: Amanda reached out to me and I was able to get my photos retaken. 10/10 this time! TJ, the photographer, was incredibly helpful. He gave really good direction and carefully took his time to make sure everything went smoothly. He even put music on to help us feel more comfortable in front of the camera. The experience made my convocation much more enjoyable after I was able to get some good photos taken. I honestly can't wait to order my photos!

Ha Ha

Took my grad photos here and all I can say that I was so upset. They literally don’t care if you have your eyes closed or your hair was a mess and you would think that for them being professionals, the photos would turn out great. My hair was a mess in the yearbook photo and the guy didn’t bother telling me that a piece of hair was sliding down... This may not seem like a big deal for most people but for me it is because I want my hair to look good. They let you choose what backgrounds you want for the middle room, but I didn’t get to do any of the ones I chose. What’s the point of choosing when the photographer picks for you anyways.

Chantale B.

Only have good things to say about Artona Group. The photographers are friendly and professional. They take the time to make sure everything is right to get the best possible picture. They make you feel comfortable and at ease. They have been taking photos of my kids for many years and I have always been satisfied with the quality of their products. This year, 2 of my kids are graduating and I just love their Graduation session portfolio! The quality is excellent. Customer service is also very good. If you have any questions, concerns or issues, they will respond and always find a solution to satisfy their customers. I highly recommend Artona Group.

Ludy Novosiltseff

Grest photo studio..last night the young man I believe he is from Mexico, had excellent customer service.

B A

Had an awesome experience getting my high school graduation and college grad photos taken again at Artona several years later. The service was just as friendly and professional as I last remembered. Photographer was great, makeup/hair area was well lit and clean. Overall a really fun experience!

Jimmy Hu

Really shady in the way they deal with things. Too bad all educational institutions use this service. As a warning: READ ALL THE FINE PRINT, DON'T MAKE MY MISTAKE AND GET CHEATED OUT OF $300. Makes you wait long times in the studio (over 1 hour later than my assigned session), and then makes you sign a bunch of waiver forms that state you will lose your deposit for the photo after 90 days etc, when they know you are now in a rush to get things over with. I have been away and haven't had time to review my photos until i came back to town, but now I have to pay $240 for 6 pictures, plus I lose my $60 deposit, because the secretary who emailed back said I signed a waiver, so I'm aware. If my parents didn't want these photos so badly, and if they weren't required for having a photo in the yearbook/grad portrait, I wouldn't have even bothered wasting my money going in for the photos, and I would be $60 richer. Makes you really wonder about monopolies and how Artona can reduce their quality of service because of it.

Sara W

It's outrageous that the cheapest option you have for families to purchase photos of their child is $18.99. How are you enabling parents to make purchases of their child's early education and hold on to those memories when it costs $18.99 to purchase an 8X10 print. Do you consider the cost for families who have more than 1 child? School's need to consider alternative photographer companies for their services because Artona outstrips families for their money.

mnsa

Terrible experience! I had a very bad time at the studio, the staff was very unprofessional and rude to me. I was very excited for these pictures but these are dreadful. These pictures are supposed to be one of the most important memories …

Edwin Jay Thomas

Absolute rip-off! Every person opting to purchase a product or service deserves to know well in advance, how much the whole gig will cost. Artona advertises that their whole service only cost $75. There is NO MENTION of any other costs on their websites. One digital download will cost you $111 before taxes, which is ridiculously expensive. Make sure you enquire about all costs before you get into this. I will never recommend this place to anyone.

Zhe J

I called this place multiple times at different times of a day and NO ONE EVER PICKED UP THE PHONE. I've been here and the staff is not busy at all.

Paul Potash

Terrible website very laggy

K K

Glare on the face, body not centered, overpriced photos. Not recommended for school photos. Maybe poor photos on purpose so you have to order touch ups and pay more.

Jen

I didn't want to make a big deal out of it tonight but my friend told me to write a review so here it goes. So I signed in with a lady at the front desk with everything thing written and filled out. I come back after getting my group to come in for payment, my form was passed on to one of the male employee. I paid first since it was my picture and my payment ended up being $20. I thought that was weird when I saw the screen, but my card already went through. I paid for $20 when it was suppose to be $15. The guy didn't even ask me what picture I was doing until I paid for it and didn't apologize when he made the mistake of charging extra from what I wanted. I underlined what I wanted too so I don't get how you'd miss that. Even if you don't see it, shouldnt you ask before payment to be sure? In the end, he said no refunds so my friends that were told to only bring $15 had to find $20 and some of them barely managed to find the extra cash. Like come on Artona.

