8 - wallet size
2 - 4x6
1 - 5x7

$25!

I believe that it is a fundraiser for the school (?) and so they make some profit off of it??? Do they do these through high school? I don't remember from my own high school years!

My oldest is in 8th grade now and the last 3 years, his pictures have all been with crooked glasses. Why doesn't the photographer straighten them before taking the pictures?

In the past, we haven't sent them back for retakes but I'm thinking that we might this time (if my son will agree to it -- he's being a goober about it).

Aah, parenting woes!

My daughter is in middle school and I work at the local High School. They do indeed do the pictures all the way through High School. I refuse to buy the pictures. They are too expensive. Just wait until you have to purchase Senior Pictures....they really put to boot to you then!!! We lucked out when my oldest had her Senior Pictures done four years ago. Some of her friends paid $1,500. I think thats just insane...

I think our school gets so much (maybe $1) for each child that has their picture taken no matter if they purchase any or not. And yes the pictures are expensive. Our cheapest package this year is
2 5x7
2 3.5x5

$19.40

This does include the 8x10 class composite. I think I am going to purchase a CD for $20 with one picture on it. It will only cost a few dollars to make prints at Costco. For the last 5 or 6 years I have helped on both picture days and received a free medium package per child. I ended up saving about $40 per child, I started working part time the week pictures were taken so I lost $80 worth of pictures to make $50 in those same two days. lol Darn I wish I had started a week later.

They changed the ordering process last year at my dds school. The more you buy the cheaper it is. And you pick and choose what you want, paying per sheet. (2) 5 X 7 on 1 sheet, (1) 8X10, 1 class picture, 9 wallets, etc. The prices are: 1 sheet is $15, 2 sheets are $20, 3 sheets $25.00, 5 sheets $30, 6 sheets $35 and 8 sheets are $40.
Now the problem I ALWAYS have is I want 4 sheets. I am not kidding you. I usually want 2 sheets, my mom wants 1 and the class pix. So I either have to order 5 and have too many, not get the class pix or get 3 and not get exactly what I want. This time I chose to get 3 sheets, giving 1 to my mom, the class pix and not getting any wallets. I got a sheet that had 1 5X7 and 2 3.5X5s on it. Oh well....for both girls it still cost $50. Not bad but since the pictures are only OK it's not great either. I guess I should take them elsewhere and get good pix made and not buy the school pix but I never do that!

Yes, they have been going up the past few years, but my biggest gripe is that they have the usual fall picture, and then a spring picture as well! Give me a break......do we really need two class pictures a year? I always skip the spring picture.

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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

I stopped buying my kids school pictures. I take pictures myself and find one I like and make prints of it.
Atleast this way, I know I like the picture.

Wait till you have to get Graduation pictures - $155 (Sitting fee of $65 is included ) for 25 Graduation-Card Size and 2 8x10's - then you can buy bigger packages or individuals. And from what I'm told that's NOT expensive! WHAT!!!!!

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Mary

You should just buy one picture then take it to Kinko's or something and make copies in different sizes. That's what I did with my son's graduation pictures and it saved me a fortune!

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

*shaking a finger at you*-that may not be legal. Most of these pics have copyright laws. Unless you have a release signed by the photographer, you should not be making copies. Yes they are expensive. I haven't bought them in years. And in IMO, most of them don't turn out that great anyway. You have a photographer spending 30 seconds with your child and moving on to the next one. I usually buy the class picture, but that's it.

The picture prices are insane. I refuse to buy even one picture. We can go to Walmart and get a whole packet of pics. for under $10 and have a choice of backgrounds that are far more attractive than the school pics are. I can't for the life of me figure out how the people who take the school pics are still in business.

As for the senior pics. It's much cheaper to buy a good digital camera and do your own pics. Then you have the camera for many other memory pics.
My sil got a very expensive camera that cost less than it would have cost for my grandson's senior pics. and got better pics. than the pros put out. He then had the same camera for my granddaughters senior pics. Since then he has done senior pics for many other kids and only charged them the cost of making the pics. And he also did my grandson's wedding pics.
So that camera has paid for it's self over and over.

