Am I Going Overboard on Senior pictures?

[angierae]

DD is graduating in 2013, and we just got the proofs back from her senior pictures. They're amazingly good.

The package I'm looking at is 6 8x10s, 8 5x7s, 8 4x5s and 120 wallets. Plus a Deluxe Gallery Frame that holdes 6 4x5s. All this includes the premium retouching (normally $40), the wallet stamping with the extra foil stuff that's normally $25 extra, the proof set, all the images (high resolution, so suitable for printing) on a CD, and a silver 4x5 picture frame.

It is, however, $552. ($125 of which I've already paid as a deposit to bring the proofs home.)

It seems like a lot of money, but it's also a lot of pictures (we'll need lots of wallets for her announcements, etc) and getting the images on CD means we can print more if we decide we want more 5x7s for family or whatever. (Obviously those printed at home won't be as fancy as the ones we get from the studio, but they'll look fine in a frame and whatnot.)

We can afford them, that's not really the issue. I suppose we could get a cheaper package and give the aunts and uncles 5x7s instead of 8x10s, but it's not like the smaller packages are significantly cheaper, and then they don't automatically include things like the retouching.

 

[HM]

DD is graduating in 2013, and we just got the proofs back from her senior pictures. They're amazingly good.

The package I'm looking at is 6 8x10s, 8 5x7s, 8 4x5s and 120 wallets. Plus a Deluxe Gallery Frame that holdes 6 4x5s. All this includes the premium retouching (normally $40), the wallet stamping with the extra foil stuff that's normally $25 extra, the proof set, all the images (high resolution, so suitable for printing) on a CD, and a silver 4x5 picture frame.

It is, however, $552. ($125 of which I've already paid as a deposit to bring the proofs home.)

It seems like a lot of money, but it's also a lot of pictures (we'll need lots of wallets for her announcements, etc) and getting the images on CD means we can print more if we decide we want more 5x7s for family or whatever. (Obviously those printed at home won't be as fancy as the ones we get from the studio, but they'll look fine in a frame and whatnot.)

We can afford them, that's not really the issue. I suppose we could get a cheaper package and give the aunts and uncles 5x7s instead of 8x10s, but it's not like the smaller packages are significantly cheaper, and then they don't automatically include things like the retouching.

They ARE ridiculously expensive. We only ordered a 8 x 10 for our wall at home and paid a total of $84 with shipping and tax. I told DD we'd get some wallets for announcements from JCPenny's photo studio later this year.

Really think about if it's going to be worth it to you. The only reason I was willing to pay the $84 for the 8 x 10 was because we bought the same thing for my DS when he was a senior. His was expensive two years ago, but not nearly that bad. I wanted them both to have their tux and drape pictures up on the wall that are in the yearbook.

 

[maggiew]

My DD is graduating this year too. We are going to order the CD where we get the photo release for 10 pictures ($250). I will use MPix to make the prints. We did this with my older daughter and it worked great. I gave my siblings, parents, grandparents each an 8x10 picture in a nice frame for Christmas that year. I posted the 10 pictures on Shutterfly and let everyone pick their favorite pose. So everyone got what they liked.

The Mpix prints were very high quality but not expensive. We also got a 16x24 print on mattboard with a special finish (??). We had it framed at Michaels. It is hanging in our living room and whenever people see it they think it is a painting!

Maggie

 

[clm10308]

If you can afford it and have a need for that many photos, then go ahead.

However, I have a huge stack of extra copies of school photos the never got used. Some now I try to order only what we will really used. Since I know the our extended relatives are not going to want 8x10, I only get one for me and one for the grandparents. Then get something smaller for the other relatives.

 

[blessedby3]

When my oldest had her pictures taken in 2008, I was astounded at the costs! We had her pictures taken at the photographer we had to go to in order for her pic to be in the yearbook. I didnt buy any, however, and took her to Olan Mills for her drape picture (spent maybe $30) and then I took her out myself and took her casuals at a local college campus. They turned out great and I am NO photographer. I went to CVS and had sheets of wallets printed out (buy one get one free) and we put those in the announcements. I printed up 5 x 7's for the family. We spent maybe $60 (including the Olan Mills pics). Now DS is a senior and we are going to do the same thing with him.

 

[brymolmom]

My kids are not there yet so maybe I'll change my mind by then. But I can't imagine paying that much. How many announcements are you sending? Keep in mind that if you're sending to more than very close friends and very close families - those wallets will end up being thrown out. I mean - who keeps a picture of a 2nd cousin or a neighbor's kid on the frig for more than a month or two?

Then again, I highly doubt I'll send annoucements...Seems like a request for a gift when I get them myself. I do send a gift if I'm close enough to the family to actually get an invite to the gradutation party.

Anyway - back to pictures. Personally I think that having a small handful to mark the occassion to those who will care after the next day or two (like me, my husband, my mom and my gradutating child) is PLENTY. My kids won't be seniors for another 7 years and I doubt I'll pay more than $200 - $300 total. And I'll likely even pay less because I'll likely have a friend (don't know which one yet) who is into photography just take the pics. If it doesn't work out that way - I can always go to a studio.

 

[angierae]

Thanks for all the replies, and for giving me things to think about. As far as I can tell, the CD with printing rights is not available a la carte, or with any other package. So if I went with a smaller package, if I wanted _anything else_, I'd have to pay the a la carte prices, which are ridiculous. ($30 for an 8x10).

We do have a great deal of family - her aunts and uncles might be content with 5x7s but there isn't even a package with enough 5x7s that would allow even the aunts and uncles she's _close_ to to each get one, much less all 7 of them. (And then there's great-aunts who will want some, etc etc.)

