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Original poster

Bloody Tempest photos!

26 replies

NashEnquirer · 11/10/2023 12:32

Has anyone bought he medium or larger prints and found they were able to successfully scan them in at a photo shop at a quality good enough to then have more prints made?

Basically trying to work out whether to buy the bloody digital download or a cheaper pack of prints (the robbing bastards!)

OP posts:
MidnightOnceMore · 11/10/2023 12:34

Just put your kid in their uniform and take your own picture?

Original poster
NashEnquirer · 11/10/2023 16:18

Thanks for that 👍

Has anyone else got any experience/advice?

OP posts:
SecondClassReturnToDottinghamPlease · 11/10/2023 16:37

I mean - this is literally how companies operate. They have a product you want, you pay them for it.

AliceMcK · 11/10/2023 16:39

Tempest is horrible, I’ve always bought school photos until last year when they were just so bad I couldn’t bring myself to pay for them, I’m now with @MidnightOnceMore we use the photos we take.

FeelingVeryUnwell · 11/10/2023 16:42

All school photos are awful but the schools round here use an exceptionally bad company who don't know the lens from the view finder.

To answer your question buy the digital copies and print them via a proper photography printing company. I won't name the one I use as they're local to me but all costs together it's still cheaper than the con that is the company school uses.

HobnobsChoice · 11/10/2023 17:19

We just got the proof of our Tempest pics and they are absolutely awful. We're going to do our own this weekend instead I think for the grandma/auntie/great aunties.

Original poster
NashEnquirer · 12/10/2023 08:09

SecondClassReturnToDottinghamPlease · 11/10/2023 16:37

I mean - this is literally how companies operate. They have a product you want, you pay them for it.

Well, yes 😃 but have you never waited for a sale, or looked for a discount code, or used a cashback site, or searched for a cheaper package deal that works out better value?

OP posts:
CyberCritical · 12/10/2023 08:14

I usually buy the bigger shot and a 7x5 for in laws, then if I want more I've found that taking a photo of the photo on my phone means that I can get a good print out. You have to make sure it's on a flat surface and there's no shadows or reflections.

Ivebeentogeorgia · 12/10/2023 08:16

I always scroll down to the bottom and buy the print in the blue frame. Although I’ve bought the one low res digital one this time and it’ll print fine I reckon for a small frame

Lindy2 · 12/10/2023 08:19

I buy the low resolution digital photo.

I've printed it out and it looks just fine in a frame for the medium size photo. On a smaller size print it looks even clearer. I get smaller ones printed for grandparents.

It isn't as sharp as the ridiculously expensive high resolution digital photo or any of the prints, but it's a more affordable and perfectly fine way to get the school photo.

Original poster
NashEnquirer · 12/10/2023 08:25

@CyberCritical that's really useful, thanks!

@Lindy2 and @Ivebeentogeorgia - I don't think we usually have an option for a low-res digital one but I'll certainly check, that's really helpful - thanks.

OP posts:
Original poster
NashEnquirer · 12/10/2023 08:26

Thanks @FeelingVeryUnwell - the digital one was pricier than the cheapest medium print, which is why I was wondering if I could do it that way.

OP posts:
Talkwhilstyouwalk · 12/10/2023 22:35

They were so bad at our school that multiple parents complained and they are coming back in to do re-takes 🤣🤣. As it happens I quite like the one of my daughter this year, they have been awful in previous years though.

jimthistle666 · 08/10/2025 12:17

I just happened upon this old thread whilst trying to remember how much we paid for our downloads from Tempest. As a full time photographer, I can't help being a little saddened by some of the attitudes and responses. I can't / won't judge anyone - it's just a bit sad that our (photographers') products are viewed as basically worthless when they have to be paid for. Stealing pictures is absolutely not the same as using a voucher code.

Original poster
NashEnquirer · 08/10/2025 16:05

jimthistle666 · 08/10/2025 12:17

I just happened upon this old thread whilst trying to remember how much we paid for our downloads from Tempest. As a full time photographer, I can't help being a little saddened by some of the attitudes and responses. I can't / won't judge anyone - it's just a bit sad that our (photographers') products are viewed as basically worthless when they have to be paid for. Stealing pictures is absolutely not the same as using a voucher code.

That's an interesting take, @jimthistle666. I think everyone on this thread has talked about paying for Tempest photos (or for not doing so, when the photos were terrible).

