I have to relay my experience at butler studios. Some background, I am a single mother, a nurse, and I have two rescue dogs. I live paycheck to paycheck and I do not ever treat myself to luxury experiences or expensive items, simply because I do not have the money to do so. I won the promotion for fur baby portraits on instagram and the next day I was contacted by a representative at butler studios. There had been a cancellation on saturday and I was able to get in the same week. Early on Saturday morning I packed up my dogs (a three legged a pitbull and a half blind half dead chihuahua) and my 16 year old daughter and we drove the three hours to Tidewater Virginia. The minute we parked at the waterfront I knew that this was a very elegant place. As we stepped into the building, I was confronted with large oil portraits of different people, children, weddings, graduation, and pets. An associate brought us to a a small waiting room and handed us a leather-bound waiver portfolio that said welcome (last name) family. I have never done a professional photograph before so I was not sure what to expect. Zach the photographer later brought us back and he was incredibly personable, professional, and really good with dogs. He probably took about 50 pictures of different combinations/poses of the four of us. We were then directed to make ourselves comfortable in the building. We sat in the parlor with the floor to ceiling windows looking out of the window while a player piano softly played music. Then we were brought back to a private viewer area where another associate showed us the pictures with a projector on the wall. They turned out SO excellent! The woman who had brought us into the viewing room proceeded to give us a rundown of different options of a portrait being printed. We politely listened and then I told her that I didn't have any extra money to spend on a $5000 dollar oil painting or even a $200 printed canvas. She expressed understanding and let us know that we had an 8 by 10 complimentary coming toys i a. few weeks and that we could choose the photo that we liked the most. I cannot express how special this place made me feel and I would highly recommend it for anyone doing wedding portraits or doing special occasion portraits, and I will probably use them in the future if my daughter ever gets married. Five stars, top of the line, check it out! read more

Daniel and his team produced exceptional portraits. Excellent customer service. I highly recommend checking them out when you want quality portraits!! read more

I am not the person to run and make a bad review to hurt a small business at the smallest inconvenience, but what this business is doing is insane. I would consider them crooks...and again I don't say that lightly. My husband and I, like the majority of everyone else in these reviews, won a "complimentary" pet portrait, I've attached an example of the verbiage to this review. We show up, have a blast taking the pics, then we get sit down to choose them...I thought something was off when they started the presentation with payment plan options....turns out the little "$500" means nothing when these portraits minimum start at 2.2k. We felt backed against the corner, threw it on a credit card, and walked out like did that just happen??? Then fast forward 3 months to pick it up, it comes with NO FRAME! No one told us that we paid for a picture on cardboard for 2.2k. Genuinely mind blowing. Putting people in uncomfortable positions and misleading them is NOT a way to do business. read more

Butler Portraits - Session Photography Near Me - Midlothian, Virginia

I entered for a Facebook giveaway for a credit of $1000 towards magical Children Portraits. I will start by saying that everybody there was very kind and it was a beautiful location on a lake. However, the prices were just absolutely astronomical and it is such a sales gimmick. It was an additional $29 cost to have just one photo of my youngest, and they were unable to get her to smile and told me that I needed to be in the picture which I did not wish to be in since it's for my kids I don't feel that they took the very best pictures of my oldest and then we were ushered into a room where we were trying to be sold up to $15,000 photos and Portraits. It is just not something my family can afford to do and so even with leaving with only two standard small pictures, one 14 inch and one 10 inch I ended up spending almost $600. Mind you that our session was supposed to be free and we used the thousand dollar credit towards the 14 inch photo. As much as I would like to recommend this place, I felt like everybody was scripted to sell and they weren't taking very natural pictures, which is why I don't have any photos of my youngest smiling. read more

If you're searching for the right portrait studio to make a legacy investment that will last for generations to come...Choose Butler! Amazing portrait sitting and award winning results! Mr. Butler is warm and personable, he really takes time to get the best poses possible. Afterwards, Julie offers her expertise guidance of all available options to ensure you choose the perfect portrait. Butler Portraits provides Quality Service, One of a Kind Studio Experience, Luxury Hand Painted Portraits and Fine Arts Crafted Frames. I am in love with my Butler Hand Painted Brush Oil and Renaissance Finish Fine Art Portrait! Thank you all so much! Whether you're near Midlothian, Virginia or out of town I highly recommend Butler Portrait Studio, they're worth every mile. You'll see... you'll be glad you chose Butler! Tell them Tiffany sent you! read more

Butler Portraits - Beautiful reception area! Enjoy fine art while you wait. - Session Photography Near Me - Midlothian, Virginia