If I could do what someone else said, and pay $250 for the printing rights, I would (although I'd probably still order wallets, because I do like the rounded corners and the embossing.) but I can't see any way to get printing rights outside of this one package. (Well, there's another package where you buy "points", but it's almost as expensive. We might sit down and figure out of that comes out better for us or not, but it's still going to be a LOT of money.)

But we're still thinking.

(And maybe it's different because she's a girl, but there's no way I could just pick out one or two of these pictures. She did some with her varsity jacket, some dressed up, some more casual. It's nearly impossible to pick just four or five!)

 

[An_Island_Girl]

For professional photography, it sounds like quite a deal! Our hands down favorite studio, http://www.heidihope.com/index2.php has a minimum $500 purchase and that does not include the $350 session fee. They are very upfront that the average client "invests" between $1500 to $4000 per session on prints and fine art.

It sounds like you will be getting some wonderful prints for a great price. They only hit the special milestones once!

 

[ENSOCK]

I wish. Last year I spent a around $800 and did not get that many pictures. Senior pictures are a ripoff!!

 

[angierae]

...and I just looked, and the only other way of getting the high resolution images on CD is the "Buy x number of points" package - which is only $14 cheaper than the one that gives us way more bang for our buck.

I'd be content with scaling back to 5x7s for her aunts and uncles if it saved us considerable $, but it really won't. We'd get fewer pictures and end up printing even MORE of them on our own, for whta works out to a $14 savings.

It's a racket, but she's our only child, so at least we won't have to deal with this again - unless she ends up getting married.

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

My parents paid for senior pictures from an outside photographer (not the school) and paid close to $1000 for each kid. So I think the costs you're talking of aren't too bad.

 

[horseshowmom]

My DD is graduating this year too. We are going to order the CD where we get the photo release for 10 pictures ($250). I will use MPix to make the prints. We did this with my older daughter and it worked great. I gave my siblings, parents, grandparents each an 8x10 picture in a nice frame for Christmas that year. I posted the 10 pictures on Shutterfly and let everyone pick their favorite pose. So everyone got what they liked.

The Mpix prints were very high quality but not expensive. We also got a 16x24 print on mattboard with a special finish (??). We had it framed at Michaels. It is hanging in our living room and whenever people see it they think it is a painting!

Maggie

We used Mpix for our daughter's wedding pictures (bought the CD from the professional photographer) and were very pleased with the quality. They are the amateur side of a top commercial company. Their customer service was exceptional too.

 

[tar heel]

Unless you have a huge family that really wants big pictures of your daughter and plan to send a lot of announcements - yes.

I found it was hard not overbuy senior pictures. I did it three times, and I've got these big envelopes of photos I have no idea what to do with. For the time being, I'll just put them with all those baby, toddler, sports team photos that I overbought. . .

 

[sammielynn]

I love my neices and nephews but there is no way I would want a 8 x 10 of their graduation picture. I felt like a bad mother when I bought a small package of Senior pictures of my sons. Even with the small package I have several left over, a huge waste.

 

[StephMK]

I think it sounds reasonable. We just paid for DD's senior pics last year. We didn't spend quite as much but it adds up quickly. I think the CD would be nice to have.

We ordered several 5x7 and bought a nice collage frame at Kohl's with 9 openings. She picked several fav poses and then we printed up a pic I took of her in cap/gown at graduation for the center spot. I really like it and plan to hang it in a hall at some point.

 

[Dizisfun]

I think that's a reasonable price....My youngest graduated in 2006 and I'm sure we paid just under $500 for his senior pictures.

 

[Caseheidi]

I say go for it. I have priced quite a few professional photographers, and what you are describing sounds very reasonable. We also like to get the disk with all the photos, which always costs a couple hundred by itself. Plus the cost of the sitting session, which is usually over an hour of the photographers time. And then the photographer is probably spending 15 - 30 minutes per print to edit the photos. So if there are say 25 different shots, that is 4 - 7 hours of work. That is a lot of time and attention to you as the client. Also, some of these other options don't give you the editing and skill/eye of a professional. To me, these all make it worth the cost.

 

[disneybride2010]

We have been photographing seniors for about 10 years. We average $400 per person. You stated money was not the issue and you are getting the high resolution cd, we hardly ever release rights.

Most clients feel the only time spent on them is when they see us behind the camera. We spend almost 10 hours per client, sometimes more, therefore the cost is not really bad.

Switch hats here, we had a senior last year and have another this year and the final one next year. Our current senior wanted to use another photographer besides us, because "everyone is using them", so we spent almost $600 for her pictures and received much less than your package and the ones we offer. They are only high school seniors once, so splurge away.

 

[mjkacmom]

Who are you going to give all of those 8 x 10's and 5 x 7's to? I have a 5 x 7 of each of my kids, which I replace every year. My mom gets a 5 x 7, and the IL's get a wallet. I have other family members, but none who really want to display a picture of my kids! Lol!

 

[angierae]

Who are you going to give all of those 8 x 10's and 5 x 7's to? I have a 5 x 7 of each of my kids, which I replace every year. My mom gets a 5 x 7, and the IL's get a wallet. I have other family members, but none who really want to display a picture of my kids! Lol!

My sisters will want 8x10s. I know several people have said they would not display pictures of their neices and nephews, but that is common in my family. Between my husband and I, we have seven siblings. Some of my other siblings might only want a 5x7, but like I said, when I looked at switching to the package that would have 5x7s, it actually cost the same price for fewer pictures.