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Original poster

Crap school photo

55 replies

Clarabel22 · 28/11/2011 12:35

Can't believe how dreadful my childrens' school photo is this year. I have just called the company (Gillman and Soame) and said to them that it looked like someone has simply said "smile" to my kids, as this is exactly the fake smile they produce when asked to smile on demand (and it really does look comical). Surely a photographer's job is to engage with the subject and get a natural smile out of them? Anyway, she actually said to me that "in the current climate" their photographers are not allowed to talk to the children except to say "smile". I give up.

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oneofthosedays · 01/12/2011 19:15

Our school had tempest and I was pleased at how they came out, but heard from a couple of other schools nearby that parents were not impressed!! Ours is only a tiny primary so maybe the photog had a bit more time to coax some personality out of them! I'm sure Gilman and Soame have been going since I was at high school, so a good 15-20 years ago, they're obviously still making money somehow!

picnicbasketcase · 01/12/2011 19:21

I didn't buy any they took this year (DS, DD, and one of both of them). DS wasn't smiling naturally in either, in one he looked actually evil, and DD looked worried in both of hers. Sad really because it was DD's first school picture and I would've liked to have it, but I couldn't bring myself to spend £12 on a horrible photo I wouldn't want to display.

Sandalwood · 01/12/2011 19:59

It wasn't that the pose was no good oneofthosedays - she just didn't have a single freckle on her nose. It was a weird pic. Made my DD look plastic.

SoupDragon · 01/12/2011 20:41

DD and DS2s Tempest ones are fine :o

auntpetunia · 01/12/2011 21:20

we have ours taken by Braiswick and I have to say they have always been lovely and aren't too expensive cheapest was £10.50. Have never not bought a photo.

IwishIwasmoresparkly · 01/12/2011 21:25

Colorphoto do ours and they were all (3) lovely this year.

peeriebear · 01/12/2011 22:06

Ours are by Ward Hendry and they offer two poses- one 'formal' and one 'fun'. The 'fun' one invariably looks shoddy and is at such an angle it looks like the camera tipped over as the picture was captured. This year they have miraculously managed not to fuck it up and I am getting a copy of the 'formal' one.
I think that since they moved from proper photography to trying to do these trendy photoshoot style pictures I have bought one, out of six years. A shame, but they really do look shit :(

picnicbasketcase · 01/12/2011 22:18

That's it - Ward Hendry does my DC's school too, couldn't remember the name. Bloody awful informal lounging around pictures. Hate them.

Kaekae · 03/12/2011 15:38

My sons nursery one was horrendous, he wasn't smiling and his eyes looked all droopy! This year we had white background, one portrait and three landscape head shots Hmm the portrait one is ok, he must have had games that day because his hair looks square. In the other headshot photos he is lauging but I don't understand why these weren't portrait as they would have looked much nicer. Had to pay £25 for a copy of them. I didn't want to pay £24 for a single 10 by 9. Why are they so big?

tallulah · 03/12/2011 15:50

My Dd has just started reception and we have had no photo taken :(

LemonMousstletoeandWine · 03/12/2011 18:08

Ours have improved tremendously since one of our teachers who's a keen photographer took over the job. Much more natural and relaxed.

Why, even the staff group photo makes us look almost human Grin

upthealdi · 03/12/2011 20:28

Our school photos were terrible. White background...and school uniform is a white polo shirt. They should have either changed the background or asked them to put their blue sweatshirts on. Aldo the word "proof" was emblazoned right across ds2's eyes so I couldn't even see if they were open. Surprise surprise we didn't buy!

BCHO · 22/02/2012 22:52

The firm the Junior school recommended that we changed to was 'The School Photography Company' Had two photos from them now. Both lovely and less than a tenner each. Thank goodness they got rid of the other overpiced company.

Melpomene · 22/02/2012 23:09

My dd had a truly dreadful class photo. It was taken outside in the courtyard with all the children facing into the sun so most of them are squinting. Some of the children are in shadow which is so dark you can't see their faces. And several in the back row, including my dd, were blocked by people in front and barely visible.

goingtoofast · 22/02/2012 23:19

My childrens school uses Tempest. One of my dd's is a model and rarely takes a bad photo - every Tempest photo of her has been awful, it really is a skill to take a bad photo of her!

startail · 23/02/2012 01:30

I remember watching on

startail · 23/02/2012 01:37

Sorry wrong button.

I remember one school photographer who was in such a hurry we'd hardly sat down when he shouted "next".

Some are defiantly better than others, bit all school photos are a rip off.

I just want a disk with all the poses or joint single pictures of my DDs for let's say £15.
Not £20 a pose.
It was reasonable when they printed full-sized sale and return proofs, but with digital cameras it's a joke.

crystalglasses · 23/02/2012 01:44

We must have been doing painting just before photographs at my primary school because I had a great big smear of paint across my forehead. I remember my mother complaining that the teacher should have cleaned my face beforehand

maxybrown · 23/02/2012 10:18

I hate Pret a portrait - apalling service and CRAP photos. I did buy one just because it was full length of DS in his nursery uniform, but never again. It was all soft and wishy washy - they provided me with 20! shots I could look at online - you had to edit them yourself and most of them looked like he needed a poo! My friend is a photographer and was up for a visit when it arrived, his words were "what a pile of wank" Grin if school continue to use them we won't be buying another one

SmileSchoolPhotos · 08/04/2012 21:03

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wedoNOTdothat · 08/04/2012 21:28

There was nothing wrong with the quality of dd1s first ever school photo.

I was just taken aback by the snowy owl on her shoulder....

LeeCoakley · 08/04/2012 21:47

There sometimes isn't time to 'engage' with the children and besides the photographer doesn't know the difference between your child's fake and natural smile. They only have between 1 and 2 minutes to 'process' each child and that includes seating them, focussing, adjusting their pose, 'smile!' and checking the shot. Anything longer and the conveyor-belt of shuffling children starts getting angsty, jumpers get ruffled, hair gets played with, eyes get rubbed etc. Grin

Mrskbpw · 08/04/2012 21:57

We bought my son's because he's in reception and it was his first one. But it was taken when it was freakishly hot in Oct. I said in the morning for him to remember to put on his school sweatshirt as it's v nice and more interesting than plain white polo shirt. He did, bless him, but the collar was all bunched up and he's generally wonky. He's 4! Couldn't someone have helped him? Also it's out of focus. It's funny actual but pricey way of getting a laugh.

QueenOfFlippingEverything · 08/04/2012 22:00

What's the big deal with school photos? They are almost invariably crap - posed, or goofy, or reluctant, or whatever.

I prefer to have pictures of my DC doing things they enjoy, on family days out, at their birthdays etc. It's never occurred to me that they are missing out because I've never bought a school photo!

LeeCoakley · 08/04/2012 22:07

I'm sure schools wouldn't care if they didn't have them. The hall is out of action for a whole day, lessons are missed, parents are furious because siblings not together/are together/badly posed/lunch all down cardigan/hair not combed. It would be a relief I'm sure!