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Original poster

To be upset over ruined photo shoot?

336 replies

iamjustgutted · 14/03/2026 12:33

Gutted about this.

I spent admittedly far too much on a Mother’s Day photo shoot. Had it today and was awful. Kids not playing ball at all; ds wild and charging around like a complete lunatic, dd whiny and refusing to do anything she was asked.

I know it’s just kids etc but I can’t lie; I’m gutted.

OP posts:
Original poster
iamjustgutted · 14/03/2026 17:41

MaggiesShadow · 14/03/2026 17:39

Hmm. I'm not sure how ethical this photographer is if they charge you full price for unusable photos, to be honest!

If their plan fell through and they didn't have a contingency, they should maybe offer you a different time. It might be worth asking if the photos are a disaster!

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Maybe, to be honest I just want to put the whole thing behind me. £80 is a lot of money to me, it would obviously have been worth it if they’d been nice.

OP posts:
MaggiesShadow · 14/03/2026 17:41

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People are different, I suppose. But as a rule of thumb, I wouldn't be making flippant remarks about mothers day being depressing to someone whose mother has died.

Original poster
iamjustgutted · 14/03/2026 17:40

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 14/03/2026 17:39

Might be nice for Nan though to have her own daughter in some of the photos too...

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Probably MIL 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
iamjustgutted · 14/03/2026 17:40

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And you’re just being spiteful. I’ve had a terrible week, I’d looked forward to this, and it was awful. It does feel as I outlined in that post. How things feel and how they are aren’t always the same.

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MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 14/03/2026 17:39

Boomer55 · 14/03/2026 16:26

Not sure who these posed photos were for, but as a Nan, I’d sooner have a happy spontaneous photo.

Might be nice for Nan though to have her own daughter in some of the photos too...

ThejoyofNC · 14/03/2026 17:39

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MaggiesShadow · 14/03/2026 17:39

iamjustgutted · 14/03/2026 17:36

It was very windy and very busy. The part she wanted to use was shut. I’m pretty sure they are going to be awful 😂

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Hmm. I'm not sure how ethical this photographer is if they charge you full price for unusable photos, to be honest!

If their plan fell through and they didn't have a contingency, they should maybe offer you a different time. It might be worth asking if the photos are a disaster!

Original poster
iamjustgutted · 14/03/2026 17:39

MaggiesShadow · 14/03/2026 17:37

That's a really unkind thing to say to someone who's lost her mother.

What is wrong with you?

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It is rather, although it was a very long time ago now and I’m over it. But thank you.

OP posts:
Itisreallynobother · 14/03/2026 17:38

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TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne · 14/03/2026 17:38

iamjustgutted · 14/03/2026 16:24

Thanks all. I do feel better about it now but it was a bit raw at the time, you know?

I'm not surprised you're upset. I would be, too.

I'm sorry you're feeling so bad about it.
Flowers

MaggiesShadow · 14/03/2026 17:37

Itisreallynobother · 14/03/2026 17:37

Tomorrow will no doubt be a pretty depressing affair at your place @iamjustgutted

That's a really unkind thing to say to someone who's lost her mother.

What is wrong with you?

Original poster
iamjustgutted · 14/03/2026 17:37

Itisreallynobother · 14/03/2026 17:37

Tomorrow will no doubt be a pretty depressing affair at your place @iamjustgutted

Yes it will. Thank you for this.

OP posts:
Itisreallynobother · 14/03/2026 17:37

Tomorrow will no doubt be a pretty depressing affair at your place @iamjustgutted

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 14/03/2026 17:36

@iamjustgutted - one thing that might work and children seem to find a fun game and a game to get photos is to use selfie mode on your phone and use the 10 second timer delay while you all run into place for the photo. It even worked on my mother who hated having her photo taken but for some reason found the dash for the 10 second timer for the selfie highly entertaining

Original poster
iamjustgutted · 14/03/2026 17:36

MaggiesShadow · 14/03/2026 17:35

@iamjustgutted did the photographer feel like he/she got ANYTHING you could use?

It seems a bit mad that they would take a young child to a park or forest and not anticipate that the child would run and play and pick up sticks!

It was very windy and very busy. The part she wanted to use was shut. I’m pretty sure they are going to be awful 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
iamjustgutted · 14/03/2026 17:35

Springisspringingnow · 14/03/2026 17:30

How is it judgemental to say i've never heard of Mother's Day photo shoots?
And to express surprise because it doesn't really have anything to do with the spirit of Mother's Day

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Oh come on. It is clearly just a photo shoot with your mum.

OP posts:
MaggiesShadow · 14/03/2026 17:35

@iamjustgutted did the photographer feel like he/she got ANYTHING you could use?

It seems a bit mad that they would take a young child to a park or forest and not anticipate that the child would run and play and pick up sticks!