At first I was thrilled with the experience. My daughter loved dressing up and doing the pictures. The guy was really good with her. Then the meeting for purchasing the portraits was overwhelming. The prices are astronomical but of course you want to get some because your kid looks so precious. They throw big fancy package names at you with these descriptions that you don't 100% know the difference between. So I settle on the most affordable which is a month's salary on credit card. I was fine with accepting that choice because the quality was supposed to be superior. However, when the portraits finally were ready, took several months, I was floored to see that one picture I ordered was put on photo quality paper and I was charged $500 for it! I could've taken the social media package and printed it myself at CVS to get that quality. When I called the girl was extremely rude basically saying sorry not sorry and it is what it is. I feel like I was duped and taken advantage of because they know they are doing that to people. So overall, I do NOT think it is worth the cost and I do Not recommend this company. read more

I also "won a Facebook giveaway - $2000 credit." Seems like these are common. I was not skeptical until I looked at the reviews. My husband did NOT want to go, but we decided to since I already had given the $100 security deposit. We had to schedule way out because they don't photograph babies younger than 9 months and mine was 5 at the time. The most stressful part to me was the outfit choices lol! They have strict guidelines. We got there and took photos, it went great. I really wish we had taken them on the dark background (idk why they choose the background that matches your clothing). Anyway, when we were done we went to the sales room where they show us all the pictures and sell us a package. Right up front I told her we were not interested in buying anything, as this was a Facebook giveaway I won -- I wasn't seeking it out. She understood. I told her we weren't going to spend any money aside from security deposit. Then of course, she informed us that the $2000 credit was only useable when you spend $6000+ or something like that. So we ended up getting an 8x10 (with the security deposit) and the lady actually threw in another one for free. They were all very nice and we had a good experience overall. read more

I won a $500 credit towards a dog portrait. The place is beautiful. The staff are very friendly. Butler assisted during our photo shoot and I was amazed how well he got my dogs to cooperate. That was one thing I was nervous about. I just received my portrait in the mail and it is absolutely beautiful! I am now wishing I ordered a bigger size. read more

Visiting from Washington state, took granddaughter for "magical children" photo session. The studio started the session nearly an hour late; no pricing available upfront; no price sheet available upon request; studio makes selection process very convoluted and confusing; for a wall painting style framed portrait the prices ranged 3k -9k - I thought we misheard; digital file $600 each. Left with buying anything. I rarely do reviews. I felt I to share since the experience was so bad. read more

Upper management was very helpful. I am still waiting on deposit, I will update again if anything changes

I won a free Facebook portrait from them for my pet. I brought my senior cat who passed last year in July to kidney failure at 19 years old. They stated they had done cats but were not at all prepared for a cat. I did the $100 deposit, never got it back. They charged me 3k for portraits I could never afford and knew this. As the lady I spoke to on the phone with my mom, we talked about our pets and hers, what our expectations were, confirmed it was a free portrait. Kept wanting me to pose with my cat when all I wanted was a portrait of him before id lose him forever. Get to the selection stage, had my brother with me. NOT ONCE DID THEY MENTION I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY OF THIS! I am still getting harassed by calls and emails about my outstanding balance despite me not even having the portraits. I'd been told they were done but I was afraid id get in trouble if I took them and never paid the balance I was uninformed of...so the pictures I have with my boy are fearfully gone...it still makes me cry because he gets car sick and didnt like strangers and I feel like I put him through a stressful situation for nothing and made him feel afraid for absolutely no reason. I hate these people! They guilt you, they gaslight you, they manipulate you, I just wanted a memento of my boy so id never forget what he looked like... read more

We won a $2500 credit to Butler Portraits. The building is nice and Mr Butler obviously cares about his work. However, the entire experience is one big sales pitch/upsell and it never stops, even when you go to pick up the work they try to guilt and scare you into using them to frame it saying other framers might damage it and it's not covered. The process was also very scripted and cheesy. His style is old fashioned and the prices seem very high for what you get. I won't recommend them. read more

In the last year, I moved my elderly parents here to Midlothian, VA from Dayton, Ohio. It's been 30 years since we've taken professional photos. Although we've only had our sitting today, I must stay how pleased I was with Julie! My mother is very particular and hates being photographed. I always know how things will go based on her body language. Julie was able to help her relax and we were able to have fun! Additionally, my father, a very serious person, doesn't often relax, and once again Julie came to the rescue and got him to relax. The studio is VERY clean with a calming environment. There are plenty of photos there that display the studio's work along with the piano that is playing while you wait. The staff was very helpful and greeted us within seconds of us walking in the door. We will get to review the portraits very soon, and If the outcome is as amazing as the sitting, I have ZERO worries! I will update you as the process moves along! read more

Butler Portraits owner removed my Google Review. We had the worst ever experience with the sale pitch pressure, the shadowy dealings in the backroom to reduce the price and see if we'd go for a larger portrait after "winning" a free portrait which was not free. They take your deposit which is claimed to be returned as part of the portrait session but you have to pay up front and your sitting could be months later. Extremely overpriced products that took months to produce with the ball dropped, constant follow-up, corrections that were not up to standard for facial expressions, eye color. The entire ordeal took about 9 months. Extra photos were thrown in to sweeten the deal and the originals were framed but not worth the cost. Such a portrait should be 75% cheaper to be competitive. read more

