All you parents out there.....
You all know how annoying those school photos can be, right?
It's a production line of kids on Picture Day so the photographers are more concerned with getting all those photos snapped within the never long enough time frame they are given and not how the kids actually look in the photos.
It's quantity over quality, right?
The kids often look uncomfortable....because they ARE!lol
They are forced to pose unnaturally and the smiles are so fake and forced.
Blogging Buddy Mark did a piece on this very same subject yesterday over HERE.
And then the schools here started those Spring photos too.
You know, the set your kid brings home without you even knowing they took more that year! The school/photography company figure if we give the kids a big fat envelope of photos with their sweet cherubic faces on them, the parents will not be able to resist keeping them and sending us a big fat check in return.
No thanks I say....one set of awkward poses and forced smiles is enough for my checkbook per year.
And I won't even get into the whole lame photography monopoly between the photo businesses and the school boards.
Since Daughter was a senior this year(which is a whole other way to drain your bank account with overpriced graduation photos, announcements and tchotchkes), we only had the one kid left doing the School Photo schtick.
So I filled out the order form for the smallest package they would allow and went up to the blood bank to sell some plasma so I could afford to write a check to send to school to pay for the pictures.lol
A couple of weeks go by and #2 son brings home his Freshman Year school photos.....the photos that we will keep to remember this special time in his life and cherish said photos forever.
And here is what we got for our money.....about 12 copies of this in various sizes......
Was there no adult there with a comb?....or enough sense to tell him to move his hair out of his eyes?
He is a teenager for gosh sakes....his brain is NOT always engaged!
This school feels comfortable reaching into my home and telling me what I can and can't do with my kid yet they can't tell him to get the hair out of his face for a photo? Ooooh, that would be stepping on his rights. We may damage his self-esteem! And we can't have THAT!!
Puhleez......
Sluggy
You all know how annoying those school photos can be, right?
It's a production line of kids on Picture Day so the photographers are more concerned with getting all those photos snapped within the never long enough time frame they are given and not how the kids actually look in the photos.
It's quantity over quality, right?
The kids often look uncomfortable....because they ARE!lol
They are forced to pose unnaturally and the smiles are so fake and forced.
Blogging Buddy Mark did a piece on this very same subject yesterday over HERE.
And then the schools here started those Spring photos too.
You know, the set your kid brings home without you even knowing they took more that year! The school/photography company figure if we give the kids a big fat envelope of photos with their sweet cherubic faces on them, the parents will not be able to resist keeping them and sending us a big fat check in return.
No thanks I say....one set of awkward poses and forced smiles is enough for my checkbook per year.
And I won't even get into the whole lame photography monopoly between the photo businesses and the school boards.
Since Daughter was a senior this year(which is a whole other way to drain your bank account with overpriced graduation photos, announcements and tchotchkes), we only had the one kid left doing the School Photo schtick.
So I filled out the order form for the smallest package they would allow and went up to the blood bank to sell some plasma so I could afford to write a check to send to school to pay for the pictures.lol
A couple of weeks go by and #2 son brings home his Freshman Year school photos.....the photos that we will keep to remember this special time in his life and cherish said photos forever.
And here is what we got for our money.....about 12 copies of this in various sizes......
Was there no adult there with a comb?....or enough sense to tell him to move his hair out of his eyes?
He is a teenager for gosh sakes....his brain is NOT always engaged!
This school feels comfortable reaching into my home and telling me what I can and can't do with my kid yet they can't tell him to get the hair out of his face for a photo? Ooooh, that would be stepping on his rights. We may damage his self-esteem! And we can't have THAT!!
Puhleez......
Sluggy
You know, I have no problem at all with long hair on boys (or girls...hee-hee), but you want to at least be able to see the kid's face. You'd think the photographer, if no one else, would make sure some eyes were visible.
ReplyDeleteIf I had my way, I wouldn't buy ANY photos at school. Shane says get the smallest package. He seems to think Kat's photo won't make it into the yearbook if you don't buy the photos. I think it will, but I've never investigated, simply because I don't care if it's in the yearbook or not.
As for spring pics, at our school, they're an even bigger rip off than the fall photos.
