Has anyone else NEVER purchased school photos?

[IntensiveCareBear]

My eldest is 14 and I've never bought them. I just find them too expensive and I have a large family so the cost would run very high.

Part of me feels guilty and wonders if I should buy them this year.

But then I think for the cost I could hire a training photographer and have a nice little 30 min photo shoot done outdoors.

[Ignoramusgiganticus]

I have all the school photos of mine from reception till year 11, kept in their baby boxes. They all have copyright written over them though as I've never bought any, just kept the ones they send home for you to choose from...
It gives an idea of how they've changed in their school uniforms to go with the hundreds that we've taken of them over the years.

[DianaPrincessOfThemyscira]

I like them. I like looking at the ones of me and my sibs as well.

Having said that, I balk at the prices and only by the rights to download and print out a few copies for the grannies.

[EskSmith]

I have never bought an individual one. I make a point of taking their photo on their first day back each year, because it is fun to look back on them growing.
I bought dd1's class photo in year 6 as she really wanted it.
The prices they charge get are really crazy, not sure how anyone can justify it nowadays.

[Milkandcornflakes]

Im going to put a different spin on it.i dont even know what i looked like as a child..mum simply couldnt afford school pics and never bought a camera. My ds has autism and cannot sit still for a school pic and hates the lighting etc..hes 7. Nursery managed to get one a few years ago (school photographer) but ds was gurning and a staff member thought it would be a wonderfull idea to put a stuff hungry caterpillar toy on his shoulder (his obsession at the time)..it was bloody ghastly but i bought it anyway. School photographer is there on Friday..cant bloody wait to see how the pics turn out..

[buckeejit]

Never. I like taking photos of my dc & while they're nice enough, I prefer photos of them outside with a bit of scenery or something & wearing non uniform clothes!

[ReverseTheFerret]

I buy them - buy the digital format of it and then get the prints done I actually want doing rather than ending up with random ones in a variety pack that don't suit what I want them for.

Not as impressed with the school's photographer as I was with the nursery one who got bloody amazing pictures of them - but normally they do about 4 different individual poses and 4 different sibling poses - and I tend to buy 3-4 of them in digital format to get prints made from. This year the sibling ones were gorgeous so I've got 5 (they discount multiples fairly heavily so not as horrific as it sounds). Then I just update the same photoframes in the house with their up-to-date ones each year.

I don't buy the class ones though - this year I don't think I particularly want a reminder of the little cherub who's been picking on DD2 and making her fall over on purpose.

[Beaverhausen]

Since my daughter has been in her new primary school for the last 3 years, unfortunately not.

Not because I do not want too but the quality of her photos have been terrible.

[Poster65]

I assume most of us end up with Tempest?

I agree with PP in this day in age I think Tempest’s pricing is actually ridiculous and we get tied up having to purchase this image of our child in their uniform when we probably could do a good if not better job ourselves

[Blobby10]

I only ever bought one of the 10 x 6" ones of my 3 for each school year but this was several years ago before school photos became the money making racket it is now! In those days, you could get on 10 x 6 or 2 7 x 5 for a reasonable amount. Then they introduced 10 passport sized photos - who on earth uses those?!!

[roses2]

My DS1 school photos are £18 for 1 electronic image. This seemed reasonable to me and the photos are excellent quality with the jumper stains photo shopped out .

DS2 had some photos at nursery and the cost was £65 for 1 electronic image . Needles to say I did not buy this and I'm thinking about giving the nursery some feedback.

Does anyone know if the state primary school photos are subsidised? I can't understand why there is such as large price difference!

[saganorenscarandcoat]

Only bought them when in Reception. Complete waste of money.

[DesdemonasHandkerchief]

I've bought every single one (however hideous ) individual and class, I've put them in a dedicated album for each child. They do get looked at by me and the kids occasionally, and it's nice to see the change in them from pre school right up to Uni. (Which is where they're all up to now.) However I agree they're expensive for what they are and I've always gone for the single photo rather than package 'deals'.

[LibraryLurker]

As an aunt, I liked receiving one of the smaller ones of the niece and nephew and still keep those. Growing up it wasn't every year. I still have one from Junior school. One first year Secondary and then GCE year of school. I banned my mum from buying my that one as I had my braces on my teeth and it was a horrible photo! However I do still have my First Year secondary and U 6th Class photos and am pleased I have those to look back on. I also have one of those really old LONG whole school photos and have sued that as an icebreaker for a group of friends who do not know each other - ie I'm finishing prepping lunch and I throw them the rolled up photo and say "We eat when You've found me on there" - sometimes I give them a clue of my approx age I was when it was taken. So think of it from the child's point of view too.

[twofrontteeth]

I've bought the class and year group ones, I think children appreciate those when they are older.

[NotUmbongoUnchained]

I’m the other way around. I couldn’t imagine not buying my children’s photos but don’t understand why I’d want a class one??

[elliejjtiny]

I buy the class ones, year R, year 6 and year 11. Not the individual ones though.

[Starlight345]

I bought reception and year 6 class ones.

My Ds bought home an awful pic from high school ( proofs ) I wouldn’t of kept it if it was free.

[Cronesquerness]

I bought one once as I'd always thought of them as too expensive and they are. Once was enough.

[Vanessatiger]

My mum never bought them for me but for my other siblings. I don’t know what I looked like at school

[cricketmum84]

I've bought them twice, to be put on a shelf still bagged up and forgotten about. MIL likes to have one of them but for a £30 package of photos she can take her own!!

[RedPanda2]

Goodness i didn't know school photos were still a thing! So outdated

[keepingbees]

I buy them, but for sentimental value really as my kids don't generally like having their photo taken and especially not in their uniform. I only buy the economy packs though which aren't silly expensive.
I hate the class photos they seem to do these days. Random groups of children in no sort of order, photoshopped onto a gleaming white back ground. I much prefer the old style where everyone sat/stood together as a class.

[catgirl1976]

I don't

If I wanted a photo of DH against a white wall in his uniform grinning awkwardly I'd take on myself.

[Mamawingingit1234]

I think class photos are still a good idea as you wouldn’t have the opportunity to take them yourself and it’s lovely looking back. But individuals photos not so much.

[mollysmammy]

I buy the class one, but not the individual one.

I was shocked at how expensive they were, I would much rather take a picture and have it framed.

Ironically my Dad bought all of mine and they all got damaged in a flood...