Jc Penney vs Target-portrait studios

[welovedisney7778]

I'm trying to decide whether to take DS to Target or JC penney for xmas pictures this year. I have always used Picture People, but want this trip to cost a little less. Anybody have any opinions to share of one vs the other. I know it depends on who you get as a photographer, etc, but I just wanted to see if people tend to favor one over the other. The coupons out for both of them are roughly the same, so the cost will be pretty equal.

Thanks a bunch!!

Happy Holidays!!

 

[Buckimom]

I just took my daughter to JCPenney 11/15 and received the pictures back on Saturday. I love JCPenney and as you say some of it depends on who you get..well we were lucky enough to have the same woman 2 years in a row. She is awesome and I like that there camera is detached so she can get down on th floor with my daughter and really get some great angles. On top of that in our area JCpenney coupons are usually better, 3.99/sheet versus the 4.99/sheet that I often see from target and they are owned by the same people. Hope this helps and good luck..one more bit of advice I would schedule my appt for during the day during the week if possible, when we went there was no one else there, they were booked but not over booked, however I went on Saturday to pick up my pictures and it was a mad house.

 

[It's A Happy Day]

Haven't done JCP but the Target ones we had done came out very nicely! I have done Walmart, Sears, and Target (other than a "professional $$$) and around here Sears is a nightmare - delays, backups, but pictures were nice. Walmart I thought was fuzzy - not clear crisp pictures. Target - quick, scheduling is pretty close on, and the price is right. Pictures were clear, color good, and help was well helpful!

 

[christinadei]

Our Target doesn't have a Portrait studio, but DSis takes my niece to hers and they always turn out awesome! I love Penney's and am always happy w/the result and the price cannot be beat. Honestly though, the pics from both places look just the same to me from what I can tell. I'd go w/the best deal. I know you can usually find Penney's coupons w/free sitting (for 1 person) and a pkg for 7.99 or 3.99 sheets, plus a free 8x10. So it works out to be pretty cheap!

 

[Disney Ron]

I had DS's picture done at Target this year, I was so pleased and the price was great!

Mrs. Disney Ron

 

[bookworm2]

Just wanted to throw another option out there - Portrait Innovations.

I had always taken dd to Target until I saw the new Portrait Innovations... they seem to have more experienced photographers, and they work with real cameras (rather than the ones hanging from the wall at Target) so they have more freedom to move, which can be important when working with children.

Best of all, they have a bigger portrait package than Target for $9.95. They do a HARD sales pitch trying to get you to buy more than that, but I just go in with my mind made up that I'm getting the portrait package. Also, you get the pictures in about an hour, as opposed to Target's 10 days.

Have fun!

 

[mrsklamc]

We had pics taken last year at Target, and were very pleased. At this point I would just double check and make sure whoever you choose can get your pics back in time for Christmas! I remember ours taking a lot longer than I had anticipated.

 

[merekc]

I may be wrong, but I think both studios are printed by LifeTouch. I know for sure that Penny's is. So really I think it is a matter of which one has better photographers in your area and what's the best coupon. We have started doing Penny's because they have a great photographer (who I specifically request). The last time we did Target, I said never again because they were over 1 hour late. But funny thing, Penny's ran 40 minutes late this year. So you can never tell.

 

[welovedisney7778]

Thanks for all the replies! Sounds like I can't really go wrong with trying either one!

 

[feedindy]

JCP and Target are both owned by the same company-Lifetouch (yes, the school picture company). You will get similar poses, backgrounds and product offerings. There really is no difference company-wide, but that fact changes when you are talking specific locations.

 

[MrsPooh]

My sister uses Target and had been happy until last week. They waited longer than she would have liked, misplaced her slip so she had to wait nearly an hour to view the photos and then found none of them even worth ordering.

I've been to JCPenney's three times in the past month.

First time we had a group of seven grandkids and they did a great job.

Second time was for dd (20 months) and I went during the day at an off time. The photos looked great on the computer but when I picked them up I was furious. Every photo had a bright line across the bottom. The explanation was that the screen has a crease in it and it shows up like that in every single photo. Nothing could be done to fix it and they acted like I was insane to be upset. They still had not even fixed it - they had been taking people's holiday photos non-stop for over two weeks that were all going to turn out with a line across them and they didn't care. I asked for a district manager's number and was told that she was aware of the problem and they had talked about it the week before. I find it unacceptable business practice to continue taking money from people and wasting customer's time for photos that are defective. Apparently they are only worried about the money!

Between when I had the pics of dd taken and when I picked them up I took the whole family (five of us) in for a family pic. I made an appointment and arrived on time - only to be told my wait would be about 20 minutes. It was actually 30 and during the wait one of the staff insulted my oldest dd and scared the daylights out of the little one. When we were finally taken in for the session they rushed us, set up a couple of terrible poses (and one good one), took a total of six pics (two of each pose) and rushed us out. The entire session took only a few minutes. We had three pics to choose from - one had youngest looking away from the camera and one had her fingers in her mouth. Basically our choice was easy because there was only one decent pose.

