to be hacked off about school photos?

[twirlymum]

DD is in year 5, DS in in the nursery at the same school.
School photos were last week. I had the option of having their photo taken together, which I thought would be nice.

The proofs came yesterday.
As well as the one together, they also had photos taken on their own, so I have three proofs.
The one of them together is quite nice. DD's hair looks a little bushy, but it's ok (especially as DS can be a horror when asked to sit still).
The one of DD on her own is beautiful, and her hair looks ok (even though the photos were taken minutes apart!).
The one of DS on his own is the best picture I have seen of him. He is smiling, and looks angelic .

For one photo it is £11.50, for two it's £15.75 and for three it's £17.75. BUT this only applies when you have two or three of the same picture. I've just phoned the company, and had a bit of a moan, and mentioned that I think it's very expensive anyway. The woman told me that it's the school's fault, as they have different prices available, DC's school has chosen the most expensive package.
So now I will have to pay almost £35 for three 7x5 photos. Plus £2 per picture for p&p as they don't combine postage.
I know I don't have to buy them, but they are nice (for a change!)

[Serendippy]

YANBU to be hacked off but you are right, you don't have to buy them. If the one of DS is the best picture you have seen of him, will work out a lot cheaper than paying for a studio session and individual prints!

[badfairy]

School photos are far too expensive ....to be honest I only buy them if they are exceptional as we have sooo many of DS1 and 2 that we have taken ourselves.

[Wottknott]

YANBU - I don't buy them anymore. At the end of Primary we had not only individual pics, but group ones for the sports groups and music, one of the whole class, then a whole year group one. Madness. Must be a good earner for the schools and photo companies.

[harassedinherpants]

YANBU - they are expensive to start with, and that's ridiculous that you can't combine yours!

Dd has just started school and brought home the proof of her first school photo. She looks very sweet, but why couldn't they have brushed her hair?? I put a brush in her book bag as she has very fly away hair .

[rivi]

Welcome to the rip-off world of school photos - make you feel bad if you don't buy them make your purse feel bad if you do.

[Onetoomanycornettos]

I had the same problem this year, the individual photos looked nicer than the two of them together, but I didn't want to buy two packages (they were nearly £45 for the ones with enough photos for all the grandparents to have them) so I bought none. I'm guessing I can't be the only one in the recession to think this is a luxury!

[Frazzledmumwithsmudgedmascara]

YANBU

I too think that school photos are overpriced and I would be a bit annoyed at the school for choosing the most expensive option and just assuming everyone could afford it.

Wottknott, I get annoyed too that there are no longer just individual photos but also class ones, sports ones, music ones, year group ones etc. And then it seems that the schools put a bit of pressure on the children to buy them as when my DDs have had one of these taken they go on and on about wanting me to buy it.

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

harassed. Imagine if the teacher/TA had to brush the whole classes hair. That's a lot of time. My DD came home with a set of photo's that were hideous. Someone had brushed her hair forward and put a minging ribbon in it.
OP, YANBU.

[mrspear]

I would ask the school why they had to choose the most expensive package

[nannynobnobs]

I always think the school photos are too expensive now they have started doing 'trendy' style shoots instead of regular ones. DD1's last class photo had all the kids standing in different groups, hands on hips, arms in the air, folded arms (in very 'yeah so what?' fashion- DD was one of these!) and so on. I'm not old fashioned at all, I'm only 30! But I think these pictures will date horribly and much prefer the sitting whole class smiling photo. They charge so much more for these 'dynamic' pictures, even for the individual portraits- which were just like a regular sitting portrait, but taken at an angle so it looked crooked instead of stylish!

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

Ive just had a thought though, is it possible to copy them in some way and then have them printed yourself. Criminal maybe, but cheaper.

[Galena]

Surely instead of the 3 photos you could have the 2 individual ones? If the together one is nothing special?

[TotorosOcarina]

SAME HERE!

Only our school as 2 singles each and siblings, so for my 2 sons I have 5 gorgeous photos.

And they aren't those stiff-skybackground ones from when I was small, they are lovely, with them posing and white background.

Money had to be in today

we didn't buy them as we just don't have it :(

[MorticiaAddams]

Do you have to buy them through the school?

I know that they make money out of it but if they are taking the p and only offering you the most expensive options then tough on them.

I find the postage odd too. Ours get delivered back to the school and the children bring them home. No postage at all is charged.

[pantaloons]

Think of me, I had one of each of my 3 and a group one. Then my youngest is only part time and goes to another playgroup who also had photos done.

To be fair I only had the one of them together as in the individual ones they had them holding a blue file. A bit weird for a 5 and 7 year old!

[nannynobnobs]

I feel your pain Kreecher, when DD1 was at nursery I sent her in on photo day in a fabulous vintage Paddington t shirt that had been passed down through a friend's family. (They had a photo on their wall of her brother who is now 33 wearing it as a toddler). I wanted her to wear it in her photos as a sort of tribute! They took it off her and put her in a truly vile flamingo pink velour sweater with flowers on, saying "She spilt a drink on her shirt". Well it looked fine to me when I took it out of her bag to wash... I'm certain they just didn't think it suitable :(

[bigcar]

you got off lightly, just sat here with my dcs photos, cheapest option that gives you a print bigger than passport size is £16.75. I have 2 dcs at this particular school, so one of them both together and then individual ones, the individual ones have 3 different poses on. Like yours, no mixing of poses in any packs. Some how I don't think I'll bother.

[woolymindy]

last year my oldest dd wet her hair to defrizz and the younger dd looks like she has had her head photoshopped on all wonky

bought the together pic and is still in the packet upstairs!

this year older dd baaaaad hair and younger dd in another head wonkily on pose!

will have to buy the separates and yes i do feel ripped off

i really wish they were nice but guilt will make me buy them

yanbu

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

Nanny, the hair was nothing compared to the pose they put her into. She had a grimy pale blue teddy bear mounting her from behind. The boys in the class were posed with a gun!
I took her to the studio to have them retaken. My experience was in Thailand though.

[YunoYurbubson]

For some reason they put all the girls in a series of catalogue poses this year.

Arms folded looking menacing.
Hands on hips looking at camera.
Chin in hand, thoughtful pose.




They missed out pointing at something in the distance.

[twirlymum]

Galena I really wanted the one of them together, as it's the first one at school, IYSWIM.
I would (illegally ) copy them, but it says 'proof' in white right across their faces.

[IWillCountToThree]

For my 3 Dc this year i had 7 photos. Pack prices were at least fairly reasonable, but i've ordered one of the DDs, and i'll take my own of Ds, copy , and put them in a double frame for family.

I felt really bad for not buying DD1's reception photo, but she looked shocking!

My fave pic of all 3 was taken earlier this year at their old nursery. Absolutely gorgeous picture and worth every penny.

[Fizzylemonade]

Our photos are done at the start of the school day, so no drink spilling or chance for your child to mess their hair up (and yes we do have lovely TA's standing by with hairbrushes)

We have the option of buying the jpeg file of the photo so we always do that then we can choose what sizes to print to fit in our frames and families frames.

I believe the jpeg file is £19. They are modern photos taken on a white background and casual.

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

DS had his first school photo recently (just started reception). It was lovely in a way... it's just it didn't really look like him . It was v trad pose, his hair was all glossy - someone must have brushed it - but I just couldn't buy a weirdy stepford child photo.

We took some lovely ones of him on his first day with his new uniform, much nicer.