Anyone else skip the school photos because they are so bad?

[Anonymous]

I stopped buying them after elementary school.

[Anonymous]

I fell for the photo scam a few years running for my first in elementary, then figured out that it was all entirely unnecessary, because I could take photos myself anyway.

The only great photos we ever got from schools were in their private Montessori preschool (really cute, well-posed, just darling); and their graduation photos as seniors (I guess the public school takes better care of those than the regular pics!). But the annual public school photos were never great. My kids were never interested, and couldn't have cared less. Same for yearbooks: we buy the yearbook during a graduation year: 5th, 8th and 12th. Otherwise entirely unnecessary and takes up space in our house.

[Anonymous]

I really enjoy them

[Anonymous]

I have not ordered school photos in at least a decade.

[Anonymous]

Our school switched from Lifetouch to a “higher end” local photographer and I’m so angry about it! I loved the corny, traditional photos and backdrops and semi awkward poses. The “high end” com0any has clearly taken on more accounts than they can manage and the quality is terrible. Last year they took them outdoors and my daughter’s must have been shot at high noon. Her eyes are squinted shut, hair blowing in the wind, and uneven lighting. And they cost 3x more than the Lifetouch photos. So, I guess we won’t be buying them anymore.

[Anonymous]

We always order

[Anonymous]

I usually order one digital image and the class picture.

I don't know why they do pix on the fall and spring at our ES (MCPS). That part does seem scammy.

[Anonymous]

Most years we dont buy the school photos.

How is this post worthy? It's not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is reasonably photogenic (we have plenty of cute photos of her, both posed and candid -- more than we could frame if we wanted to), but her school photos are always hideous. She's not hideous, but the photos are bad. She always looks super stiff in them, often her hair is mussed somehow, and she never has a natural smile, or really even a smile at all -- it's this thing where she bares her teeth but in a way that looks uncomfortable or scared, not happy. She's also very rarely actually looking at the camera. They are awful!

They also started doing this thing where they take the photos in front of a green screen and then you choose the background you want. But they very obviously look green screened. That old standard gray marbly looking backdrop would be better than any of these fake backgrounds, which look unnatural.

So I've stopped ordering the school photos. We just frame the photos we take and then periodically get professional photos done (we found a photographer who did a few great photos last year for around $120, so not an insane amount, because a grandparent wanted a "professional" photo, and they are really charming and worth the money).

I always thought I'd be the sort of parent to get school photos every year and maintain a collection, but turns out I hate them and I just don't bother. Anyone else?

My child is in 4th grade, and this year I'm not ordering them. Too expensive, and not worth it.

[Anonymous]

We just get the yearbook every year and for $25 it's the class pictures and the one individual of each kid. They like looking through it and finding their friends. We do a separate private photographer once a year for holiday and portraits of the kids anyway