Author Topic: School Pictures--yay/nay?  (Read 9349 times)

TVRodriguez

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 773
School Pictures--yay/nay?
« on: September 15, 2015, 09:37:12 AM »
Do you buy school pictures?

I usually get a small package of the school pictures.  My siblings and their kids enjoy getting the pics in the mail, as do the grandparents.  But they have them twice a year at our school: once in uniform (fall) and once in their choice of clothes (spring).  Both cost money, obviously.  The cheapest package I can get of the uniform pics this year is $15 per kid.  We have three kids, so $45.

At this school, the photographers only take the pics of the kids who send in money in advance in the pre-printed envelope.  This year, only my daughter brought home an envelope.  Both sons lost theirs.  Picture day is tomorrow; if you don't pay today then no pics.  I sent in the checks with a note stapled to DD's envelope since I had no envelopes for the boys.  I gave it to our oldest, DS8, and asked him to turn it in for all of them.  He whined, "why do we have to do school pictures?"  DD6 echoed his whine.  It gave me pause.  I never questioned it before, although I thought it a bit unnecessary these days since we take photos and send them to family (via phone) regularly.

So do you buy the packages at your school?

justajane

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2146
  • Location: Midwest
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #1 on: September 15, 2015, 09:42:44 AM »
It's crazy that you have to pay for the pictures before you see them. I think our school went to this model too and it stinks. First off, I would complain to the school and let them know you would prefer a different system.

But I wouldn't say $90 a year to get schools pictures is that bad. As an adult, I love to look at my school photos and how I changed from year to year.

Scubanewbie

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 107
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2015, 03:59:13 PM »
We do but only after seeing them.  I wouldn't buy before seeing personally.  I'd think hard about how much the individuals you are sending them to like them.  Regardless I don't think I'd do them 2x per year.  I will say $15 is pretty cheap, I think our lowest package is $25 but I always want at least one class (for the baby book) and one individual.

Thegoblinchief

  • Guest
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2015, 04:14:09 PM »
We never paid for the pictures in the years before we started homeschooling. Occasionally one of the grandparents would mention it, but they never made a big deal. It's all about whether YOU get value out of it. We sure as hell didn't.

mm1970

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 10883
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2015, 04:37:35 PM »
Ha yes.

Our schools require you to pay first too.  My son was in pre-K at a public school and I said "eff that".  and his picture was so cute.  But we didn't get it.  So sad.

Ever since they have been so awkward, with his daddy's "deer in headlights" smile.  And one year it was SO BAD, he was frowning FROWING and had a huge yogurt stain on his shirt from the morning snack at the school.  I think that was 2nd grade.

But funny thing, in the SPRING they take pictures again, but lo and behold, you don't have to pay for them first - they print up a sample and you buy them if you want.  Of course the spring ones were great that year.

La Bibliotecaria Feroz

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7126
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2015, 05:09:53 PM »
I ordered an $11 package for Big Brother (age 4). He looks so cute in his uniform. I probably won't get them every year, though--maybe every other.

I did have to pay before I saw them, but apparently there is a retake day if you are not pleased with them, and if the retakes are also bad, you get your $$ back. Little Brother got in off the waiting list after picture day, so I might get him some pics on retake day if that's an option. He looks even cuter in his teeny tiny uniform than Big Brother :-).

golden1

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1541
  • Location: MA
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2015, 09:11:15 AM »
No.

I did the pictures the first year, but they are $$$ and they are usually poor quality.  Plus, the kids have to spend the day in dressy clothes and they hate that. 

I prefer candid photographs anyway rather than the posed ones. 

Bob W

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2942
  • Age: 65
  • Location: Missouri
  • Live on minimum wage, earn on maximum
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2015, 09:35:56 AM »
For fun you can take a picture of your kid everyday (or every few days) from birth on.   Print them on a cheap printer.   You can start on one wall in their room and hang them up.  By the time they are 18 you will have all the walls covered and it is extremely cool.

Also suggest a twice a year close up of ma and pa with the kiddo.

School pictures are a rip off in general. 

tonysemail

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 718
  • Location: San Jose, CA
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #8 on: September 17, 2015, 11:02:35 AM »
i think school pictures are a total rip off too.
sometimes the pose is especially cute though, so I've bought a couple here and there.



madamwitty

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 279
  • Age: 42
  • Location: SoCal
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2015, 05:42:05 PM »
My oldest is only in first grade but daycare does school photos too, so I have been dealing with this for a few years.

