School Photos

West Ender · 06-11-2008, 22:23

My granddaughter, Laura, brought hers home today. The sample comes in a double folder, a photo of her on one side and a class photo on the other, both a good size. The one of her alone is the best she's ever had taken at school and the class one is very good too so we want to buy them. Guess how much, just for those two? £18.50! A set of 4 small (tiny) individual photos is £8.

There can't be many parents who will say no, they don't want the photos. I suspect even the parents of a few children in Laura's class, who look a bit peculiar on the group photo (God love her, you should see the expression on Victoria's face), will buy the set to avoid hurt feelings. I feel as though everyone is being well and truly ripped off.

Lilly · 06-11-2008, 22:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by West Ender

My granddaughter, Laura, brought hers home today. The sample comes in a double folder, a photo of her on one side and a class photo on the other, both a good size. The one of her alone is the best she's ever had taken at school and the class one is very good too so we want to buy them. Guess how much, just for those two? £18.50! A set of 4 small (tiny) individual photos is £8.

There can't be many parents who will say no, they don't want the photos. I suspect even the parents of a few children in Laura's class, who look a bit peculiar on the group photo (God love her, you should see the expression on Victoria's face), will buy the set to avoid hurt feelings. I feel as though everyone is being well and truly ripped off.

When I was at school my mum always bought a big school photo and my Grandma always bought a little one.

You don't seem to be able to just buy the one these days, they all come in packs........it does make it expensive, doesn't it?

Caz · 06-11-2008, 22:33

Why not scan them and get them for free?? Do you not get the full size photos to check out these days?

Lilly · 06-11-2008, 22:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caz

Why not scan them and get them for free?? Do you not get the full size photos to check out these days?

No, you just get a tiny thumbnail of a thing.

It also has 'sample' accross it to stop people scanning and blowing them up.

Can't blame them I suppose.....their business must have taken a battering since the arrival of scanners etc.

West Ender · 06-11-2008, 22:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caz

Why not scan them and get them for free?? Do you not get the full size photos to check out these days?

I suggested this to Laura's mum but, of course, you don't get quite the same finish with a photocopied picture. Good idea for any "extras" though.

Caz · 06-11-2008, 22:41

Pooh! I don't know why anyone, especially in this day and age, would want a class photo. I know I objected, but lads always wanted. When I was at school , would have had no interest in having a class photo.Thing is, digital photography being so easy, why are we still asked to pay such exhorbitant prices?

Why can't the schools take piccies themselves to raise school funds instead of lining someone elses pockets?

emamum · 06-11-2008, 22:42

we didnt get proofs of his last lot, they were available to view online, all you needed were the codes the school gave you, its all a bit posh lol

West Ender · 06-11-2008, 22:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lilly

No, you just get a tiny thumbnail of a thing.

It also has 'sample' accross it to stop people scanning and blowing them up.

Can't blame them I suppose.....their business must have taken a battering since the arrival of scanners etc.

Actually no, Lilly, my printer is a scanner and photocopier too so it copies at full size and the samples haven't got the word written on them. They just don't come out with the glossy finish of the originals.

I know what you mean about photographers losing trade but they'd do better to sell more for less profit per unit.

Lilly · 06-11-2008, 22:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by West Ender

Actually no, Lilly, my printer is a scanner and photocopier too so it copies at full size and the samples haven't got the word written on them. They just don't come out with the glossy finish of the originals.

I know what you mean about photographers losing trade but they'd do better to sell more for less profit per unit.

It looks like things vary then from photographer to photographer.

Ours have the word 'sample' written accross them, yours don't and emamum views hers on a website.

BERNADETTE · 06-11-2008, 22:47

Would laminating not make any copies look better? Ian went through a phase of taking loads and laminating them and they look pretty good

West Ender · 06-11-2008, 22:50

I've still got one of those wide, panoramic photos of Lymm Grammar School - the whole school - in, I think, 1979. My elder daughter and my son are both on it, she was 15 and he was 14.

I believe somewhere (I suspect at my 2nd big brother's Blackburn house) is a similar photo of Paddock House Convent Grammar School, circa 1956, with 13 year old me on row 3.

Caz · 06-11-2008, 22:52

An ex boss of mine, showed me one of those old photos, he is on each end of it , lol!

emamum · 06-11-2008, 22:54

I miss class photos...used to make it much easier to do birthday invititions and christmas cards lol Just had a massive kerfuffle with ty having to rememer everyone in his class lol

Lilly · 06-11-2008, 22:55

Our primary school doesn't do class photos of every class, just reception and year six.

They do photos of children with their brothers/sisters and individual ones too if requested.

entwisi · 06-11-2008, 23:09

Hang on, I'll stand up for teh photographer here.

He had to go to the school, spend all day taking the pictures on equipment that probably costs £2K upwards. Then he has to crop/post process etc them all ( 300 kids/school), print samples for each child(again 300 with no guarantee of a sale), compile sets with child and class pictures in, wait 2 months for orders, then print them at full photo quality, frame them in the frames he has bought and again package them up for you. He also knows you are likely to buy 1 set, scan them and print your own for grandma etc.

In all honesty I reckon its not badly priced. teh technology and product is not what you a re paying for, its time and expertise

People think that cause they have a 8 megapixel £80 digital camera that they can take good pictures. Thats not true. There is an art to taking pictures and there is a world of difference between teh quality of a 80 quid point and shoot and a 16 megapixel digital camera with a very expensive piece of glass on the front.