JC Penny vs Portrait Innovations

[hffmnheidi]

Which would be the better place to go? My brothers and their wives and kids and I want to give my parents an updated family photo of us for Christmas. We haven't had a family photo taken since my oldest nephew was 2(he's going to be nine in December).

Both places have good deals on the amount/type of photos we want but it seems like Portrait Innovations has better backgrounds than Pennys.

We've done photos at Pennys in the past and they turned out okay, but never done Portrait Innovations ever. Are they as good as they look on the website?

 

[skhermsmeyer]

We've been using them the last 3 years and we always get great shots! Here, they're more willing to work with you than JCP on getting the shot you want. Good luck!

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

I LOVE portrait innovations!!!! We've had pictures done there twice and they had so many good shots it was hard to choose. Then to top it off they were ready in a couple of hours

 

[Jey12]

I've found the printed product to be better from Penny's. It's a slight difference but one I can tell. In a frame it would be difficult to tell though. The actual pictures I like better at Portrait Innovations. I've done both and each time at Penny's I keep thinking I could have taken it myself if I just had the right lighting at home. I've found at Penny's it's a luck of the draw what kind of photographer you get, where at portrait innovations I have had great luck finding ones that are very professional and patient. We once had a photographer at Penny's tell my DD who was only 2 at the time to suck it up and get the picture done because she had other appointments. Needless to say that was one of the last times we used Penny's, even though hubby works at their warehouse and we get a decent discount. My only complaint with portrait innovations is I would gladly wait a week for the pictures if they would come on more professional looking paper, but I am kinda snobby about my pics so it could just be me.

 

[QVCshopper]

I just went to Picture People last night with this coupon. For $9, I got six sheets (wallets all the way up to 10x13). I did my kids' holiday portraits early b/c it's a great deal.

http://www.picturepeople.com/promotion/email/Fall_2010/09_landing.html

 

[dhardawa]

I went to Portrait Innovations about four years ago and have never been anywhere else since! They take tons of shots 50-100 so you are pretty much guaranteed a few great ones, they give you all the shots on a disc for free, and they print the pictures in about 20 minutes. The quality is great too.

 

[miknsusn]

We love Portrait Innovations but I would recommend getting the first appointment of the day. Otherwise, you will all be stuck waiting behind people who need to have their infants photographed in 17 different outfits (which PI encourages). This is my only complaint about going there.

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

I think we have had better pictures from Portrait Innovations, but I hate their mysterious pricing structure and hard sell tactics. I just want a printed list that explains the pricing system so I can budget properly, but they won't give me one.

 

[cm8]

We love Portrait Innovations but I would recommend getting the first appointment of the day. Otherwise, you will all be stuck waiting behind people who need to have their infants photographed in 17 different outfits (which PI encourages). This is my only complaint about going there.

 

[jvorhis]

I'm not really a huge fan of portrait innovations because I hate their hard sell tactics. I would also recommend getting the first appointment of the day. But be aware that if you think you have the first appointment say at 9:00, if they start filling up for the day they will start taking appointments before 9:00I was really annoyed last year when that happened to us. They also only take appointment 2 weeks in advance.

I do love JCPenny. I use them a lot and use the coupon for 7.99 and only get the package. They only let you get one image with the coupon but it works out well for us.

 

[herdtoDisney]

I don't know anything about Portraits Innovations-but with JCPenney, at least my local one has a small studio and when we had our family photo done there 2 years ago...we ended up looking 'squished'.

I think the JCP's vary by location, but I'd call and ask yours how many they can accomodate.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I think we have had better pictures from Portrait Innovations, but I hate their mysterious pricing structure and hard sell tactics. I just want a printed list that explains the pricing system so I can budget properly, but they won't give me one.

I haven't gone to them because of this!

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I just went to Picture People last night with this coupon. For $9, I got six sheets (wallets all the way up to 10x13). I did my kids' holiday portraits early b/c it's a great deal.

http://www.picturepeople.com/promotion/email/Fall_2010/09_landing.html

Thank you!! I love this deal!

 

[mamaLori05]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Portrait Innovations. I have never left unhappy, and we visit them regularly. They do such a wonderful job I ALWAYS find it hard to pick which pictures I want. I'd rather have it that way! I also love that they are available within minutes of ordering them.

We tried JC Penny's once and I wasn't thrilled. I'm sure it was the photographer we had, but she just took pics wheather the kids were smiling or not. I also didn't care for the quality of the pics (or at least from what I could tell on their computer screen). I left JC Penny's without purchasing any pics (which is soooo unlike me), saw Portrait Innovations on the way out of the mall and decided to stop in and see what they were all about. They happened to have an opening due to a cancelation, so we got our pics taken there. I was soooo impressed I haven't gone anywhere else since!