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Barb


My GOD Bless our Country and our Troops, and rid the World of terroists.

pictures are just not expensive. I know because I am the mommy to my two kids that I think they are cute. Yes, I will probably be flamed for this but they are cute. Anyways... I was excited to get the school pics until I opened the envelopes, When I put them on the bus that morning, hair nice a combed, shirts buttoned. Well, my little boy, shirt not buttoned appropriately, hair is sticking up, he looked like he just woke up. My little girl, the way they had her pose , she looked like a turtle head and her hair was all messed up. I asked her if they helped her fix her hair and she said the pic person puts you on the seat so fast, tell you to look at the camera and "click", the pic time is over. I wrote the company and told them they shouldn't even be in bussoness. They try to take 600 kids pics in one day and then get to the next school I just take my own pics and send them out, much cheaper anyways.

What with digital cameras and computer touch up, why buy school pictures anymore? I have found that I can pose my family, place them in a garden or hang a sheet decoratively behind them, place them on a chair, or stairs or something interesting and get much more relaxed shots. Then I can take 20 or 30 shots, look through them, crop them, fix anything with photoshop and get them printed for a fraction of what it would cost.

(When my mom was 87 I took off all her wrinkles and age spots....it was her favorite photo, lol!)

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I always thought the same thing about how fast they take the pictures. Then once I started helping I saw that the two different companys my school has used take a lot of time with each child. They want you to buy pictures so they try very hard to get a good picture. With Lifetouch they provided combs and I would take a handfull and comb the hair of the young kids. The older kids I would ask if they wanted a comb. Either way the combs had to be thrown away before the pictures were taken. I would also fix their clothes and ask if they wanted to remove their jackets. Then the person from the company would also fix their hair and clothes when the sat them down for their picture. Ours would take 3 to 4 pictures of each child and with the little kids it can take a long time. Even when it was older grades they would take their time with each child. The new company we have does not provide any combs at all. So there is not much we can do with hair. Clothes at least should still be fixed. So you may think they just snap the picture and take the next child, but from my 5 or 6 years helping that was never the case.

I find it hard to believe with the photographic technology today that they can't take a couple of picks and let the parent see them/pick one on line before you buy. I agree that the prices that you pay for a picture you probably won't like are ridiculous. Then we go through the same thing with the sports pics. I remember the year I tried to get out of baseball pics- my son was very upset as we were the only ones who opted out of the individual pics so now I just grit my teeth and bear it.

I would still just buy one and make copies.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

If parents are not happy they should shop around for a different company. The one we have had the last couple years takes 3 or 4 different pictures/poses. They can see the pictures after they take them and can right away take another one. Then we get a sheet of proofs from them a couple days after the pictures are taken. Then you choose and send your money right to the company. The school doesn't have to do anything. The proofs are printed out the same day the pictures are taken but they wait until the whole school has them done before they are sent out. I always hated paying for the pictures before I got to see them. I like it this way much better.

Sadly, cheapest option is $20 for a sheet of anything (individual/group). $25 that I paid was for 2 sheets.

Prices went up sharply a couple of years ago (when they realized that people were making copies?).

Just an FYI - I do not know of any Photo shop (Wal-Mart, Walgreen's, etc) that will copy ANY professional pics without a release from the potographer. And yes, those people can spot a professional pic a mile away.

You may be able to scan them into your computer and reprint them that way.

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Mary

I get the 2nd cheapest package:

3 5x7's
2 3x5
4 wallet
8 mini photos (smaller than wallet)
$17

I don't think it's TOO bad...high but not too high. If we want, we scan them in and print them ourselves. Usually, I just take them to Kiddie Kandids and do some photos and get more for my money

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

When my kids were in elementary school, if you signed up (and got picked) to help on picture day you got your pictures free. It didn't matter what package you ordered or how many kids you had going there. Of course they had tons of people who wanted to help so it was kind of a lottery to get picked. I got picked twice and one time was when both my kids were there so I got $80 worth of pictures for free. We always order the larger packages because so many in our family exchange pictures of their kids.

