To be cross with the school thinking we're made of money

[InFlagranteDelicto]

Had school photos back for 3 of our tribe of 4.

Just received the proofs for ds and dd2 who are at the village school, and I'm staggered at the prices!

One 10 x 7 photo : £16.00 (dss' is £9.50, dd1's usually similar)
Two 7 x 5 photos : £17.00 (dss' £9, again dd1's is usually similar)

So then I notice they've used a different company to last year, as last year's were reasonable, similar to dss' and dd1's, so I googled the company. This year they've used the company belonging to a parent of a child at the school.

Aibu to be a bit narked? The school's attitude in general seems to be that we have buckets of money to spare, but to me this takes the biscuit.

We have a tradition of sticking all the kids school photos on the wall each year, so I feel I'm over a barrel, but it's sticking in my throat a bit.

My DS has just returned with photo. While a nice pic I can't simply buy one decent size photo I can only buy a pack.

Go in to the school and complain. Stop them using the company next year

Put your child in school uniform against a blank background and take your own picture! Write to the school saying that you would have bought from the company they used last year but this one is too expensive.

I think people really underestimate just what a good quality picture from a professional photographer costs.

It's not a governor issue. Speak to the headteacher if you have a complaint.

The reasons schools still do this, is they get free photos of every pupil, which is useful for records. I haven't bought photos for years until this year, and then I bought the digital rights only. My printer can do pretty good photo prints.

You surprise me, mummytime. Most schools/establishments that I know have a chair, a piece of the right colour cloth to go behind it and and a digital camera to take standard photos they need as necessary for records and pupil IDs.

Speak to the Head, its not an issue for the governors.

When I was a teacher, the school chose a photographer that provided (free) a small pic of each child for the records (nearly 400 on roll), a group photo (free) for all the staff, AND individual photos of each teacher, (also free!) Talk about sweeteners!

I think there is a copyright on professional photos, so it's illegal to copy them at home.

Surely with today's technology, parents can take their own photos digitally at home, enhance them, do all sorts of fancy adjustments and print them without spending more than a few pence?

School photos are an utter rip off, especially if you have more than one DC.

They could do it that way, but it would be a waste of resources. My DCs school do it on the first day of the autumn term. Someone comes in and marshals the students to have a quick photo. It takes less staff time, and can be pre-timetabled. The school gets standard format photos, with no effort (and probably digitally). The company probably even gives them some money for the privilege.
Other photos through the school year can be done by teachers, but that is more common in Primary than secondary in my experience.

However they have been so badly done that I haven't bought any for years. The company this year did an okay job, and let us buy just the digital rights - as well as packages.

But unless the photos are something special - I'd be unlikely to buy. And by special I don't mean "artistically" posed.

The trouble I have with that, mummytime is that the school would then be asking the parents to pay for something that they should have included in budgets if necessary and to pay profits for the photographic company which individual parents might not be able to afford.

If parents wish to patronize eg a local or national firm by having photos taken by them then fine, that's their right - but I'm really uneasy about parents who may be making severe economies to keep things going in their households being forced to do so by dint of what is often peer or school pressure.

What I do is use a local company as soon as the new uniforms are bought. I take my time to get them ready and the photographer whic HS comes to the house.

The result is much better photos as the photographer has more time and better deals.

Going against the grain but I don't think it's actually that expensive. You're not paying for a photo, you're paying for a professional photographer's time. If you went to a local studio for a "family shoot" you'd pay a hell of a lot more for one photo.

Appreciate it does all add up though if you have more than one.

Me624 - school photography is very different though. They rattle through them in no time at all. Certainly at secondary they get through several classes in a single hour. It's not comparable to going to a studio and having a private photo shoot.

I always buy just one of the cheapest option and without the frames options.

Public procurement law requires that large value public contracts must be publicly tendered for and someone with connections should not really be chosen. Here the contract value will be below the limits but given the huge number of school scandals including not far from where I live of schools heads giving contracts to relatives and the like this kind of thing looks very bad and should be stopped.