The answer is no, I stopped buying the school photos (especially sight unseen!) We get family photos annually at JC Penney and tack on individual poses for the kids at minimal additional cost. It always comes out to less than $50 per year and not only do I get to see before I buy, I get a bunch of family photos, too. Once I had a great coupon and it ended up being $10 total for the year.

druth

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 333
  • Location: 'sota
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2015, 11:01:35 AM »
For 45$ couldn't you do a cheap photo session of the whole family?  Then you can choose the pictures you want, make as many reprints as you want, make sure the kid didn't manage to spill on themselves before pictures, etc.
« Last Edit: September 18, 2015, 11:04:05 AM by druth »

MayDay

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4953
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #11 on: September 20, 2015, 04:52:13 AM »
All the grandparents really really like me.

We use them as part of their Christmas gift.  18$ each kid here, so 36$ for all 5 grandparents is pretty cheap. 

That said, H lays wants to order the giant 50$ picture, and every year we have to fight about it while I talk him down off a ledge.  He is convinced his parents each need 5000 pictures in 8x10 size.  He is crazy. 

Pigeon

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1298
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #12 on: September 20, 2015, 05:57:36 AM »
Nay. The pictures are ugly and you have to pay without seeing them and they are ridiculous. I've been able to get Groupons for JCP Portait Studio for around $20, that include 3 images with digital rights. There are always many great shot to chose from. We do this every other year or so.

pbkmaine

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8927
  • Age: 67
  • Location: The Villages, Florida
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #13 on: September 20, 2015, 06:31:08 AM »
If they are like DH and me, the grandparents are being polite. We would so much prefer a nice candid of them giggling on the sofa or intently working on a project. Something that shows the real personality of the child and is not posed.

Cassie

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7946
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #14 on: September 20, 2015, 02:03:16 PM »
When my kids were in school we bought them yearly. My Mom in particular loved hanging them in her hallway.  I wouldn't buy them 2x/year though.

TVRodriguez

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 773
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #15 on: September 21, 2015, 01:57:30 PM »
I really like seeing all the responses on this one.  It is one of those things that I had never questioned, and I like that it was DS's "do we HAVE to?" that made me think that well, no, I guess we don't have to, but for now we choose to.  And now I don't feel so bad about buying the cheapest package.  I was figuring I was saving one for each of them in their baby books, along with sending them out (my dad and sister put them on the fridge each year and ask for updates), b/c I remember enjoying seeing my own photos as a kid.  As an adult, though, I never took them from my parents' house, and if I never see them again, I don't know that I'll care.

On the family photo tip, I just found out that our parish is holding free photo sessions for parish families, and giving away one 8x10 (huge!) to each family who participates (and is then included in the parish directory).  We also have the option to purchase more.  I signed up for a session this weekend.

BeanCounter

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1755
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #16 on: September 29, 2015, 07:32:08 AM »
Our school does the exact same set up. Except I think they have a retake day if you do not like the ones they took. My DH insists that we do the fall ones every year, and we go with the $20 package. I think he has his heart set on having that a big picture frame for each child with 12 little photos in it for each school year. I personally think that they are a rip off. But it's not enough money to get in a twist about. I do like that I don't have to deal with the high pressure sale that you get with the photo places. I usually can't get out of there without spending $60.
 Last year we had did the family photo shoot with a local photog- where they take some posed and some candid. They turned out really great. But it was like $130 and I still had to print the photos. And the kids grow so much each year that now they seem too dated to leave up. So that was a waste of money for sure.
Honestly some of our best photos that everyone loves have been the ones we've taken ourselves.

nvmama

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 105
  • Age: 46
  • Location: MA
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #17 on: September 30, 2015, 11:54:57 AM »
I do not get the school pictures.  They ask for the money up front, or you can order on line.  The push for it to be done ahead of time, but if you do not send in money they still the pictures of the kids, because that picture goes into the year book. (that is a whole other topic year..year books starting in 1st grade??)  Then they will send home a sample sheet to entice you to go online and purchase.  When I was growing up we always got them, but that was before the lovely intervention of digital cameras, and now every phone is also a camera.  I take enough picture of my kids during the year that I am bound to get one good one.  Every so often I will get a groupon and use it to get a picture of the kids or a family shot. Its not the cheapest option but it is better than school pictures plus you get the digital image.  then I jut wait for sales at Walgreens (free 8x10s) and slowing get enough prints for the grandparents by Christmas.

