The Price of School Photos

Peter_Pan

We have just had the school photo sent home and i was horrified by the cost, i have two other children go through the school but this year the photo costs have rocketed.
How about £16 for the image on a CD:eek:, not many years ago i used to get a whole set of different sizes enough for grandparents and aunts and uncles for less than the price of one picture now.

I am shocked!!!!

inkie

It's called inflation. Compare the cost of the school photie with going to a studio to have a similar photo taken - it would cost a lot more.....

frivolous_fay

Gouging, pure and simple. Always has been. Oh, and throw in emotional blackmail of your kids for the parents to cough up, too :grr:

honeypop

When anyone at work has a child bring their school photo home, they scan it, send it back (they get it 'on approval' not sure if everywhere does this) and then are able to print their own for much less for the family members. Could you do this?

Alikay

honeypop wrote: »

When anyone at work has a child bring their school photo home, they scan it, send it back (they get it 'on approval' not sure if everywhere does this) and then are able to print their own for much less for the family members. Could you do this?

Our proofs are about 2 inches square and come with a big white cross and the word "proof" written across the photo - just to make sure no-one does this!

arthur_dent_2

Ours have proof written on them also, I hate the fact that with the Digital age the actual cost of doing this has dropped, yet they still feel that it is ok to charge the Earth for them. I will buy one of my dds together and a couple of extras for family but even that is a stretch to what I can afford.

mrcow

Ours on CD is £18.50

You can get other selections that are cheaper. There is one containing 11 photos an 4 bookmarks for £19.50.

Just an individual photo is £8.50.

I like them as they are the only professionally taken photos that I can afford to get.

Peter_Pan

Alikay wrote: »

Our proofs are about 2 inches square and come with a big white cross and the word "proof" written across the photo - just to make sure no-one does this!

Yes our proofs are like that as well, I'm guessing part of the increase is down to less parents buying because they can take their own anytime and print at home much cheaper but surely the photo companies would sell more if they made the price a bit more affordable. At least in a proper studio you get a choice of different poses unlike at school where you can't check their hair is tidy or their tie is straight and its a production line, sit on teh chair, say cheese , snap, next one!!!!

One year when i had all 3 children in it the stupid photographer asked my son to move his glasses down his nose and the picture was awful!!!!

I've emailed the school to express my shock and disappointment as i'm sure they must get a percentage of the sales and I know more people this year won't be buying.

Fourcandles_3

Peter_Pan wrote: »

I've emailed the school to express my shock and disappointment as i'm sure they must get a percentage of the sales and I know more people this year won't be buying.

Our playgroup gets 20%. This is the last year we will do it I think, because it's just too expensive. No one can afford them, and everyone feels pressured into buying them. What annoys me is if it was cheaper people would buy more, but instead they make the cost of one so high...just profiteering in my opinion.

moggylover

Oh I am glad I am not the only mean old thing that thinks they are a total rip off!!

They come around every two years around here, one guys, one car, a couple of cameras and a few lights and backdrops, etc., and he takes hundreds of photos in one day! If they sold one of each of those photos at £10 they would be WELL in pocket!;) .

It is like so many aspects of having kids nowadays - lets cripple the parents for as much as we can! I'm all for anyone making a living/showing a reasonable profit! However, the overheads for these businesses cannot be huge - how do they justify the costs?!!!!

moggylover

Fourcandles wrote: »

Our playgroup gets 20%. This is the last year we will do it I think, because it's just too expensive. No one can afford them, and everyone feels pressured into buying them. What annoys me is if it was cheaper people would buy more, but instead they make the cost of one so high...just profiteering in my opinion.

Well done on that decision! I would really rather just make a contribution to the school - and not get ripped off actually! Same with school uniform rip offs, etc. Just tell me what you would make from the scam - and I will make a donation to the school on an honest and above board basis.

We are not big on photos in this house (I'm always scared my ugly mug will break the camera:o ) but we did have one posed family photo done for some family that we cannot visit very often - and it cost us £30 to spend nearly 2 hours in the studio, having quite a few shots (both formal and less formal) done. At the end of this the photographer showed us the proofs, and we were allowed to choose about 10 that we liked which he put on CD for us!

I could buy a large (small poster) sized board mounted piccy from him for a further £20, but instead bought four sort of "just under A4" sized ones in quite nice frames for that same £20 from him.

I have referred loads of people to him since, and he seems to be constantly busy - don't know if he will ever be a millionaire - but he seems to be content making a living and having a regular income. What a refreshing change!