Lisa O'Brien

The photographer gave me VERY little directions in posing so most of my grad photos have my head tilted. My photos do not look professional - it looks like the photos that you would take during the warm-up of a photo shoot. I'm extremely disappointed in how they turned out. Save yourself the $60 sitting fee and just get a friend to take them instead.

Nicolas Gomez

I've had many different school events photographed by Artona Group and I'm extremely happy with how the results came out. The pictures were great quality and I received them surprisingly fast. Overall a fantastic experience and I would recommend them to anybody looking for some great photos.

N G

Terrible school photos and such a rip off! Can't believe this is a professional company.

Sue Moysey

So angry right now, my daughter just had her grad photos taken, for some reason beyond me the photographer told her to take off her glasses why? she also didn't tell her when to smile I want a photo with her glasses on my daughter was so upset when she came home our images is built on yours, it certainly wasn't so I will not be purchasing photos and asking for my money back

Rozina A

I had my KPU grad 2020 pics done here as it was postponed due to covid last year. I have nothing but positive stuff to say even after coming back 21 years later since I had my high school grad pics done. I received excellent customer service since I booked my sitting as well as the day of my pics. Iris, Tony, Daniel and the other photographers who's names I have already forgotten ahha (sorry guys ) they did such an amazing job with making me feel comfortable and relaxed as well as made sure my hair wasn't out of place for my pics and that I was happy with it. I can't thank this Artona team enough for also accommodating my family into the pics. You guys are amazing and keep it up. Tony I love your sense of humor you really know how to make people feel at ease while making them smile. Thanx a million

Natascha Bruhin

I recently had my graduation photos done with Artona, and I'll say I was skeptical because of previous reviews. But I thought I would write and give these guys the credit they deserve. The people at reception were kind, accommodating and didn't have a problem making me feel welcome and at ease as I was a little nervous. The photos turned out great. Nice job :)

Bertha Cruickshank

Love everything about this business. Great vibe the minute you walk through the door of this beautiful historic building. Professional caring staff. Great room choices for picture taking with many fun prop options to help enhance the experience. Our group of 16 family members came away with many amazing pictures. A truly fun experience.

TIm Jim

My grad experience at Artona turned out better than I thought; The location was nice, the cameraman was friendly, and the photo turned out great! We were a group on the larger side, so I was worried the shoot may have been crowded – but this was absolutely not the case. Despite all the negative reviews, overall I rate my experience a net positive. My group seems to share this sentiment. The photos my friends took in the Artona bathroom on a phone were well worth the price – like darn, we somehow managed to fit 12 people in there. Its a shame about the actual photos from Artona, though. I don't mind long wait times, so if 5-10 days doesn't work just say so upfront. Very unprofessional.

Jaskaran Kaur

Average service but expensive

becky Lee

Staff performance are vary. Some are really nice and professional and some just cool like "get in and do fast". There was so crowded on Saturday & Sunday cause most group photos taking are registered on the weekend. And bare in mind be on time and get prepared.

Nancy Wang

Terribly UGLY photos Terribly unprofessional photographers Terribly ridiculous prices I don’t understand why all schools want their students to take grad photo with them. Even the photos we take for ourselves are so much better than that of them!

Pryscil Daigle

If I could give less than a star, I would. These guys are not professional photographers! The pictures are terrible, I am extremely disappointed. Now I have to rent the gown and cap from my school and go get my pictures taken in a PROFFESIONAL studio! I was so excited to get my pictures taken since it’s my first time graduating from anything at age 40, and I am terribly disappointed.

Laura Lang

Thank you Artona Group for providing such wonderful customer service. Two of our photos arrived with creases on them. You quickly replaced the photos! It was a wonderful surprise to come home yesterday to see the replacement in the mail. We are so pleased with the photos. Can't wait to get them framed and on the wall.

jeje xd

legit trash. maybe 1/5 chance of a good photo. reviews well deserved. 1,5 star is more suitable for them.

Yee Zhang

I do not know how they got the graduation photography business from Vancouver School Board for all these years, however I do know that they do not deserve this. Majority students and parents whom I talked to are all disappointed with what they do for the kids. A joke place. Enough is said.

Becky Fung

With all the negative reviews, I was thoroughly surprised that my school was still using Artona for the graduation photos. I went in with an open mind, and they actually turned out really well! I did both a group photo and a individual photo and while I did have to wait quite a long time for my group photo to start because they fell behind, I still had a great time. Made it much easier being there with friends. It was a very exciting experience.

