To really hate group class photos?

[TheBadgersMadeMeDoIt]

I didn't buy DD's class photo this year because I can't bear all the fake casualness. The kids are all over the place - sprawled on the grass or leaning against trees. One was sitting on a tree-stump, sideways on to the camera for some reason. DD was arm-in-arm with another girl and scowling. The photographer had told her to pose like that with her "buddy". The girl in question is the one child in the class that DD really doesn't get on with. (Hence the scowl).

Maybe I'm just hopelessly old fashioned but what was wrong with the row of benches, folded arms and cheesy grins? At least you could see everyone's face. Is it just me?

What? Ludicrous!

Round up the kids, arrange them by height, have the shorter ones sit on benches and make them all do big grins that show off their gappy teeth/braces. It's the British way.

As a child I always hated them. I was always stuck at the back because I was tall.
I wanted to be one of the cute girls who sat in the front row with my hands on my lap

My mum has one of me with my sister scowling at playschool. I can still remember not liking the photographer so refusing to smile when he asked me too. lol.

I bought reception one and will buy year 6. but otherwise don't bother.

They are awful aren't they. DS had four small group photos taken of his class, that were then (badly) photo shopped together. I asked for a discount as he was on the end! He is sat on the floor and has a class mate sat next to him holding an empty wooden frame. His teacher is perched on a wooden stool behind them.

It is an improvement on his last school which had him lean against a post with a green screen, that was changed to a lake scene with him leaning against a tree. We put fairy stickers on the proof for that one and sent it back.

Bring back the old fashioned class ones, with the teachers standing on the end. Kids in lines, perched on gym benches.

I hate how the tall children always have to stand and the short ones get to sit at the front with their lovely outfits on show, holding the sign etc. Why can't the little ones stand on benches sometimes and let the taller ones sit? It's not like we're talking a 2 foot height difference!

Our school stopped bringing the photographers in altogether as I can only guess that nobody liked this new style of photographs as they are so expensive and large, requiring a larger than average amount of space to display! It is a shame though because my youngest two do not have any school photos

It was a 2 foot difference between me and the tall ones

There I am proudly on the front row of y6 proudly displaying my "virgin socks" and t-bar shoes because I hadn't grown into lace-up ranges looking like a not-over-sized 6 year old! I was very easily eclipsed.

I'm glad it's not just me who thinks they are dreadful. Last year I bought one because it was DD's reception year and I was feeling sentimental. Also she was standing next to her friend in it, and was at least smiling.

I live with her. I see her RBF every day...I'm not paying £13 for it!

Growing up we posed on benches. I'm surprised it's changed. My parents didn't buy many although they put the sample ones in the photo albums

Wouldn't shock me if they made the sample ones tiny now to avoid others doing the same!

I hate the new stylised class photos - myself was with a kid she didn't like and had to put her hands on her shoulders. It was awfully forced looking.

Also the teacher was kneeling and surrounded with kids with their hands on her shoulders. It looked bloody weird. Like village of the damned...

Dc not 'myself'

I planned to get their first one from foundation and again from YR6. However I got both of mine this year as they both have fantastic teachers who they both adore and asked for a copy.

They still do ours in rows, although they have recently started to stage a little with some of the children folding arms/arms on shoulders/facing a different direction etc. They do look very staged though regardless of the fact they are going for a more natural look. Very difficult to achieve with so many children

Why don't you ask if they can take a traditional one instead? If you think other parents agree with you, get them to ask too, or maybe school will agree to do a quick poll on which style parents would prefer?

My DDs had traditional ones when they were at school. I didn't buy them every year, but I did buy them every 3-4 years because I thought DDs might like to have them as adults. So far they don't seem to be in the least interested so they're in the under-the-stairs cupboard with the rest of their unclaimed junk belongings, but I think they'll want them eventually. If not, perhaps they'll be worth a fortune on Ebay once traditional class photos are a thing of the past.

I've never heard of this new style of class photos. I'm also very glad my kids' schools don't appear to have heard of it either! How bizarre!

The last casual style one DD was absolutely mortified by, she was made to pose crawling out from between her (male) teacher's legs

Say what?!

I hate how the tall children always have to stand and the short ones get to sit at the front with their lovely outfits on show, holding the sign etc. Why can't the little ones stand on benches sometimes and let the taller ones sit? It's not like we're talking a 2 foot height difference!

All through primary school I had to sit in the front as I was one of the smallest. I always wanted to stand up. Then I had a growth spurt and was really looking forward to finally being able to stand up in the class photo in middle school. But no. The policy there was to have the tall children sitting down, and the short ones standing. There was one poor girl who was so short that she's barely visible (despite standing on tippy toes) on the high bench on the back row.

Then in high school my form class was so small, they simply had the girls sitting, and the boys standing. I was robbed every year. :(

Boo! to staged-casual form photos, but it's only as I've aged that I appreciate traditional form photos. I think they work for the children not the parents. The joy of seeing scanned form photos of me and my now largely gorgeous, cool mates captured in all the glory of our mullet pudding bowls, then mullet cuts, NHS specs and wonky teeth - is not to be sniffed at.

I'll buy one per child per school, as I always enjoyed looking back at mine.

Certainly not every year!

I don't buy their unflattering single ones either though.

Quite frankly, I couldn't abide parting with money, for a photo which contains other people's dc. I blame my dm, she had this thinking. 'I want a photo of my child, no one else's'.

Meh!

I haven't seen this type (thankfully) DS do the sitting in a row kind. The school do some weird system where you can't just by one simple portrait one of your own kid, you get a "pack" which includes the class pic and they also do an "opt out" system rather than a request to in. To be honest what am I going to do with a picture of a lot of random kids and ds sulking in the second row? So I gave it to him where he's had fun drawing devil horns on the teacher and glasses on little Tommy Smith and got money's worth that way

They're expensive and an annoying shape.
Last year my sons school did a whole school photo and didn't do the arty farty posed class photos.
Then one of the teachers decided they'd do it and did the standard photo with everyone stood in lines.
They looked much better than the 'professional' ones.
All except my sons year. He was forced to pose behind a bongo drum. He did not look happy about it.
Needless to say, I did not buy a picture of my child looking miserable.

Bring back the highly varnished PE bench rows

I agree, they're annoying and awkwardly shaped huge monstrosities. Forced fun captured on camera.

Bring back the orderly rows of little smiley faces. We have these traditional photos in secondary now.

Orderly rows of teenage moodiness. Perfect.

We don't do the casual ones we only do the ones with 3 rows and a teacher at each end. This is probably because we do it in-house and get one of the PTA members to come in with a digital camera to do the pictures and then we sell them for £3 each as a fundraising exercise.

I think the new type are so much better, because they are in small groups they have more choice and less likelt ti get one child spoiling it.