School photo price moan

[Yellowskies1988]

Sick of been sent several photos and not being able to add them both to a package (tempest)

Why cant schools just set up a seat on the hall, drop the curtain and suggest several backgrounds then do their own photos + Charge half as less and keep the money to go towards funding instead of getting professionals in? Maybe people would buy more + school get more funding.

Schools are full of staff who are professional photographers, or will put up with the complaints when the photo of little Abigail isn't perfect.
OP pop in the staffroom next time you're in school and sort it out.

Just take your own photo of your own child then.

You don’t have to buy them.

If you only want one or two copies of each photo scroll down to the 'Extras' section- they have smaller, cheaper sets and you can order them without adding a full package. I paid £8ish for 2 desk photos and some wallet ones, did this for both DC so only paid about £16 for both DCs photos (it was a while ago so I can't remember the exact price)

Tempest have intriduced some much simpler, cheaper, simpler packages in recent years than they previously had (I’ve been on the receiving end of school photos for 10 years!). I don’t buy them every year, it’s not compulsory, I don’t think you’d get a professional photos and 3 prints for £14 anywhere else. Pretty sure this is what I have just paid for DS and DD (different schools).

Not sure schools have generally got the resources to do school pics with their own staff, but if you are volunteering OP.....

@Paddington68 no or maybe they could get the local photography club or college class to do it instead ... didnt mean to make you cry

@BikeRunSki I havent the time I'm afraid, working full time, caring for terminally I'll partner and autistic son takes up most of my time

People who are saying "you dont have to buy" your right but it's my child reception one this year so it would be nice to have photos.

People wouldn't buy more because the photos would be crap. Also why should a member of staff spend a day taking photos when they could be educating children?

Just sit your child in front of a plain wall one morning before school, take a photo on your phone and print it out.Job done.

Surely the time you are spending on mumsnet you could instead spend taking a photo on phone? For free?

OP do you have a phone? You can take a photo of your child yourself, and then when you have enough time or money, you can get them printed off at most supermarkets now.
You are definitely being unreasonable to suggest teachers or support staff take the photos themselves.

Yeah the students from college would love to do that...

maybe they could get the local photography club or college class to do it instead

And who will pay for them to be criminal record checked? If you have that much of a problem then take your child to a photographer in their uniform and you can choose what you want.

The photo's of my son were shit and a total rip off. Just take your own. Never saw the appeal of school photos anyway.

To get those school photos, you need a very expensive camera. You need a high spec laptop able to deal with very large images very quickly. You need a background, you need lighting, you need the ability to get anything up to over a thousand children through by taking a good photo first time every time. You then need access to professional printing, mounting, framing, godawful keyring and mug facilities capable of doing the turnaround in about 10 days.

It's a military operation to get it done.

Add any element of 'Miss with her mobile' or 'Sir with his Christmas present' and you'll get parents complaining, wanting retakes, wanting free photos as 'it's only Sir/Miss doing it', wanting the kid who was off to have their photo taken next Tuesday when it's more convenient, wanting free image files, etc, etc.

Stick said child on a chair at home, wearing a school uniform and a sheet behind them. Bingo!

Worked for me, i dont do professional photos.

So while the member of staff is busy spending the day taking pictures on exactly the same equipment you have at home what happens to the class they teach?

If you don’t like them, don’t buy them. It’s not like back with I was was a child and few people had cameras. Every child is photographed thousands of times now.

If you are willing to pay double taxes to make sure all teachers are also professional photographers then no YANBU.

I think you are greatly underestimating how much money and equipment it takes to take professional photos. And if the college photography club (if that even exists! ) took the pictures, would you be willing to pay for them all to be DBS checked too?

I think many on the thread have let you know now that your solution is not a solution at all so yes YABU.

I didn’t bother after primary school and even those are now gathering dust somewhere. It all seems so important at the time but it’s just such a con and as parents they try their best to make you feel bad if you don’t buy. As other people have said, just take your own but tbh, you probably won’t even be that bothered in years to come.

These days with camera phones if you want a basic picture you can easily take it yourself. If you want a professional one you have to pay a bit more for it.

@Paddington68 no or maybe they could get the local photography club or college class to do it instead ... didnt mean to make you cry

Dbs checked?
supervised by school staff?

I wpuldnt mind if they were actually good. Our ones are awful. The class ones even the teachers look odd.

Does the school get a cut from it? I've never managed to work this out.

Schools do get a cut from Tempest

Yes the school will get a cut, like book you buy from them.

I don’t buy any school photographs, having previously bought all of them.
They are too expensive, the cheapest smallest shot £18, and they are usually awful.

Wow! Some people are being very rude. I understand Op. they charge a fortune for copies of the same pic just different sizes. It’s nice to buy official school photos but I think they take advantage of this