What's the legal position in terms of taking a photo you've legally paid for to e.g. a local photographers to get it copied?

Do you think all the school packages offered by Tempest represent good value?

OP posts:
jimthistle666 · 08/10/2025 16:23

NashEnquirer · 08/10/2025 16:05

That's an interesting take, @jimthistle666. I think everyone on this thread has talked about paying for Tempest photos (or for not doing so, when the photos were terrible).

What's the legal position in terms of taking a photo you've legally paid for to e.g. a local photographers to get it copied?

Do you think all the school packages offered by Tempest represent good value?

Show quote history

Hi Nash, well, in the UK, the photographer retains copyright of the images (or maybe the company if the photographer is an employee). I have had people come to me asking for copies of a professionally taken picture and I've always refused. It's illegal and also immoral. That all sounds a bit "high horse" but it really isn't - its just the law :-)

Snorlaxo · 08/10/2025 16:27

There’s a lady on my FB local selling page who makes a killing doing school uniform photos in her home. You can have siblings who aren’t at school yet, siblings who go to another school… which is great. She sold me 20 photos and I was allowed to reprint them. For a fee, she would retouch but I didn’t order that service. She’s a professional photographer who owns the school photo type background

FiveCustardTarts · 08/10/2025 16:34

jimthistle666 · 08/10/2025 12:17

I just happened upon this old thread whilst trying to remember how much we paid for our downloads from Tempest. As a full time photographer, I can't help being a little saddened by some of the attitudes and responses. I can't / won't judge anyone - it's just a bit sad that our (photographers') products are viewed as basically worthless when they have to be paid for. Stealing pictures is absolutely not the same as using a voucher code.

Tempest photos are routinely shite though and not worth the money. They made my beautiful child look like a sideways Gollum.

RozGruber · 08/10/2025 16:37

FiveCustardTarts · 08/10/2025 16:34

Tempest photos are routinely shite though and not worth the money. They made my beautiful child look like a sideways Gollum.

Show quote history

You don’t have to buy them. The issue is the OP does want to use the Tempest photos, she just doesn’t want to pay for them.

Musicaltheatremum · 08/10/2025 17:07

Goodness are they still around? I'm decluttering at the moment and have drawers of these photos
Think I'm going to scan them onto a computer and make a book of them and throw them out.

Original poster
NashEnquirer · 08/10/2025 18:08

Thanks for replying @jimthistle666. I think I'd have more sympathy for that POV (never-ending copyright for Tempest) if I thought their packages were good value - do you think they are? Having just paid £35 for 9 small/medium photos (3 different images) I'm not convinced they are, tbh.

Wow @Snorlaxo - very enterprising!

OP posts:
Original poster
NashEnquirer · 08/10/2025 18:11

RozGruber · 08/10/2025 16:37

You don’t have to buy them. The issue is the OP does want to use the Tempest photos, she just doesn’t want to pay for them.

Show quote history

I don't mind paying for photos - I'm just not convinced that Tempest offers good value. I mean, I get it - they're not a charity, they're a commercial company looking to profit (partially from parental & grandparental emotional attachment/nostalgia). They don't have to offer good value, and I don't have to buy them if I don't want to, but I can complain about what I think is overinflating of prices.

OP posts:
jimthistle666 · 08/10/2025 20:22

NashEnquirer · 08/10/2025 18:08

Thanks for replying @jimthistle666. I think I'd have more sympathy for that POV (never-ending copyright for Tempest) if I thought their packages were good value - do you think they are? Having just paid £35 for 9 small/medium photos (3 different images) I'm not convinced they are, tbh.

Wow @Snorlaxo - very enterprising!

You're welcome - value is very subjective :-) We were pleased to pay for the expensive package because we got lucky with a decent photographer and our son somehow shamed into actually smiling... And school photography is a completely different animal from normal portrait photography but it seems like great value to me :-)

Original poster
NashEnquirer · 08/10/2025 20:55

Yes I think you're right about it being somewhat subjective! I guess my take is that there must be at least some economies of scale at a 750-pupil school that aren't being passed on to parents...

OP posts:
IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 09/10/2025 07:40

I don’t buy school photos every year, but when I do, I buy the cheapest option possible, then scan it and print it out as many times as grandparents want.