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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

School photos

39 replies

Mummyyummy2012 · 03/10/2016 18:37

Do you always buy your DC's school photo? We had some really lovely pics done over the summer at DD's nursery before she left of both the children- really beautiful and we love them.
School photos- DD's reception one is Ok but DS's one is totally awful- he looks scruffy (as school didn't tell us it was photo day so he had old hoody on) and is just really unflattering and his eyes aren't focussed so he doesn't look like himself.
AIBU to not get them this year? I feel bad as always want to mark each year but they are just so rushed and awful I feel reluctant to spend the nearly 30 quid on 2 fairly shite pictures- the first day of school pics on my phone are better- is that really bad?

OP posts:

Planty18 · 04/10/2016 10:20

I have bought one class one as my daughter really wanted one but none of them yet individually as they are horrendous every time. Grimace or no teeth or whatever instruction they've been given, or not even close to smiling. Disappointing. I am still appalled at some of the ones my mum bought of me and used to hate seeing them so I suppose that has made me want to avoid buying horrid ones too!

coldcanary · 04/10/2016 10:23

We just buy the first and last year and that's it. There was a huge outcry 2 years ago at the primary school when the photographer did those 'natural' style shots and fused them all together with groups of children holding various things (like lacrosse sticks. The school has never offered lacrosse, most kids don't even know what they're for!) and trying to look like they're all having a good time. They looked absolutely hideous, especially as the lights were too strong and most children looked totally washed out. DD1 is blonde and pale skinned - she looked sick!
DH is a good photographer and has taken some great pictures of the DC's so we use them but we do buy the reception and year 6 photos. The high school only do first and last year posed photos so we're also getting those.

WhooooAmI24601 · 04/10/2016 10:23

I only buy the lovely ones. The ones where they look like they're about to sneeze/cry I don't bother with. The class ones are lovely in reception (I got him to write everyone's names on the back so when he's grown up he can remember who was who) but the rest are a bit pointless.

CandODad · 04/10/2016 16:33

The problem with the digital ones from ours is that they still come as part of a package and if we want one from dd, one from ds and one of themntogether they expect you to pay three sets of additional fee rather than one digital fee and £10 per additional photo. I do wonder if this is one of those jobs that some schools could organize better themselves.

Statelychangers · 04/10/2016 16:39

I never buy them, the quality of photography is usually pretty poor and I don't like kids in uniform so much as their own clothes anyway. MIL always wants a photo, so we usually choose a nice one that we've taken and stick it in a frame.

NonnoMum · 04/10/2016 22:45

The point of School photos is that school has a visual record of each child so if there is any discussion we all know who we are referring to... "Oh, this Sophie Smith? No - this Sophie Smith. She was the one who is allergic to nuts/thumped Amy Brown/is the one we have chosen for the netball team..."
Any money the photographer makes comes from the massively overpriced packages and is the photographer's bonus for doing a pretty thankless job (obviously not bad in a cute infant school but fairly relentless in a massive 1000 student establishment...

MissWLopez · 04/10/2016 23:07

I buy them all - I always wished my parents did!

Statelychangers · 04/10/2016 23:09

The point of School photos is that school has a visual record of each child so if there is any discussion we all know who we are referring to... "Oh, this Sophie Smith? No - this Sophie Smith. She was the one who is allergic to nuts/thumped Amy Brown/is the one we have chosen for the netball team..."
At our school - the budget stretches to s digital camera - has done since they started 10 years ago - the teachers take the pics for identification purposes - the school has no need for an official photographer, unless they make a bit of commission?

HeCantBeSerious · 05/10/2016 00:30

Yes, schools get a kickback from the photographer/company. It's the only reason they do it. It's got nothing to do with IDing kids!

Meeep · 05/10/2016 00:51

I only buy them if they're particularly nice.

So I've got one from nursery, one from reception, then never bought any others!

FeelingSmurfy · 05/10/2016 01:06

If you really want a school picture type photo then places like max speilmans do a deal for around £10 where they take loads of photos until you are happy and you get some prints included like you would with the school offers, but loads cheaper and you can pick a nice photo. So if you want the photo but it's awful, I would take child in uniform of a weekend and get one done

MadisonAvenue · 05/10/2016 01:42

This is the first year that I haven't had to buy school photos seeing as my youngest son left in June. I've always bought them though, luckily there's never been a bad one and they're lovely to look back on. I've always bought the class one too.

CheesyWeez · 05/10/2016 08:28

I think school photographers should be knowledgeable about different skin colours. On DS's class photo you can't see the black children's faces at all. I was thinking maybe it was hard to get a balance in a group photo - but no, their individual shots were also hard to see.

Perhaps they should spend more time getting good individual shots and print them together on a sheet (American year book style). Every year I feel like asking the local college to send up the photography students to see if they do a better job.

That seems like School Photographer Skill Number 1 (make sure you can see all the kids) surely?

callmeadoctor · 05/10/2016 09:24

I always buy them, if they are really bad it is even better to show off when they are 21 or getting married!! (evil mother alert!)

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