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 14/03/2026 17:33

iamjustgutted · 14/03/2026 17:10

No, what I wanted was some photographs of me with my children without massive logs, my son leaping around, my daughter actually looking at the camera.

DH isn’t around a lot and when he is he doesn’t take photos. Yes, if I ask him he will but toddlers move quickly and the moment has generally gone by the time he’s got his phone out. Selfies look AWFUL (on me I mean, not other people.)

So I am sorry if being a bit upset and disappointed that having spent £80, I didn’t get what I’d hoped for, but I’m human and it does make me a bit sad there are virtually no photos of me with the children. But … it is something and nothing really. However I will be honest and say I don’t find it funny either, I just wish I hadn’t booked the thing. People laughing, even if it isn’t the intent, kind of makes me feel that I’ve made a tit of myself and the ‘well what did you expect’ responses just make me feel foolish. The photographer advertised on a mums page, specialising in family shoots, it was outdoors. I just feel almost like I’ve been on the receiving end of a slightly unkind practical joke.

@iamjustgutted - I'm sorry about the photoshoot (and some of the responses on this thread) - though you did make me smile with your descriptions of your son and those wretched logs.

Springisspringingnow · 14/03/2026 17:30

Shessweetbutapsycho · 14/03/2026 17:24

Judgemental much…?

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How is it judgemental to say i've never heard of Mother's Day photo shoots?
And to express surprise because it doesn't really have anything to do with the spirit of Mother's Day

KiposWonderbeasts · 14/03/2026 17:28

If it helps, @iamjustgutted , my mum took my brother and I to a photographer in a department store in the 70s to get photos to send to her family overseas. They'd never met him, he was two and a half.

We had haircuts, new outfits, the whole thing. The photographer gave my little brother a toy to catch and he got hyper and was wanging the damn thing all over the place.

Eventually the photographer got short with him, took the toy away, and my brother immediately shut down with a face like thunder.

Nothing could get him to smile or look the right way. My poor Mum.

40 years on they are her favourite photos of my brother. She laughs so hard at the obstreperous wee shite he was and the lengths she went to to try make him smile.

Shessweetbutapsycho · 14/03/2026 17:24

Springisspringingnow · 14/03/2026 12:49

I didn't even know Mother's Day photo shoots was a ' a thing". Although I shouldn't be surprised as some people's whole lives seem to be photo shoots for some reason or other.
Surely Mother's Day is abput your children giving you a card and possibly a small gift. And if they are too young to organise that themselves then the other parent or some one organises it for them?
Honestly OP I woukd chalk this down to experience and stick to what Mother's Day is meant to be about another year

Judgemental much…?

Beachtastic · 14/03/2026 17:20

iamjustgutted · 14/03/2026 13:22

That’s what I’m genuinely worried about. Virtually none of me and the kids and the ones that there are are posed as I have to ask and look so forced.

I lost my own mum young and I just feel like when I’m gone they’ll have nothing.

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Sorry about your mum, OP. Maybe you're putting a lot of weight on this photo shoot as you wanted it to have value for posterity.

I'm not sure about you, but when my mum died I treasured the oddest things, like a scrappy old teatowel (because it brought back memories of us in her kitchen). Photos, not so much.

One thing you can guarantee about life is that things never turn out the way you expect. It's a shame this photo shoot didn't go to plan, but one way or another you'll end up accumulating a few photos you really love - I have only a handful really - probably just odd snapshots over the years!

Disturbia81 · 14/03/2026 17:15

Hopefully the photographer will work some wizardry OP and still manage to give you something good, edits go a long way. Fingers crossed 💐

ErickBroch · 14/03/2026 17:13

OP don’t feel stupid. Of course you’re disappointed, happens when things don’t go to plan. I think the photoshoot sounds lovely for you. Candid and outdoors. People assume it’s for social media - not sure why - sounds like it’s for you. Raw now, but when the photos come back I bet you’ll be able to smile and it’ll show you your kids running and having fun!

Original poster
iamjustgutted · 14/03/2026 17:10

No, what I wanted was some photographs of me with my children without massive logs, my son leaping around, my daughter actually looking at the camera.

DH isn’t around a lot and when he is he doesn’t take photos. Yes, if I ask him he will but toddlers move quickly and the moment has generally gone by the time he’s got his phone out. Selfies look AWFUL (on me I mean, not other people.)

So I am sorry if being a bit upset and disappointed that having spent £80, I didn’t get what I’d hoped for, but I’m human and it does make me a bit sad there are virtually no photos of me with the children. But … it is something and nothing really. However I will be honest and say I don’t find it funny either, I just wish I hadn’t booked the thing. People laughing, even if it isn’t the intent, kind of makes me feel that I’ve made a tit of myself and the ‘well what did you expect’ responses just make me feel foolish. The photographer advertised on a mums page, specialising in family shoots, it was outdoors. I just feel almost like I’ve been on the receiving end of a slightly unkind practical joke.

OP posts: