To be feeling a bit ripped off by school photos?

[StillGotCake]

A photographer comes to my daughter's school a couple of times a year. We always buy the photos - an emotional decision really, school photos being something of a childhood essential - but I am increasingly feeling a bit ripped off by it all.

This term's effort is a choice of two very similar photos. The cheapest "package" is £10 for a 5x7 print of one of the photos. Both photos on a CD (no prints) is £32. A typical package (both photos in a couple of different sizes) is forty-odd quid.

I get that this is fundraising for the school and even I'd be happy to spend a bit more if I felt that the school was making an effort to give parents reasonable VFM, but as it is I'm considering giving it a miss altogether.

The quality of the photos usually range from OK to frankly a bit rubbish. I can't remember the last one that was a really nice photo.

I'm all for the school raising funds, but I feel that I'm being held upside down by my ankles and shaken until my pockets have been emptied. Am I alone in thinking that schools could make a bit more effort for the money?

I don't think it is usually used to raise money for the school, the money is for the photography company - why not suggest to the school they try a different one next year? And you don't have to order one. We only buy every other year unless it's a particularly nice one as I've found our DSs don't look that different when the photos are one year apart.

The school does get a kick back from the photography company, ditto uniform suppliers.

I only buy one photo per child. Every few years buy extra copy for grandparents. What do you do with the purchased photos? If they are displayed then just update it each year and keep the old ones for that child when they are older.

I haven't bought the school photos for a few years. The photographer who comes to our school is always abrupt and a bit miserable, my youngest 2 DC where glasses and she can't seem to get a photo of them where the frame of their glasses is not covering their eyes.

As for the whole school photo (I understand it is difficult to get all of the children looking and smiling at the same time) they are always squinting into the sun.

You don't have to buy them and don't feel guilty if you don't.

Never bothered to buy a school photo

Can't remember the last one I bought. They are such poor quality I haven't bought for ages. If it was a nice photo fair enough but they never are and I think the photographers have just become complacent. I think they are a total rip off and until parents stop just buying them because they feel they should it will never change.

ditto uniform suppliers. Really? Asda?/Tesco?

where - wear

Stop buying them then. Yes they're a rip off but they're optional. Nobody is forcing you to pay for them

I only buy it if it's a good one and certainly don't buy every one of them.

Feel your pain. Just paid 10 euros for two group photos (DC in same nursery but different groups) because individual packs for them both came to 40 euros with only one decent pic each. Just cannot justify it.
In fairness the photographer did a sibling set which would ''only'' have cost 20 but managed to have a set without one usable pic in it (it's like herding cats with mine) plus I would still have had to spend the 10 on the group ones (always buy so I can identify kids mine moan about or whose parents I need to say sorry to!)
I am sure if I contacted her direct the photographer might well be prepared to just sell me the two pics I like individually (there is a separate price list) but nursery said it was too much hassle.

I paid £95 for DD's nursery photos. That is quite a few pictures and lots of poses. They are really lovely photos though and will be doubling up as Christmas pressies for the grandparents.