While we were waiting a friend of ours was at the counter obviously angry with them. She spoke to us later with her complaint. They were in the evening before for a family pic. After a very long wait they too were rushed through. She had asked the photographer to make sure everyone's hair was ok. When they viewed the pics on the computer she noticed that one son's hair was terrible in every single pic. She refused to order any and was back trying to make another appointment.

I'm fed up with JCPenney right now. If I make an appointment I expect them to make some effort to be running on time. A team member telling me "you're lucky that's all the wait is on a Saturday" is not acceptable. I don't expect team members to scare or insult my family. Most of all, I expect a business to act with integrity and to continue to photograph people without telling them that some photos will be defective show a total disregard for their customer.

Sorry this was so long but as you can tell - I'm kinda upset about this right now.

 

[megthewonderful]

DO NOT GO TO JCP! Sorry in advance for how long this is, but I need to vent about my horrible JCP experience!

I'm a bit upset with JCP right now. I have three kids, ages 4, 3, and 7 months. So, getting them all dressed up in their holiday clothes and having them in a good mood to take pictures is a challenge. I made an appointment November 15th at JCP thinking I would beat the crowds and have my pictures done early this year. Well, my appointment was at 4pm. At 5:30, they promised us it would really be in the next 20 minutes. At this point, my kids are going crazy because they kept telling us to wait it would just be a few more minutes. So, finally a bit before 6 we start. I get a decent picture and decide I am not doing this again so it will have to do. I order tons of pictures for family members and Christmas cards. (I did get a few sheets for free for all of the waiting.) Well, fast forward to this week. My pictures were ready about a week ago, but I couldn't get there until this week. The salesperson is showing me all of the pictures plus a few extras they want me to buy when I ask to see my Christmas cards. Well, apparently the batch my pictures were in were apparently lost at the picture printer and then backlogged and they can't guarantee delivery before Christmas. It is the first week of December, so why can't they guarantee a Christmas delivery? When I asked if that was the case for families ordering cards now, the salesperson told me no, they will get sent in their own batches and printed out promptly to go with the rest of their orders. At that point I was so frustrated that I asked for my money back. Well, the salesperson thought I was being hasty and could always send my cards out late. I finally asked to speak to a manager, who gave me my money back, the extra pictures they printed out for free, and some picture ornaments free.

This is the first and last year I will be using JCP. If you have another option, I would definitely avoid JCP.

 

[BabyTigger99]

People are going to give you the realm of their experiences, both good and bad. And both will be vocal! To find a studio you like, you need to play trial and error, pretty much. Visit their website. The website should show you their backgrounds, props, and any special effects they are able to do. Keep in mind that this is a VERY busy time of year (I have worked pt at Sears in the portrait studio for about 13 years). Right now is the thick of the hoilday season, which begins for most studios in October. Yes, you many feel rushed, yes, you may have to wait past your apppointment time (and PLEASE make an appointment!!!). Most studio's corporate offices are pushing them to get as many sales in as they can! I know our studio goal set by district is 12 sittings per hour, and we have 3 camera rooms (you do the math). Be patient, tell the photographer what you like, what you don't like, and more than likely, they are going to find a way to keep you happy, and keep you a loyal customer!

 

[TinkOhio]

We do JCP becuae of the tone of the photos. We noticed that our photos from Target have a very noticable grey cast. It's even it their ads! The photos that we have from JCP don't. It's just that simple for us. Otherwise, our experiences with both have been fine.

 

[labdogs42]

I love JC Penney and I love the $3.99 sheets. They don't do a really hard sell, which is nice, too. The only thing they do is print about 3 extra sheets that you didn't order and they try to sell you them when you pick up the rest of your pictures. Ours does get pretty backed up at the holidays, but as long as you anticipate that, it can be manageable. I took my mom with me for our Christmas shots so she could entertain my DS while I picked out the prints, etc.

Another tip for wherever you decide to go -- take some of your own props with you. A favorite toy or book can really make the picture personal and memorable.

 

[theparsons]

So sorry to read those families that had such horrific experiences....but I don't think you can say that this or that store is to be avoided because of it. Those issues are squarely on the shoulders of the photographer and/or the management. Sounds like they're overbooking their appointments and then the photographers have to rush you through to keep up....and therefore don't take the time to do it right. Part of the reason I never go during a busy time, lol....hmmm...just realized I use that line for Disneyland discussions too. I'm definitely a low crowd kinda gal (and that's why we go to photo sessions early morning...always trying to get the first appointment as the photographer is fresh and so are the kids...and no waiting for someone else in front of us, lol and they tend to take their time because there isn't yet a long line behind us. I always tell them I have twins and want pictures of them separately and together, and usually I see the calendar has us marked out for two time slots).

