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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not buy all the photos?

39 replies

bigearsthethird · 23/02/2017 15:53

I was chatting with a friend a couple of days ago and she mentioned her children had their school pictures and was moaning about the price. I said I hardly ever buy mine as they are usually not very good and cost a fortune. with 4 kids in 3 different schools it adds up!

She was shocked and said you have to buy them, its just what everyone does. So anyway I mentioned it to another friend and she was of the same opinion. That I am somehow potentially mentally scarring my children for life by not buying their school pictures.

TBH I'd rather spend the same money it would cost for 4 school pictures on a decent portrait of them all together. I don't see how them being in school uniform somehow makes a rubbish photo compulsary to buy.

I do take a picture of them on the first day of school each year, so have those little momentos. And I have also purchased pictures in the past that were really good - but these were at another school where the photos were done with lovely backgrounds and looked really nice. These days they are just like an oversized passport picture for a zillion times the price.

Am I being unreasonable to not want to buy the school pictures?

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 23/02/2017 15:55

I buy them mug but I really resent that two years in a row they are literally the worst pictures ever taken of DD. Really, she is a cute kid but these pictures...

SanitysSake · 23/02/2017 15:56

Not at all!

If it were me, I'd be getting all the kids in their different uniforms and frog-marching them to a studio to have one done that's infinitely better! And as you say - paying half the price!

PointxTaken · 23/02/2017 15:57

of course not BU at all!

I buy the class photos, because I think they might enjoy seeing them in a few years, but that is a personal choice. I don't always buy the individual ones, especially when the photographer has been "arty". I have plenty of photos of my kids, it makes 0 difference if we have the official one or not.

ChasedByBees · 23/02/2017 15:58

I I wouldn't buy them, I'd put them in their uniform and take photos myself.

APaperMe · 23/02/2017 16:00

I bought the the reception and will buy the year six, haven't bothered with the rest, like you I have 3 dcs and it is just too expensive.

picklemepopcorn · 23/02/2017 16:01

I didn't buy them very often. The school uses them to raise funds and has a choice about how much they charge you.

WhirlwindHugs · 23/02/2017 16:01

We don't buy them!

DJBaggySmalls · 23/02/2017 16:02

If everyone else jumped off a cliff would you have to do that?

Craftylittlething · 23/02/2017 16:03

First and last year of primary school for me. I got pissed off with always forking out for something so this was a good compromise.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 23/02/2017 16:04

I suspect this dates back to the days when cameras used film, which was expensive to buy, and expensive and time consuming to get processed, and people couldn't afford to take lots of snaps or get copies made, so the school photos were more important.

Now, the rise of digital photography, and phones with really good cameras built in means we can take and share photos so easily that we really don't need the formal school photo.

needapaddle · 23/02/2017 16:04

Two children one Y8 and on Y2 - I have bought 2 photos in total since DS1 started school as the other photos weren't good (plus all SO expensive) and we have a camera, I don't get the 'must' buy them thing at all!

GlassSeahorse · 23/02/2017 16:04

They piss me off so much. The prices are ridiculous. I didn't buy any of the last ones They rely on patents feeling like they have to buy them feel guilted into it.

I'd sooner take them to Max Spielman down the road. Dirt cheap and better (less hurried) pictures.

Floggingmolly · 23/02/2017 16:05

Of course you don't have to. They're generally complete crap.

GlassSeahorse · 23/02/2017 16:05

Full stop fail AND parents not patents Hmm

reallyanotherone · 23/02/2017 16:06

I am scarred by my mum not buying my school photos :)

However she would get the proofs and remark she wasn't buying it because of some percieved fault in my appearance.

She wonders why i hate having my photo taken.

Original poster
bigearsthethird · 23/02/2017 16:11

Good to hear I'm not weird and damaging my childrens mental health then :) (Sorry to hear that reallyanotherone but I have never said its because of their appearance, so should be ok on that front!)

OP posts:
mickeyjohn · 23/02/2017 16:11

I have only bought them twice and my children are in years 5&6. They're always terrible - making my gorgeous children look like mutants. I have far nicer photos I have taken on my iPhone! I personally HATE all 'forced' photos anyway - those bloody awful family things where there's a white background and everyone is larking about and then they charge you a fortune for a bunch of staged, horrible photos. Yuk! Ditto staged wedding shots. Mine were hideous - forced smiles look so bad! I hated all of those ones too!

YADNBU

BlisseyMon · 23/02/2017 16:13

I bought them but only if they were good photos....which was almost never. My kids weren't fussed about them either.

Crumbs1 · 23/02/2017 16:19

I've got the odd one or two that were particularly good. A black and white unposed one from nursery, a leavers event one and ball photos but not much else. Most are poor quality and overpriced.

Zaralara · 23/02/2017 16:19

I bought a ye reception one and will buy the year 6 one.

They're too expensive and not very good. I'm not really one for professional photos full stop. Photos for me are memories, so I like to capture the moment.

Much nicer to take one at home on their first day of the school year. That would be a nice thing to keep.

I can't say I've ever given my own school photos a second thought either.

OpalFruitsMarathonsandSpira · 23/02/2017 16:24

YANBU but I wouldn't miss one! Ours are quite cheap (and good) because a dad in the school is the photographer. I just love having them all like a wee face morph!

Grin
atheistmantis · 23/02/2017 16:26

I buy the cheapest one and it's not too bad then.

School2 · 23/02/2017 16:30

I buy them all but never display them. For me it's because I like to see the change in the kids year on year. I have friends who don't buy them and I don't think anything of it.

OhGodWhatTheHellNow · 23/02/2017 16:30

If it's done by Tempest, who seem to have the monopoly round here, school get no say in the charges, they're all pre-set. School get a commission on sales but have no input into the rates.

I wish Tempest would get some decent photographers.

knackeredinyorkshire · 23/02/2017 16:30

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