To want to have two styles of class photo on offer if the school decides to move away from the trendy "shoes off" shot

[EddieStobbart]

Since DD started school three years ago the school has offered the "deconstructed" shot with the kids in various poses and no shoes on. I don't like it but that was the style on offer. One of the reasons I didn't like it was because the format is trendy at the moment and IMO the only things that should date in school photos are style points such as the groovy hair cuts and sea of brown polyester flares of my youth. What I really DIDN't want to happen is for the school to revert back to traditional style half way through DD's school career leaving us with two different styles of class shot on the wall and I suspected this might happen - what was another reason I didn't like the style.

I received a survey today asking for my view on the photos and if the format should be changed. In my response, I suggested that two photos are taken, one with rows on benches and the other with the kids shoes off etc so people who have had to have the latter style up to now could choose.

I appreciate that photoing classes of 5-11 year olds will be like herding cats but it can't be completely impossible to do this, can it?

DH thinks IAVVU and laughed at me a lot. I am pissed off. However, I would take being told IABU from the MN Collective much better than from DH so - AIBU?

Sorry but I would have laughed at you too.

Are you planning on displaying all 6 years worth of school photos together?

Sorry I would have laughed too. Are you planning to make this into a hobby. They could change the style many times, anyway it would look boring expecting the same thing every time.

You put them on the wall???

YABU

Of course. Along with DD's Oscar acceptance shot (the Oscar will be kept in the toilet).

how big a wall do you have lol. its not something i would really care about to be honest. we don't even have school pictures here

Not on the wall yet. Come on, we've only lived in this house three years - do you expect us to have moved the picture hooks from where the previous owner positioned them ?

Just happened to me. First two school photos are the modern one, and we have just reverted to the formal rows one so his photo this year doesn't match. It is annoying and I would rather they were consistent in style throughout his primary years.

Inside though, I think I am being ridiculous.

So I sympathise, but won't judge whether you are BU.

I don't think I'd even notice. The class photos are for the DCs to keep in their rooms aren't they?

Our school manages two different shots of each class each year - formal and informal, so from that perspective, YANBU.

not sure I could bring myself to care if they changed the style of photo halfway through dd2's school career, though. YABU for that bit.

I have found myself hoping that dd2's individual portrait photo is of a totally different style, as I have found he last 2 to be slightly creepy and possibly bordering on inappropriate. BUt sadly I expect they will be the same.

Coffee - all my school photos were the same, is this unusual? Except that time two P7s pulled dodgy faces and the photographer didn't notice. That went down well...

Alarm - inappropriate, wtf are they doing???

nothing too bad!

we get a choice of 4 poses - these are full body photos, not just head shots - and 2 of the poses used for girls are just OTT, and not appropriate for young children, imo. too coquettish. I hate to think what they look like with the older girls - hopefully my (so far one-woman) campaign to get the poses changed will have kicked in by the time dd2 is that age...

Did they do that bloody pigeon toe stance? At least they've stuck to the usual head shots here.

What sort of coquettish poses could they possibly have? Sounds dire.

We had the modern style a couple of years ago and traditional last year, I think we are alternating so modern again this year (which all the staff hated last time). YABU to want both styles, they will probably be done by different companies and even if they could be done on the same day it would take bloody ages.
Also YABVU to consider putting them on the wall, except possibly in the child's bedroom. especially one from every year.

no, none standing. all are sitting, ranging from basic cross-legged (not a good look on anyone over the age of 3), to full on knees-drawn-up-looking-over-shoulder-with-head-cocked which just looks wrong

and the colouring is bloody awful - ultra modern bright white background, and over-developed colours, which means pale, blonde dd2 gets lost due to white-out.

oh for a bog-standard head shot, with the typical bluey-grey background...

One of my charges had a nursery shoot which was shoes off and him sort of reclined on the ground. It was weird and coquettish is a good word.

The parents did not buy it.

I just wanted a line up shot - of the whole school would have been particularly for that special "where's Wally" element. I never bought any of the trendy shots the nursery offered as the DCs always looked completed terrified.

I would have been appalled if my DPs had suggested my school photo went up on my wall - ours were kept in "the drawer with the school photos in it". DD has a much bigger class though (my school had 29 pupils in its entirety) so picture is much bigger and will get complete fucked in a drawer. Current location of most recent class shot is slotted down the side of the piano.

I really hope you are joking!

Does it matter that much? Part of the fun of old school photos is the dating thing, so in 20 years you will drag them out and you will all say "OMG!!! Do you remember when they did this "trendy" thing!" and laugh your heads off and compare them to the standard line ups.

To put it in perspective, when my dad was a kid they did one of those whole school jobs. Dad was in the first or second year and every kid was staring morosely into the lens except dad who was looking off in another direction with a finger up his nose to the knuckle. Grandma was FUMING. Seriously pissed off. Years later it was a family favourite and now has pride of place on the study wall, the same picture that Grandma claimed had got lost when they moved :o

Ivejust refused to buy those hideous shoes off white background trendy crap photos full stop.

I have plenty of photos of my own child and no desire to pay silly money for something as shit as that.

If they revert to rows I will purchase any future pictures immediately.

I'm not complete joking. However, if it bothered me more than a vague feeling of extremely mild irritation, would I post in IABU? No, no and twice no!! I don't actually care whether anyone thinks IABU but I am genuinely interested in what people have to say on the subject.

I would love a nose picking photo - now that is a proper school photo.

That would be thrice no...

The issue with the nose picking photo now is that my aunt and 2 of my uncles dont even get looked for in the "Where's Wally" because of Dad :o

I am not keen on the new photos but I understood that they were introduced because its easier to get a decent shot of half a dozen kids at a time and then photoshop them together than try to get a line up. Makes sense when you think of it like that.

I dont buy the class photo at all but for the last year at primary, its the same kids each year after all!

I like seeing every year of my school photos - it's the "journey" I enjoy, unadulterated by quirky character shots, all fresh faced innocence and tidy hair at the outset then increasing disenchantment. What I'd really like is to have everyone sitting in the same position every year and turn it into a flick book.

David Attenborough, eat your heart out!