ABC123

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 263
  • Location: Nashville
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #18 on: September 30, 2015, 01:23:49 PM »
I think school pictures are one of the biggest scams out there.  They are crazy expensive, and if you want pictures of your kids then just take one.  When both my kids were at the same preschool, they would take pics of them separately and together.  We would usually buy one sheet ($15) of the two of them, and send one to both grandparents.  Not sure what that photographer did, but he must have had some sort of magic that got both of them smiling and looking at the camera at the same time.  But now that they are no longer together, I don't buy any of them.  We try to text pictures to the grandparents fairly often, so they are not missing anything by not getting "professional" pictures (honestly, most of the ones I have seen from my older son's elementary school are horrible - definitely don't look professional at all!)

bogart

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1094
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #19 on: September 30, 2015, 08:46:35 PM »
We can buy after seeing the pictures, and the photographer our school uses (public school, US  -- SE region) has thus far had the option of buying just a digital version of the pics, with printing rights, for $15.  That's what I do, then get prints of whatever sizes/number I want printed for e.g. grandparents.  It's been great.

LiveLean

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 887
  • Location: Central Florida
    • ToLiveLean
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #20 on: October 01, 2015, 10:46:24 AM »
Back in the stone age of the 1970s when I was growing up they'd send the pictures home on spec with an order form. Unless my wonderfully frugal MMM mother liked them, which didn't usually happen, she'd clip 1-2 wallet pics, put $1 in the envelope, and send everything back. I still have my elementary school class photos, so perhaps she actually paid for those.

These days the minimum package is $29 for more than you need -- two 5x7s, 3x5s, wallet size and even a bonus calendar with your kid's photo. (And we wonder why our little darlings feel like they're rock stars when we put their names on our back windshields with a football or cheerleader megaphone and post calendars with their freakin' photos). 

UnleashHell

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8884
  • Age: 56
  • Location: Florida
  • Chapter IV - A New ... er.. something
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #21 on: October 01, 2015, 12:55:58 PM »
hell no.
not playing that game. We did for my son's HS graduation bu regular photos? not a chance - we take picture all the time these days and have loads of photos to send out - electronically.
Although the last home photo series appear to be of my daughters ear... which is nice. I'm guessing that she was taking them.

Goldielocks

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7062
  • Location: BC
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #22 on: October 03, 2015, 05:57:55 PM »
The school photos here are BAD!

My friend gets great photos but here it is so poor, I don't... But then have to get portraits done every 5 yrs or so as we don't self print much.

Emilyngh

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 901
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #23 on: October 03, 2015, 06:05:18 PM »
Do you buy school pictures?

I usually get a small package of the school pictures.  My siblings and their kids enjoy getting the pics in the mail, as do the grandparents.  But they have them twice a year at our school: once in uniform (fall) and once in their choice of clothes (spring).  Both cost money, obviously.  The cheapest package I can get of the uniform pics this year is $15 per kid.  We have three kids, so $45.

At this school, the photographers only take the pics of the kids who send in money in advance in the pre-printed envelope.  This year, only my daughter brought home an envelope.  Both sons lost theirs.  Picture day is tomorrow; if you don't pay today then no pics.  I sent in the checks with a note stapled to DD's envelope since I had no envelopes for the boys.  I gave it to our oldest, DS8, and asked him to turn it in for all of them.  He whined, "why do we have to do school pictures?"  DD6 echoed his whine.  It gave me pause.  I never questioned it before, although I thought it a bit unnecessary these days since we take photos and send them to family (via phone) regularly.

So do you buy the packages at your school?

Definitely nay.   I'm not a fan of posed/unnatural pics, and even if I were, why would I pay for something that I can completely do myself?   

Seppia

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 616
  • Age: 43
  • Location: NYC
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #24 on: October 03, 2015, 06:30:38 PM »
In today's world, is it still worth having physical pics?
I'm really asking, not trying to troll: the switch to digital for pictures and music has been SO amazing for me (I have changed 9 apartments and 3 Countries in the last 10 years).
Amazon prime comes with unlimited cloud storage for pictures, so not only the keep no space, they are also safe.