We had our Family Portrait done in January, and it was a great experience. We won a portrait and a session. Mr. Butler and his staff were very welcoming, and professional..but fun. He made us feel comfortable and at ease. We have a portrait of our family when our son was 3, and he was getting ready to turn 18 - so this was a great time to have a picture taken. Thank you! read more

Everyone at Butler Portraits was absolutley phenomenal. The final portraits are stunning and words cannot express how happy I am with them. These portraits mark the beginning of a new chapter for my daughters and myself and I believe Mr Butler perfectly captured this transition. If you want portraits done, please consider enlisting his services. You will be beyond pleased with the results. read more

Butler Portraits - An example of the fantastic artistry one can expect from Butlrr Portraits. - Session Photography Near Me - Midlothian, Virginia

I grew up gazing at my grandmother's beautiful Butler portraits in her home when I was little, always wanting to get my very own Butler portraits when I was grown with a family of my own. I am so happy that we fulfilled that dream. The quality is exactly what I expected with the Butler name: unwavering. Our portrait sitting was truly a wonderful experience! We loved our private dressing room and refreshments before and after the sitting. I was a little worried that my spirited two year old would not sit well for portraits, but Dave Butler had such a magical way with her; he made her laugh and immediately developed a great rapport. He captured such joy on her face from her laughter (joy that I've been trying and failing for two years to capture with my phone camera!). We are truly pleased with our portraits and we recommend Butler portraits to anyone looking for quality family portraits that will last for generations. read more

A professional environment, beautiful setting, great craftsmanship when it comes to their quality. But I don't think that it all justifies the price. Feeling taken advantage of, after having won a $500 gift card only to find out that it applies to a $200 SITTING fee, and can only use part of it toward purchasing a portrait, which range in price from $99 to well over $700 PER IMAGE. If you have the money to burn on excellent quality portraits for a very special event, then this might be the place for you. If you're only going here because you think you're going to get something for free with a seemingly huge gift card, guess again. Not for people on a budget. read more

They will only do portraits of what they consider "family" which has to include a husband and better yet if you have grandparents/in laws who can be in it too. I was asked who is in my family for the portrait and I said myself and my child. Asked if there was a husband and when i said yes i was then asked why he wont be in it. Not that it's anyone's business but my spouse is overseas with the military- which i explained. What if I didn't have a husband though? And then got pushy about other family members assuming everyone has a big close family they live around. They said they would do it but she was way too pushy and pushed for me to do it when my husband was on leave. The reviews are great for those in "traditional" situations where everyone is home to be in it or you have family that this place isn't going to get nosey and judge you for. After I told my husband what happened we both agreed this was not worth it. Shame on you esp in an area that is made up of so many military families and in 2022 when families look different. SIDE NOTE: If you win the FB contest for a free portrait session you will still have to pay $300 up front. With pro photos being expensive and in this ecomony, we will not spend a dime on a place like this, we will go elsewhere for photos. read more

We absolutely loved coming here to do our family portrait. Mr. Butler was professional, patient and wonderful with our kids! We got a ton of beautiful outdoor backgrounds to pick from and the poses were great. When we came back to order photos they were very nice and patient and took a great deal of time and care to be sure that we got exactly what we wanted. The work is very high quality and I can not tell you how happy I am with what I ordered! I will be coming back! read more

Dan is an extremely talented and experienced family portrait photographer. His portraits of our family have been cherished in our home for years! His work is timeless and our portraits never fade, our large portrait's colors are still as vibrant as the day we picked it up, 15 years ago. He gets great, natural expressions of my kids, even when I think they didn't cooperate! His artistry is an investment and always treasured, well worth every cent! read more

I agree with Courtney. I had an already paid for package that was a thank you gift for our donation to a charity. I made the charity aware of this sitting fee he was charging. They only realized it existed when I called them to share it but he hid the fee in thier paperwork to be legal & full disclosure. There was nothing about it on the donation receipt. He is slick. He doesn't disclose it to the doner until he sends the actual gift certificate shortly before the time of sitting. He says it is fully refundable at the time of sitting, but admitted his average customer price is $2k & that once we see his work (which I have seen & don't deny the quality but it is still overpriced & rather old fashioned) we would want more & we could apply the fee to our purchase. So, I doubt you would ever actually get that fee refunded back in cash. I decided not to even bother to set my family up to having to turn down his future tactics to manipulate more money out of us. He is an artist alright, but not the kind you would expect. The charity contacted him about it & ended up offering to pay the fee themselves for us because he would not even budge for them under the circumstances that he had not made this fee even clear to them, so that they would pass it on at least verbally. So, warning for those that think they are getting a great deal on a Butler Portrait package at a charity event like a silent auction. You are basically only getting a discount on his overpriced services. It is a marketing gimmick that he probably charges the fees to cover his cost of his supposeable donation. The only thing he donates, if anything is his time & if he sucks you into a bigger purchase, then he doesn't even donate that. We decided not to give him the opportunity. read more