Jesse Pinkman

I was willing to look past all of the reviews in hopes of good service but they are all correct. The photographers were rude, and clearly DIDN'T care about how you looked and rolled either eyes if you asked too many questions. On top of that, the photos were outrageously expensive. I was even willing to look past THAT. But again, Artona failed once again and my photos turned out terrible because I asked for retouching and now I don't even look like myself anymore and this is going into the yearbook. On top of that, the customer service when I called took forever to get to me. I paid nearly $200 and I got a horrible end product. Here's to grade 12 guys! *Toast* Do not get your photos from here if you want great photos. And DEFINITELY do not get retouching, you'll look like a mutant from X-men. I seriously do not understand how someone could edit the photo and think that was acceptable. Especially for what I paid. I hope this helps somebody out who wants better photos.

梅

The experience that I had was quite disappointing. It felt as though I was rushed through the photo session and they did not give me the right cap.

Nisha Kalia

After waiting to take my pictures for two hours my photos were taken as quickly as possible. It seems understandable to go fast so they can get everyone but it is a wrong practice because with this time limit you get photographers who won't even glance at you while they take your photos. I had a few decent photos only because I stood my ground and asked for better which I deserve if I'm going to pay $60. I'm not against Artona they took decent photos of some of my friends but I had hoped for the same quality of work for myself and the rest of my friends.

Ruby Hayat

Just like any other professional photography place. A small place with a very high service fee! However I do feel they are operating like a monopoly as they got all the contacts of lower mainland's schools, colleges and universities. I've been there at least 4 times due to my kids' school and university grad photos. I must warn you that they never respect your time of booking regardless of however early you book your session. They do require advance booking and min of $60 deposit the moment you show up at their studio. You should expect a minimum wait time of 45-55 mins before they call you in for your photo session.

Erica Nicole

Overall terrible experience. I had to book hrad photos with Artona as they were the "official" photographer for my university. When I arrived to the session the photographer told me they were running a bit behind (which was totally fine) and that they were about halfway through their current session. I waited about 15-20 minutes for my session and he informed me I was the last one of the day. Well the entire session felt rushed (I'm sure he was ready to leave for the day) and only lasted 10 minutes! I was so surprised when he said he was done as I had waited longer than that for the previous session to finish when they had already said they were halfway through. When I got the proofs they turned out ok, honestly I wasn't super happy but they weren't bad enough to get retakes. There just weren't many to chose from. I ordered 3 sheets and when they arrived I was disappointed to see that the pictures on the sheets had not been cut and there was no perforation or even small white border between them. With the background it was difficult to even tell where one picture ended and the next began. For $150+ you would think that if they aren't going to cut your photos they would at least make it simple for you to do so. I don't have steady hands so I bought a paper cutter which ended up tearing the photos (not Artona's fault obviously, but the whole situation was very irritating).

jerome adrias

Pictures look professional, place is clean and orderly while staff along with the photographers are courteous and respectful of social distancing guidelines provided. I just find the prices a little expensive despite options provided.

Sandeep Lidder

The biggest RIP off people, ridiculously high in pricing, they even do not consider for Grad pictures, that they are still just kids graduating and have to finance their future study. These are just merely some pictures, why is the price so up the sky. Artona does not deserve to work with school district for Grad pictures. Those are once in a lifetime opportunity for young adults and they cannot, in some cases afford any of the pictures. Pricing should be lowered to a reasonable rate and they must consider the financial conditions of families wishing to make a purchase.

Cynthia Weldon

I have done business as high school Vice Principal with Artona Group for years. The quality of their photographs and products is exceptional, but it is there phenomenal customer service that is really outstanding. They are thorough, flexible and conscientious: they make large events like school photo day or Commencement so much easier for the person or group organizing the day.

M Yee

This place is terrible! Ridiculously overprice and will gouge you for everything! Seek other photography studios as this one isn't worth the price!

Faye Kat

I had to miss an important doctor appointment bc Artona was so behind on their schedule. Photos were super rushed I felt happy to get out of there when it was done. I guess I was rushed bc they were rlly off time. I waited 1.5hr after my booking time to start photos. I mean what's the point of a schedule right? Why not tell customers to come 1hr after the appointment time? Makes it easier for us. Not to mention super expensive prices for rushed pics.