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

My dds school does fall and spring individual pictures but only 1 class picture, in the fall. I usually only buy the pictures once a year unless they're exceptionally great both times. Don't think that's ever happened, lol.

You just do it yourself at Kinko's you can use either photo or regular paper. It costs about $1.xx for an 8x10.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

If you have a digital camera, you can do it yourself. We download ours on to Kodak Gallery and we can order the size prints we want and as many as we want.

It's illegal to copy a photo that has the photographer's name on it (copyright issues). I know people do it, but it's still illegal. Plus you can't just buy 'one' picture. You have to buy an entire sheet.

Yes. . .school pictures are getting so expensive! I have three kids, so it's at least $75 everytime for me. The company that does our district has a CD that you can buy and that comes with a copyright release. That's the package I always get, so I can print off whatever I end up needing. This year it was $28 dolloars for the CD and one sheet (one 8x10 or two 5x7's, etc.)

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

You got a deal -- My kids elementary school was $24 for 8 wallets and 1 4x6 or something crazy like that and you have to pay in advance when the photos are taken. Of course I didn't buy them. I bought them when my DS was in first grade (he's in third grade now) and the picture quality was awful -- I could have done better with a disposable camera. After that I said no more. I have my kids pictures taken once a year at Portrait Innovations. It's $9.95 for a huge package and then around $15 for 3 sheets of the same pose. I usually spend around $60 and get enough pictures for Christmas gifts for the grandparents, aunts & uncles, and to send in Christmas cards. I get to pick the poses I like and only buy what I want.

Sarah........mom to Jason & Devin

I think you all are getting a deal compared to our school pictures. the cheapest is 39$ for 2-5x7 and 8 wallets up to $129 for 1-11x14, 2-8x10's, 4-5x7's, 16-wallets or for $60 you can get the pictures on a copyright free disk. I think its insane. They do a spring , fall and Christmas with Santa picture each year ie three times a year. It is really getting out of control. I have asked and even threatend them with law suits to stop because to save mmoney they post the pictures on-line for anyone to look at and order. I worry its a child molesters dream. They already had an incident last year where someone tried to pick up one of the children who wasn't an authorized parent. When the school questioned them they took off and no one figured out who they were. The parents were all in a panic but no one linked it to the pictures or even looked into the possibility and everyone quickly forgot about it.

My kids school offers a la carte options, I get one 8 x 10 for the wall... That's it! It's like $6. Not too shabby.

Ours were $13/child.

We got:
1 8x10
2 3 1/2 x 5's
20 wallets

My son is in 10th grade.

We purchased:
1 8X10
2 5X7
some of the wallet size
and trading size..not sure how many of each (I think 8 and 16)

$27

I 1/2 way registered oldest into his new school yesterday <dropped off his paperwork the counselor is suppose to call me today so we can talk over his schedule>

In todays mail I got his information about fall pictures. they must have added his address to the list and mailed the information right after I left the school yesterday to already have it this morning lol

his cheapest package
1 3x5
2 2x3 wallets
4 1 1/2x2 1/2 exchanges

$13


I make my own throughout the year dont need the schools packages, plus I have 4 kids, 3 who are in school. must be childless people that make the packages for 1 child it's expensive for 3 way over the top lol

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At my daughter's new school you had to pay for the photo and did not get a proof. That was really stinky because I would have not gotten the photo because her hair is not looking 100%. At our old school I helped with school pictures and I guess I did a good job becasue I would have parents asking if I was going to be there since I took that "mom glance" to make sure hair was in place, glasses were clean, stains were hidden, etc. The photographers offered me a job as well. (I miss doing that!!!)
We had fall and spring photos, but my daughter also had cross country, soccer and basketball photos.

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