School Photo Pkgs,$$$$ and Altering your childs Face???

[a1tinkfans]

Okay everyone, I am really just annoyed with the photo pkg that was sent home for school photos this year. The least expensive is 35 (which is nearly no pix and crazy tiny size pix anyway. The average pkg is $60-70, just nuts!


What is EVEN crazier are the additional services I can order.......

I can alter my childs skin color ?????
Remove Blemishes????????
Brighten their teeth????????????
Choose a "side" to photograph??????????
Remove Fly Away Hair??????????
Erase Acne?????????

Gee, WONDER WHY so many kids are so self conscious...here is the photographer basically saying.... Don't worry, even though you are so IMPERFECT, we can change you!..... This to me is simply NOT acceptable.


And WHAT parent would even consider, never mind PAY someone to alter their childs appearance ????

I find it disturbing on so many levels, just wondering what you guys think!

 

[lisajl]

I chose the basic package, no frills--$16.00

If I take away my kids flyaway hair (6.00), brighten teeth (6.00) and remove the few blemishes he has (8.00)...he is not my son. He is a creation of the photo lab.

I understand your pain! Where on earth do you live that they are charging $60?

Lisa

 

[3boymthr]

Well, I have to admit, I'm thinking about the blemish removal thing this year, just because DS has had a major case of acne spring up over the weekend and has a forehead full of pimples just in time for picture day (tomorrow) . But I can't see doing the whole face change tooth/skin color, fly away hair thing. Maybe if he had rosacea or a bad case of poison Ivy otherwise - why pretend your kids something their not?

the good news is though that my picture pacages sound as if they are way way cheaper than yours. If I want I can get a package with a price as low as $12 with most in the $35 - $50 range. I'm kind of aggravated though in order to get the big pictures I want I have to get a package with way way way more little pictures than I want and it comes with the free CD. But what's the point of the CD if it comes with all these pictures (50 pictures). There's no point in buying just the CD though - its almost the same price as the package I'm buying ($35 for cd $36 for package with cd ).

 

[fakereadhed]

If I take away my kids flyaway hair (6.00), brighten teeth (6.00) and remove the few blemishes he has (8.00)...he is not my son. He is a creation of the photo lab.

I'm with you!

Our schools offer a $12 sheet with one 5x7 and 4 wallets. I just copy them on photo paper and make more if the kids end up with their eyes open in the photos. If I buy the big package they will be closed 100% of the time on picture day and retake day.

 

[NYCDiane]

The school photographers here offer packages and "sub" packages where you can remove items from the package and get it for a lower price. I typically order 1 5x7 and wallets. If I really like the way the pic comes out, I can always order more or a larger print from the photog or just scan and print it out myself. I never order any "retouching" or the other special services they offer.

 

[georgina]

I don't believe in retouching either. My DD's senior pictures were retouched, and something about them bothers me, it's not quite her. Our regular school photos, I ordered the $19 package - regular gray background, no extras - 1 8x10, 2 5x7, 2 3x5, 2 wallets, and 8 littler ones.

 

[kmvand1]

Sounds like I got the same package for my daughter. Was it Lifetouch? What a joke! Yes, the cheapest package over $30.00! Give me a break - no wonder people copy pictures with their scanners, this is rediculous.

 

[RMAMom]

Take them to Wal-Mart. They have school backgrounds and take school pictures for a much lower price!

 

[zoemurr]

the prices aren't terrible, but I have one kid in middle school, and one in elem in the same town, and they are using different companies for the photos. They have completely different background choices, so I can't have them match. Dumb!

And I always cheap out and buy a small package. Of course last year my DDs were beautiful and she was mad that I didn't splurge for the 8x10.

 

[poohguys]

Sounds like I got the same package for my daughter. Was it Lifetouch? What a joke! Yes, the cheapest package over $30.00! Give me a break - no wonder people copy pictures with their scanners, this is rediculous.

