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Primary education

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Does anyone else never buy school photos?

66 replies

nappyaddict · 22/10/2013 17:33

Even if they are good. When I told my friend they looked at me like this Shock

They aren't even that expensive - £18 for two 10 x 7, two 5 x 7 and four 5 x 3.5 prints or £12 for one 10 x 7 print.

I'm just not a fan of photos in front of a white background. I prefer them to be in a real setting, whether that be the house, the garden, the park etc.

OP posts:
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SuperiorCat · 22/10/2013 17:36

Too expensive, I buy the group photo in Reception and Y6 as that is a nice momento for them but that is it.

reddaisy · 22/10/2013 17:37

I think this is going to be me! DD has just started school and her first photo was only ok. We take much nicer ones ourselves so I think I will save our money but I do feel a bit weird about it.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 22/10/2013 17:42

I wish I could be strong and not buy them but my mother always bought our photos and I'd feel bad if I didn't.

FuckyNellItsHalloween · 22/10/2013 17:45

I buy end of year 2 and 6 class photos. They are never displayed, I don't like my kids that much Halloween Grin

They are placed in my album to be aired at a later appropriate date. When a boyfriend/girlfriend shows up or some such.

Tubemole1 · 22/10/2013 17:57

I rarely do, because they tend to make my beautiful girl look hideous. They usually take the photo after lunch so despite my careful efforts she will have her dinner on her jumper or sauce on her chin, or her hair is messy. If it was taken first thing in the morning there would be a greater chance I would buy.

picnicbasketcase · 22/10/2013 18:02

I buy them if they're 'important', like the first or last ones at a school. Never buy class group ones though. But otherwise no, they're too expensive and manage to capture my gorgeous children (not biased honest) pulling the most unattractive facial expressions. They usually end up looking either like they're snarling or mid-fart.

bigTillyMint · 22/10/2013 18:04

I used to, but they are so expensive now (twice what the OP quoted), and not that flattering of my teens who don't get taken together so it costs twice the price.

Dontletthemgetyoudown · 22/10/2013 18:05

We've never had a good school pic. Three children and the photos have all been bad in one way or another. I wouldn't display them if I brought them so I just save the proof in with the other loose photos.

MirandaWest · 22/10/2013 18:07

I haven't bought any individual ones - always buy the class ones.

nappyaddict · 22/10/2013 18:08

Why wouldn't you display them? Because they are bad pics, or because you just don't display photos in your house?

OP posts:
Snowlike · 22/10/2013 18:44

I don't buy them, I have plenty of pics of my kids and hideous pics taken by a crap photographer, are not something I want to display. I prefer my kids in their own clothes too...so pics in uniforms leave me cold.

FuckyNellItsHalloween · 22/10/2013 18:59

I just don't display photos. I do have one of the dc on my bedside table though.

I do however have 10 large photo albums!

frogwatcher42 · 22/10/2013 19:01

We don't. They are always awful and we keep the sample which gives the kids a good idea of what they looked like at that age at school.

My mum would make the right noises if I gave her one, but deep down they are such dreadful photos I don't think anyone in their right mind displays them.

WereTricksPotter · 22/10/2013 19:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Leeds2 · 22/10/2013 19:04

I bought a couple, if I liked them. Certainly not all of them.

I woud've bought all of the group photos, but DD's school never did them.

sparkle12mar08 · 22/10/2013 19:07

Me. I've never bought one and doubt I ever will. Money for old rope frankly and they're never all that good.

teenagetantrums · 22/10/2013 19:12

I used to get them for the grandparents they liked them but i had money then, wouldn't do it now.

Rowgtfc72 · 22/10/2013 19:12

Always have till now.Taking DD to Max Speilman as its cheaper and I can make sure she isnt wearing her dinner!

movingaway · 22/10/2013 19:13

I always do Blush. I even like the rubbish ones, surely hideous school photos are a rite of passage?! Or maybe it's just because my parents never took photos, so the only photos we ever had of me and my siblings as children were the terrible school photos.

MuffCakes · 22/10/2013 19:16

I did reception aged ones and I have kept the samples I just find them to expensive. My dc are strangly really photogenic and their pics are so beautiful but I'm not paying £18 for the budget set per child. Thats £36 for something i could take and print myself if I was so inclined to dress them up in uniform and prop them against a white wall.

ouryve · 22/10/2013 19:16

They're a ripoff and usually have badly digitally superimposed backgrounds. The boys won't even go to get theirs taken, any more.

noramum · 22/10/2013 20:19

We only buy the class photo.

For the individual ones they changed the photograph studio after the parents went amok last year, they we're absolutely awful. This year is a bit better but I can still do them equally good.

I also don't like the typical pose, it looks just too unnatural for me. Also DD looks like something dragged backwards through a hedge 1 hour after going out of the house so she never looks decent.

But ai also thi they are just too expensive.

notapizzaeater · 22/10/2013 20:21

My friend dresses her son in uniform and goes off to a studio and has them retook, costs the same as the school photos and they are much much better photos.

Sparklingbrook · 22/10/2013 20:24

I never buy them they are a huge rip off. We don't have pictures up in the house either.

When would you look at them really?

NotAsTired · 22/10/2013 20:32

How can they take such awful photos of mostly gorgeous children is beyond belief. I didn't buy the reception photo of DS because it was so bad. I felt mildly guilty, but not guilty enough to buy it.

His pre-school photo was taken outside in the setting's garden. Totally gorgeous and worth every penny.