Freddy Jeong

Graduate of UBC had my grad photo taken here. It was a great experience with very friendly staff. I went in with my girl friend cause all my family were away during my grad photo period and my girl friend also loved it. She graduated university in Korea, so it was a complete different experience for her! She was amazed with the photo quality as well as the staffs who helped us prepare for our wonderful photos.

Dunn Gee

Extremely well organized, especially given the busyness of this time of year for them. And besides being friendly and courteous, their staff were really funny as well!

van Nghia Phan

Nice and Good service

Amir farhadpor

Extremely unprofessional photographer who have absolutely no idea what they are doing. Terrible lighting , awful and cheap props. On top of that they charge you over $500 for the pictures. I have no idea why schools choose to work with such a cheap company. Do no recommend. Overpriced and yet grads are forced to work with this company.

Joyce Li

Had an issue about a slanted photo, but Melissa stepped in very quickly to help solve the problem! The photos are pretty decent, albeit pricey. The photoshoot experience itself felt a bit rushed and awkward though (booked a 8:40pm slot for grad photos).

Sam Lane

Awful service. Will be advocating for my school to change service provider. Photographers (seems like amateurs they found on the street) rushes you through the pose while asking you to maintain awkward poses. The picture turns out terrible and the prices are unjustified. I suspect some sort of kickback to schools for them to get this many schools to participate.

Kathy W

Just had an awful experience with The Artona Group Inc. photographers. 1. Not willing to apply the deposit they took to an order we were planning on making. 2. Not willing to refund the deposit even though they prominently advertise a complimentary photo session. 3. Telling us we now need to order a new higher amount (think it was $200) to apply the deposit payment they took. But won't let customers include photos from different session times in that minimum order amount. They are claiming they made a contract - even though the person they had sign in was a minor. We provided the above 3 ways to resolve the situation and keep a customer, but they were not interested in having a satisfied customer. They indicated they would prefer we share this horrible experience with others. Definitely a loose-loose approach to business.

J. Woolery

Managed to squeeze me in last-minute and provide a great service, it honestly meant the world to me. Thank you so much!

John Lind

I'm honestly really disappointed that my school switched photo companies to Artona. DO NOT get photos from here, they're really terrible. My sister's photo isn't centered properly, and her shoulder's cut off. Also the photos are fuzzy and poor quality overall. Compared to our photos from previous years, these just look miserable. The lighting is yellowish, and you can't even change the background from the sad greyish blue color they give you. The wallet sizes we got AREN'T EVEN WALLET SIZES, they're smaller and don't fit wallet size frames, further exaggerating just how unprofessional they look compared to our other photos. We could go to retakes, but the quality would still be the same, so there's not really a point to that. For all of this, the photos are EXTREMELY overpriced. I'm sorry, but why does it even cost 20 dollars for a replacement student ID card?? The one we got this year looks like it took all of a few cents to print, considering its quality too. Just honestly, don't get photos from this company.

Draco Wong

I wish I could put negative five stars on this review. I have been waiting for four months for Artona to update the combo package on website. Unfortunately, they failed to do so at the end. The biggest struggle of purchasing a set of photos in my life.

Cindy Given

For many years The Artona Group has been volunteering their time and donating grad photos to deserving MetroVancouver youth that are part of the Cinderella Project Society. They are an amazing group of people that really care; the photos are the best! They are very community minded and help to make a dreams come true! Co-Executive Director, the Cinderella Project Society

Dawn Gumban

My experience exceeded my expectations. The photographers (Jayden and Stephen) were very efficient and helpful. Very pleased with their service!

JB HP

Extremely overpriced. Expect to spend at least $150 of dollars for few prints and hundreds more for digital copies. Artona actively threatens anyone trying to make digital copies of prints. Sadly, without any graduation ceremonies this year this greedy monopoly was the only option for gowned photos.

Kaur Man

Worst experience!!! I haven’t got my grad photos even after paying fees in installments

Pancho Chai

Although the pictures turned out decent, the whole experience is extremely horrible. My pictures got mixed up with my friend's and it is taking forever for me to get it back. The system is not user friendly and their service is extremely slow. I am dissapointed with the overall experience. The price they charge for their photos do not reflect the level of service they offer.

Brian Donovan

Although the initial experience wasnt the greatest, the manager Melissa was able to make the experience much more enjoyable. She was very accommodating and understanding.

