Daughter's first pre-school photos - to buy or not to buy?!

Primrose

If you've got a digital camera at home, what's to stop you taking a photo of your daughter in her school uniform or whatever at home and printing it out? I think these expensive school photos can be a bit of a racket.

daska

The school photos cost more than having a good local photographer come to my home at a time convenient to me, take photos of ALL my children, show me the results and print 6 copies for me to share. So I only buy the photo if it's a good one - which is seldom the case - and when soft copies have been available I've been happy to pay for them. But the photographer who comes into the school refuses to offer the option of a electronic copy. He also charges the same as the guy that goes into another local school who will email an image to anybody who purchases a print from him!

*Louise*

With three kids, I have set a rule for school photos - I buy the primary one and primary seven class pictures (so I have a record of them starting and leaving) and I will buy one individual picture each year, (preferably on disc) IF it's a good picture.

My DD started primary last August and her first school picture wasn't great. She has lovely waist length blonde hair, and you couldn't see any of it in the picture (I told her to pull it to the front for her pic but she is 5 and forgot),and her collar was standing up on one side. I can't see why no one thinks to sort these things before the picture is taken. (Even if they invited parents to come along and help their child it would be helpful) They lost a few sales last year because of people not being happy with the sittings.

I took her to Max Speilman and I got gorgeous pics of her and ones with her brothers, in various sizes (and a disc) for £20 :T

The one thing I really do like is the set of pictures the kids get in primary 7 before they go to High school - it's one from each year of primary, all framed together with the school name underneath. It's lovely, think it was about £25-£28ish, but worth every penny.

pinkladyof66

My gosh all the ones mentioned here are far cheaper than ours were our sons nursery had a photographer in july where we bought the pics 6 of 10 x 8 for £39, they came again in september the same year we werent going to buy one as couldnt afford it but when they arrived we did and we chose just one 10 x 8 and a few small ones but was still £20 odd pounds.

Hezzawithkids

You shouldn't feel under any obligation to buy them at all IMHO. My DD has always taken fab photos but year after year while she was at primary school the annual photographer managed to take the most awful portraits of her that I refused to be pressured into buying them just for the sake of form.

"One would hope they will not be "plastering their copyright mark right over the centre of the images" as I am hoping to display the photographs I have ordered from them in my living room "

The copyright will only be on the proofs, its done to stop you keeping them without paying.

middlewife

*Louise* wrote: »

With three kids, I have set a rule for school photos - I buy the primary one and primary seven class pictures (so I have a record of them starting and leaving) and I will buy one individual picture each year, (preferably on disc) IF it's a good picture.

^^
This , I have 4 kids, there was only one year when I could get a photo of all 4 of them, I just can't afford them and have plenty of other photos as I have a photography mad son. I buy 1st year in infants, 1st & last year in Juniors, 1st year at secondary, refused to pay the extortionate prom photo prices and dropped sons (twins) early with camera so he could take pics out of sight of "official" photographer, then took camera home. Didn't charge anyone anything and all photos on facebook
OP don't feel guilty or pressurised, the only person who will want the photos ultimately is you!

ilovebargains99

Wow!

I can't believe people are still commenting on this thread!

For information, I bought a set of photos, and we are very happy with them