Helvegen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 569
  • Location: PNW
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #25 on: October 14, 2015, 10:45:25 AM »
I've never bought them.

TrMama

  • Guest
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #26 on: October 14, 2015, 03:44:20 PM »
For the first time in 5 year the photographer was actually able to take decent pics of my kids. Both of them! To celebrate this miracle I considered buying the cheapest package.

Then I just put the proof sheet in the keepsake box like I always do.

N.B. To be fair, the deck is stacked against the photographer. My ODD is "dramatic" and likes to give herself an interesting hairdo sometime between when she leaves the house and when the pic is taken. I keep the old proofs so I can blackmail her with them later . . .

TVRodriguez

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 773
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #27 on: October 28, 2015, 07:51:45 AM »
UPDATE.

The school photos arrived in their backpacks yesterday. They are adorable shots. It's an especially good shot of our oldest, who is hard to get in photos. So I'm glad that I got them. And I'm glad that I got the cheapest package, too. $45 for all 3 kids.

justajane

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2146
  • Location: Midwest
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #28 on: October 28, 2015, 07:55:47 AM »
Thanks for the update! Glad it ended up so successful. Ours did as well, even though we didn't get to see them beforehand. They are already in frames on our mantle. We paid for the cheapest $10 packages.

La Bibliotecaria Feroz

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7126
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #29 on: October 30, 2015, 02:35:30 PM »
Mine were OK. I had Big Brother's retaken. Whatever, they're cute in their uniforms and this was their first year, but I don't think I'll do it again.

Ceridwen

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 237
  • Location: Canada
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #30 on: November 03, 2015, 06:34:54 AM »
Glad you are happy with them! I followed this thread with interest and recently made a school pic decision that I'll share.

DS and DDs daycare does school pics, and the photographer is awesome.  They're all candid-like shots, white background - I'm talking magazine quality.  I always used to order all of the digital images ($40 for 6-7), but this year being my first as a MMM and having DD in daycare too, I decided to re-evaluate.

I ordered only my favourite image for each kid at $17.50 each.  So $35 total.  $45 in my pocket (had I bought all of the images x 2 kids, which I surely would have done had it not been for MMM).

And then my in-laws insisted on getting an additional image of DD that they loved from the gallery (I shared it with our family), so they are paying that $17.50 and I get that image too but at no cost for me :)

Jellyfish

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 153
  • Age: 52
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #31 on: November 03, 2015, 06:40:11 AM »
Nope! Ugliest pictures of my son I've ever seen, and I have a really adorable son.

AgentCooper

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 68
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #32 on: November 09, 2015, 12:06:14 PM »
Oh hell nay.  I have strong feelings about being guilted into buying overpriced things I've never seen.  And the pics are The Worst.

This is off-topic but if you're looking to save money on school-related requests for your money: 
Another school communication that goes straight into the compost is the Book Club catalog that they want the kids to pour over and order a bunch of overpriced books from.  Another is any invitation for my kids to sell merchandise (cookie-dough, calendars, gift wrap, whatever) in exchange for chintzy, cheap, plastic garbage "prizes," with a $10 prize being the result of $200 in sales.  My kid ain't your unpaid salesman.

Another thing I compost upon receipt is the Pizza Hut Reading Program invitation (the one that trains your kids to love fast food and to see it as a reward for good reading habits, by rewarding them with a Free Personal Pan Pizza at the end of each month in which they read a certain number of books...yeah, no thanks, school - I don't need you to assist PepsiCo Yum! Brands with marketing directly to my children). 
« Last Edit: November 09, 2015, 12:08:22 PM by AgentCooper »

Eric222

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 902
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #33 on: November 12, 2015, 07:36:02 AM »
Definitely nay.

I have a million adorable pictures of my kids.  Why pay some stranger to take a posed picture of them?  That isn't what they ever look like to me anyway.

The grandparents don't ask for school pictures - they want pictures emailed to them CONSTANTLY.  They don't quite get their wish, but they get pictures much more often than if I just gave them school pictures. 

I think this year I just threw the form in the trash without even opening it.

AgentCooper

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 68
Re: School Pictures--yay/nay?
« Reply #34 on: November 12, 2015, 11:11:09 AM »
I think this year I just threw the form in the trash without even opening it.

Like a boss!