Anyway.....I'd suggest that you go over to the studios and hang out for just a few minutes....many people will go in just to look at the photos on the wall etc, so it won't be a strange thing to do....but you're there for some recon....go on a Saturday (or at this time of year, maybe an evening too) if possible so you can see/hear them at their busiest/worst. Listening to the people picking up their photos will tell you a LOT....are people happy with their photos....are the salespeople treating those who aren't happy the way you want to be treated.....is the hard sell happening for the "extra" photos or are they simply offered.....and then listen to those waiting....are the kids having a meltdown because they've been waiting too long....are the parents looking like they just want to leave....etc. Also watch the people who have finished...do they look like they had a good time or are they pretty much running from the place glad to escape? You might even stop someone and ask them how it went, telling them you're thinking of doing your photos there.....people will give you the range of opinions of course, just like here on DIS....but those people will have worked with the exact studio, perhaps even the exact photographer you will likely have...so I'd tend to take their opinions over people from different studios (no offense meant to DISers sharing their opinions, but it's definitely one of those times that location matters!).

My own experience....we used Sears for 8 years....among all the photos I've got a series of the girls with those big numbers they use for birthday photos...love and cherish them........then suddenly Sears' coupons went from good to horrible....you used to be able to get the portrait sheets for $5.99 on a bad coupon, $2.99 on a great one...with $3.99 or $4.99 being pretty standard. Now their coupons all require a minimum of 8 portrait sheets at their regular price (which I think was $7.99) before those deals kick in. Ummmm, no thanks. So last year I tried JCP because they had a free 8x10 and $3.99 sheets with no minimum (by the way, they still have those coupons...go to jcpenneyportraits.com and click on coupons, enter your zip code) Well...the experience was definitely different, but the photo quality is very nice, as good or better than Sears....but the pictures are definitely different. Sears were all staged posed photos. They did good capturing some of my girls' personality, but they were still posed photos. Our JCP does "personality photography" as they explained it....they were still willing to do my "age" photos and my "school portrait" (we homeschool but I still do annual school like pics)....but the rest were pretty free and loose. I wasn't sure I'd really like them as they were being done, but the end results were really special. There is one of my daughter holding a rose and looking over her shoulder that is absolutely stunning....she looks so relaxed, happy, glamorous even but NOT sexy (she's only 11 and as it was being taken I feared some "come hither" type photo). I'd compare it to the picture of the family standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the castle at Disney to the photo that shows a child's face as she gets a hug from her favorite princess. Both are fabulous photos that capture a moment in time and memory....but very different in how much you'll want to look at them in years to come.

I hope you're able to find a photographer that will capture your kids with that joy in their eyes.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I've done both and I think that the quality is the same. I always to Penney's now because it's closer to my house. They always have $7.99 portrait packages w/a free sitting fee up on the printable coupon site links (I use wow-coupons.com). I am always pleased with our photos from Penney's.

One complaint that I have is that they charge like $5 for the online link to your photos. My parents do actually order from those if they see pics that they like that I didn't buy. These photos are $14.99 a sheet! Penney's could make so much more money if they gave away the online link with every sitting IMHO!

 

[Disneylush]

I used JCP for 2 years and loved it but they were always so busy and our fav. girl moved to the new target life touch studio so we tried that once. I didn't like Target it was very unorganized and under satffed. My new favorite is Kiddie Kandids at Babies R Us. You get them in 10 minutes after ordering them and I have never felt rushed. Plus they always have different deals that they run.

 

[swimgalsmom]

Just wanted to throw another option out there - Portrait Innovations.

I had always taken dd to Target until I saw the new Portrait Innovations... they seem to have more experienced photographers, and they work with real cameras (rather than the ones hanging from the wall at Target) so they have more freedom to move, which can be important when working with children.

Best of all, they have a bigger portrait package than Target for $9.95. They do a HARD sales pitch trying to get you to buy more than that, but I just go in with my mind made up that I'm getting the portrait package. Also, you get the pictures in about an hour, as opposed to Target's 10 days.

Have fun!

I agree with bookworm2. I took my girls to Portrait Innovations last spring and it was a wonderful experience. It was a very family friendly studio, they worked well with the girls and ended up taking over 80 proofs. We were able to pick what prints and sizes we wanted, add specialty borders and received them in an hour. I was so pleased and their prices were much better than I have ever received at Picture People.

 

[4DisneyNUTS]

I know this is an old thread but JC Penney and Target Portrait studios are owned and operated by the same company Lifetouch. Often employees work both studios in some areas to help out or to pick up extra hours.