Crap school photo

[Clarabel22]

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.

Schools make a lot of money from school photos Lee. While it might be a relief, they would need to find alternative sources of income to replace this.

I sympathise! We were lucky with our photographer this year (apart from the price maybe, but I can understand why) but yes, it's a real waste if the results are not good. I think our photographer was allowed to say a lot more than "smile" though, from what I was told! Mine normally does a grimace (might have learnt that from DH who has the same habit!) and he has to be told jokes to get a natural smile.

Hello. I have read through this entire thread and I find myself wondering why parents will actually pay for poor photographs. I am a photographer and I have done a number of school photo's. I have not had a single complaint and I have insisted that if anyone is not happy with their images they can get a complete refund and a free sitting! Someone mentioned about building a rapport with the children and I totally agree. Traditionally the kids are brought in and lined up and passed through the studio like they are in asda on the belt!

I do things differently. I get all the kids in a room and my assistant will play musical bumps or statues etc with the kids. last kid standing gets their pic taken. It works a treat and the kids are already chilled out and smiling naturally!

My advice to parents is that you DO NOT HAVE to pay for your childs school photographs, especially of you are not happy with them. If your photographer is not prepared to retake the pics then speak to a local college that does photography and ask if any of the students would be interested in doing the pics. Theres two benefits to this, firstly you get LOADS of images (normally on a disc) and secondly students dont tend to charge if they can use your images for their portfolio.

Hooray! I am the OP and I have just received proofs of my 2 children's school class photos. The school must have listened to the parents complaints from last time (there were many) as they have used a different (local) photographer. There is a choice of a formal and (admittedly slightly cheesy) more relaxed photo and every single child in all 4 pics looks great.
And I will be buying a couple of course. Which surely is the point, photographers take note...

i am really really really so annoyed with my DC's school.
my uncle is a governor in another school in Wales and he told us over the weekend that someone had reported it to them that some of the big school photographors had been giving the teachers rugby tickets to get the school photo work from the school. Who pays for the rugby tickets ????? we do!!! when we are paying expensive amounts of money for the photographs, I am so so angry they have enough in wages already, do they really need to have free tickets to do our shopping badly for us?