We had Lifetouch last year (probably this year too). I hated that they had their logo on the bottom corner of the picture. I do not need to pay for them to advertise on my child picture! But I did like that they put all of the kids names on the class picture.

 

[dis-happy]

Do they do wrinkle removing too? Maybe I'll come get my picture taken!

 

[Princess April]

Do they do wrinkle removing too? Maybe I'll come get my picture taken!

, If they will add in LIPO I'm in!!!!!!

 

[NMW]

Lifetouch does my DD elementary school and I can never get the exact photo size package that I want, even with add ons to the packages. My sons in middle school and jr high use a different company and I like them better-lots of options including the air brushing for blemishes. That's it though, no teeth whitening, skin changing, etc. I never heard of those options for kids. I get more pictures from the company that does my sons for less money. Not a huge fan of Lifetouch.

 

[kacaju]

Picture day for two of my kids are next week (middle and High School)
I didn't even look at the paper until I saw this post. We use Lifetouch for these two schools. (Elem. school uses a different place)
Not only am I annoyed like the OP about theretouching, but the fact that Lifetouch has their pricing in such a way that the retouched photo's (and more expensive) are listed first. So if you don't read this whole paper very carefully then you may choose the retouched ones.
Not only that, as I said we have two that use Lifetouch, yet the papers are totally different. I can't get the backgrounds to match unless I choose the more expensive *color background* for my HS. The cheaper price is for the gray background.

 

[elgerber]

We have Lifetouch too, and I was just saying to my dh yesterday how appalled I am at the idea of the deluxe retouching! Retouching Acne is one thing, but to completely photoshop your kids? Sick!

 

[Lucky4me]

dd's school uses Lifetouch also.
It was $12 to soften the scar on her cheek. I said no thanks. She's beautiful, scar or no scar.
I ended up buying the top package minus a few 5x7s and wallets. $25 total. I was happy with that. It's a fundraiser for the school, which for me, makes it easier to purchase a package.

 

[kacaju]

dd's school uses Lifetouch also.
It was $12 to soften the scar on her cheek. I said no thanks. She's beautiful, scar or no scar.
I ended up buying the top package minus a few 5x7s and wallets. $25 total. I was happy with that. It's a fundraiser for the school, which for me, makes it easier to purchase a package.

WOW, how can Lifetouch be all over the board with pricing?? Here our *top package* is $65.50 for the middle school and $87 for High School. Even getting the cheapest *top package is still over $30!!

All I want is an 8x10 for us and 2 5x7's for the grandma's!!

The very cheapest package for us is $21 for the HS and all that is
2 3x5's, 2 2x3's and 8 1 1/2x2 1/2

For middle school it is $13 and all you get is
2 2x3's, 1 3x5, and 4 1 1/2x2 1/2's

 

[plummer925]

I'm with you!

Our schools offer a $12 sheet with one 5x7 and 4 wallets. I just copy them on photo paper and make more if the kids end up with their eyes open in the photos. If I buy the big package they will be closed 100% of the time on picture day and retake day.

Just for the record - making copies like that is copyright infringement. Instead of doing something illegal and immoral, why not just take the picture yourself?

 

[denisegold]

You can google for more info- the schools set the prices with LifeTouch because the schools get huge "kickbacks". Some people like to call it a "fundraiser" but it's a kickback. Complain to your school about the outrageous prices. Or better yet, take your kids to a real photographer and get their photos done on your own- school photos are NOT mandatory. If you go to a real photographer, you are in control- and if you have more than one child, you can have their photos taken together (something LifeTouch would never do).

 

[squirrlygirl]

Our school switched to a new, local company (can't remember the name) after using lifetouch for years. I was a bit worried about the prices as it's actually a fundraiser for the school now, but I was pleasantly surprised. Packages start at $12 and go up to $39, then you can add pictures for around $5 a sheet. The company gives back a certain percentage of sales to the school.

Just read the post above me...it was presented to us that Lifetouch did NOT raise money for the school. Maybe it's an opt-in or out thing and ours didn't?