I think a better deal is Olan Mills. They run specials all the time. They take good photos for the amount of money you spend (if you resist their big packages) and they are fun to sit for. Well, if having pictures made is ever really fun.
Also, I agree about the monopoly. When I made a suggestion to the school about finding a less expensive company to do the school photos, it was made very clear to me that the topic wasn't open for discussion.
ReplyDeleteGood thing my tea cup was empty or I would have sprayed tea all over the screen!
ReplyDeleteLook at all the good ammunition you have for future humiliation! If I were you I would run, not walk, but run to a store and buy a new giant eye-catching frame and put that new photo in there and hang it front and center for all your guests' viewing pleasure. Love it!
I'm with LisaPie - that's a screen-spitting photo :D Tell me you and your hubs didn't at least get a good laugh out of it (maybe after son left the room)?
ReplyDeleteI always hated the school photo ritual, and like so many others, I bought the smallest package possible. Some of them turned into keepers over the years, but most were... forgettable at best :)
Hey, at least his hair is clean and combed!
Too funny! That poor kid. And he looks cute under all that hair. Does he have eyes?
ReplyDeleteHey, Between you and the others who commented on my site, I have now decided not to buy next years photos. My kids may have a problem with that but, c'mon, you know how expensive they are.
Thanks for this post. It really made me laugh. Mark
AnnieJ--Seriously, right? I wonder how much kickback $ or payoffs are pocketed by the Powers in Charge in the school district with these photo contracts. It's probably the Superintendent's relative getting the contract since nepotism is alive and well around here.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a problem with his long flowing locks except when he styles it so I can't see his eyes.
And tell Shane that Kat's pic WILL be in the yearbook even if you don't buy them. We haven't bought graduation photos for 2 kids now and they both were in the yearbook. ;-)
LisaPie--Yah, this photo will go into my secret stash with all the other embarrassing pics I have of my kids.lol
My son's hair is long too..although not as long as your son's LOL...everyone always tells me don't sweat it as "it's just hair", so @ sluggy, IT IS JUST HAIR and nice clean full hair @ that!
ReplyDeletePS I can kind of see his left eye.
No...there were no adults there. I am sure of it.
ReplyDeleteOh my lol. There may have been someone over the ages of 21 there, but no real "adults." A real adult would have at least said "hey dude, will you Mom be cool with your hair in your face like that? She's paying for the pictures, ya know."
ReplyDeleteSomeday he will regret that picture. I cringe every time I see my high school pictures. God what was I thinking, I was all feathered and fluffy with a orange hint from the sun-in.
ReplyDeleteAnd they are god awful about gouging for our kids pictures. I've got one left in school so I'm in the home stretch!
Pretty--Yah, after I groaned loudly I did grin.lol And if nothing else his hair is always clean and combed....he's obsessed with his hair!
ReplyDeleteAnd you can see my water bill and tell that for sure.lol
Mark--I have heard rumours that indeed he does have eyes under there. At least I have evidence that he was born with 2.lol
Glad I could make you laugh....
Sheila--I have no problem with the length of his hair....hell, let him grow it to his butt crack and call him Lady Godiva!lol It's not being able to see his eyes that gets me....especially when I pay money to see them in his photos. ;-)
ReplyDeleteFrances--Well, we are in agreement on that.lol
Amiyrah--Thank You! I doubt any one in authority there would have said 'dude', but if they did use their language more, they might reach the kids.lol
ReplyDeleteNo adults....no "caring" adults......
SonyaAnn--I think we all have gawd awful school photos in our pasts. I feel that they should stop taking these school photos when your kid hits puberty, because between the skin issues most have and the awkwardness of growing/changing faces/bodies, NO kid that age willingly has their picture took! Am I right?lol
I hate this! I just left my 2nd message in two days and it vanished.
ReplyDeleteI don't even know what to say.
I swear to God that I commented yesterday and again just a few seconds ago. Blogger is driving me nuts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love, m.
I left a message too!
ReplyDeleteSonyaAnn really broke it, didn't she?!
Doh!! Yea, and they even have school pictures at preschool now! Though they weren't afraid of a comb there as my daughter's hair looked better in that picture than it does most days :)
ReplyDelete