Nicholas Manhas

Today I was at my schools picture day. I am a grade 12 student and in my picture I wanted to wear a scarf, I thought nothing of it because I was in a white button up shirt a black pair of pants and a red scarf around my neck. This wasnt a winter scarf it was more of a fashion scarf. I didn't think a scarf would be a problem because if I was wearing a tie it would not be disputed and the girl who was getting her picture taken before me wore a scarf and she had no problem getting her picture taken with it on. So I got to the front and it was my turn to take my picture I sit down on the seat and the guy asks me to remove my scarf. I asked him if he was being serious and if I heard him correctly. He assured me that I had to take my scarf off. So I asked him (already knowing the answer) if he had asked the young lady in front of me to remove her scarf and he replied honestly saying "no" so I asked him why I should have to remove my scarf he told me I wasn't aloud to wear it. I found that odd because the girls were aloud to wear it but me as a male was not aloud to wear it. I am not sure if the photographer from Artona Photo Group was telling me that boys can not wear scarves or if he didn't know that we are in the year 2015 where men have the right to wear scarves just as women do.

Cheyene Marie Cole

Awesome experience thanks Artona ❤

Kurt Mcfee

Great experience and customer service! Helped me through the process and took some great shots to boot. Would recommend to anyone.

Joseph Dillman

This was such a waste of money. I went for a group photo session including 7 people in total, we all paid $20 each to get in so we're looking at $140 worth of service. It was totally not worth it. They spent about 15 minutes and took only 11 photos in total. Out of the 11 photos we were only able to chose 4 that we could have emailed to us. $140 for 4 photos? Why would Artona purposely hold back the 7 photos that we don't chose? Why not just give us all 11 photos? What difference does it make? The extra 7 photos are just gonna end up sitting in some hard drive until the end of time, never to be seen again, or even worse they could be deleted. Why do that? Just give us what we paid for. I could easily hire a professional photographer for $140 and go to a much better location to take dozens of more photos with the same if not better quality. Seriously, this is trash. $140 for 15 minutes of 4 photos is such a waste, at least give us all 11 photos that were taken and we would be somewhat close to a satisfactory deal. You may as well take pictures with your phone outside the entrance and save $140.

Navya Sharma

0/5 star! I hated the pictures and the photographers. None of the photos have been edited. The pictures just came out horrible. And when I asked to have a retake instead of 60$ in all, they ask for 35$ a pose which is ridiculous. I would never recommend this place to anyone. This has ruined my grad photo memories when it was suppose to be memorable. Hated it!!!!

Madrid Rachel

My mom called Artona (it was last month) because my graduation photos was supposed to come last month, but when my mom called ,the person on the line was extremely rude. On the site, You should be more detailed about the "installment" because now we are charge extra money because the site did not explained properly on how it works. The person on the line did not help at all because of how impolite and blunt she responded. I would have rated this higher but the service that my mom received is just unacceptable. If there was a possibility to just leave a comment, I would have done it. The attitude that we received does not even deserve a star.

Sarah Bruinsma

They charge you a sitting fee and a "deposit" the deposit is not refundable and can only be used towards buying photos within a small window of time. The actual session is rushed and leaves very little choices. The portraits are …

Ekaterina Shlyakhova

Unfortunately my family and I had a horrible experience during my session. I came with my sister to get my graduation photos done. Our photographer made several comments to my sister that made us feel horrible. We were taken back as she did not apologize and we had to proceed with the session. As for the photos, the quality is quite poor and off colour. I will be going to another studio to get different photos done unfortunately.

Komalpreet Kler

They are so friendly and respectful to all graduates. There was a photographer name Alish was so kind and friendly. Great experience thank you!!

Julieta Martinez Fabris

Website doesn’t work

Lisa Thys

Staff are and were very friendly and helpful and very knowledgeable.

Angelica M

Ridiculously overpriced. Waited over two weeks for my photos to appear online only to receive the wrong person’s photos. Photo sessions are rushed and the photographers didn’t even show me the previews. Graduation hats did not fit properly.

Zoe DeSouza

Essentially a monopoly. Charges insane amounts for every little detail, but takes mere seconds for a picture. Poor website design. A single sheet of two copyrighted 5x7 photos is $43 + $13 processing & handling fees, plus an estimated 3-6 weeks processing time. I wish they had adequate competition to become more user friendly, reasonable, and affordable for student budgets. It ruins milestones like graduations when you don't wish to spend that much money on a photo but still want to preserve the memory.

Heidi Esslinger

I had my university graduation photos taken at Artona last week and was extremely impressed with the service received. The staff were amazing in their attention to detail and accommodating to my requests. I really appreciate that they took the time fix my hair and gown as well as offering to retake any shots I was unhappy with. I am extremely happy with my photos and would recommend Artona to anyone.