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

[Beezle2]

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![/QUOTE]>>>>>


I hesitate to say since you seem so upset and ready to judge someone who might choose that option but, what the heck.

I bought the acne erase for my dd 16s picture this year. I want her to see what she would look like if she took better care of her skin. I am always begging her to wash morning and night and to change her pillow cases every few days but she doesn't do it enough and I think it gives her more acne. We also talk about diet and exercise, but shes sixteen and I'm just "nagging her".

I'm not sure that makes me a bad mom but whatever....judge away.

 

[denisegold]

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?

The whole copyright thing is wrong, too (I understand it, and I understand WHY they have it- to make more $$). My husband is a professional photographer, and there is a limited copyright on his photos- so the client can make as many copies as they want, the photo just has to be credited to the photographer if it's displayed on a website, etc. So I'm sorry, but I don't blame people for just making their own copies once they own the photo.

 

[denisegold]

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?

I promise you, the schools get $ when they use LifeTouch- they either present it as a "fundraiser" or they just don't tell anyone. Chances are- the info was mispresented to you. I wish more schools would try local small businesses.

 

[plummer925]

The whole copyright thing is wrong, too (I understand it, and I understand WHY they have it- to make more $$). My husband is a professional photographer, and there is a limited copyright on his photos- so the client can make as many copies as they want, the photo just has to be credited to the photographer if it's displayed on a website, etc. So I'm sorry, but I don't blame people for just making their own copies once they own the photo.

My husband is a professional photographer too and sorry to say that your info isn't quite right - you can look up copyright law. I have a copyright attorney who is one of the best in the country - I'm happy to give you his info if you want to PM me. People can NOT make copies of photos, including publishing them online or in print even WITH credit without the artists permission. Especially making copies of photos - that is a blatant infringement of copyright. When someone buys a photo, they do NOT "own" the photo unless the photographer has signed an exclusive release to that person (and I hope the photographer is getting BIG BUCKS to do that!!!). A photographer ALWAYS owns the photograph. This has been proven in copyright court over and over. If your husband feels differently, then he is sadly incorrect, and people are infringing upon his copyrights.

You can read more at www.copyright.gov

 

[luvmy3]

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!

>>>>>


I hesitate to say since you seem so upset and ready to judge someone who might choose that option but, what the heck.

I bought the acne erase for my dd 16s picture this year. I want her to see what she would look like if she took better care of her skin. I am always begging her to wash morning and night and to change her pillow cases every few days but she doesn't do it enough and I think it gives her more acne. We also talk about diet and exercise, but shes sixteen and I'm just "nagging her".

I'm not sure that makes me a bad mom but whatever....judge away.[/QUOTE]

I would ask my child and I would pick the acne erase as well if it was something they wanted. I know acne is all part of growing up, but I wouldn't want my child feeling self conscious about their photo plastered in the yearbook.

 

[pyrxtc]

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.

well, it may be cheaper than buying more from the school photographer but only if you don't get caught since fines can be in the $50,000 range for copyright infringement. I don't encourage anyone to do this. If you don't want to pay school prices, please go outside or somewhere with your camera and take your own picture to copy and send to everyone.

 

[denisegold]

My husband is a professional photographer too and sorry to say that your info isn't quite right - you can look up copyright law. I have a copyright attorney who is one of the best in the country - I'm happy to give you his info if you want to PM me. People can NOT make copies of photos, including publishing them online or in print even WITH credit without the artists permission. Especially making copies of photos - that is a blatant infringement of copyright. When someone buys a photo, they do NOT "own" the photo unless the photographer has signed an exclusive release to that person (and I hope the photographer is getting BIG BUCKS to do that!!!). A photographer ALWAYS owns the photograph. This has been proven in copyright court over and over. If your husband feels differently, then he is sadly incorrect, and people are infringing upon his copyrights.

You can read more at www.copyright.gov

You may be correct to the letter of the law, but my husband gives "permission"(if that's the correct word) for his clients to make copies for personal use. There is a signed contract that gives the client this permission. Basically, with us, the photographer and the client own the photo together. If you disagree with me, then we will have to agree to disagree.

 

[plummer925]

You may be correct to the letter of the law, but my husband gives "permission"(if that's the correct word) for his clients to make copies for personal use. There is a signed contract that gives the client this permission. Basically, with us, the photographer and the client own the photo together. If you disagree with me, then we will have to agree to disagree.

If your husband gives his rights away then that is a completely different matter - when a photographer takes a photo and does not expressly give the rights for that photo to be reprinted, then it is copyright infringement (such as copying school photos). What you and I are talking about is 2 completely different things - your husband is WILLINGLY giving up his copyright - my advice in my first posting was that school photos are copyrighted - and these places usually will go after people infringing.

this next part is to everyone, not just you -

If you do not agree to the prices, don't have your child's photo taken, or don't buy the packages. I did not have my photo taken when I got to high school because I did not agree to the prices. Simple as that.

 

[fakereadhed]

www.copyright.gov

Thanks! That really cleared things up.

 

[elgerber]

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

Our bottom Lifetouch package for the highschool is $8, which is only wallets. Our very top package though, is only $39. I consider that high, for the quality of the photos we usually get, but compared to yours, I guess not so much! That is 40 pics and a photo CD.

Middle school is not for another week, so I can't say what those costs will be, but I think they are usually about the same.

 

[DVCLiz]

You may be correct to the letter of the law, but my husband gives "permission"(if that's the correct word) for his clients to make copies for personal use. There is a signed contract that gives the client this permission. Basically, with us, the photographer and the client own the photo together. If you disagree with me, then we will have to agree to disagree.

There's no "agree to disagree" when it comes to copyright - the law is the law. As Plummer said, if your husband is giving permission to his clients that is another matter entirely. But you can't just pick an interpretation of the law that suits you if it is illeagal and say you disagree with it so you'll do it anyway.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

We're getting off-topic here. The OP did not post this thread to discuss copyright law. Let's return our attention to the original topic please.

 

[Beezle2]

double post

 

[denisegold]

this next part is to everyone, not just you -

If you do not agree to the prices, don't have your child's photo taken, or don't buy the packages. I did not have my photo taken when I got to high school because I did not agree to the prices. Simple as that.

Best advice on this thread.

 

[denisegold]

There's no "agree to disagree" when it comes to copyright - the law is the law. As Plummer said, if your husband is giving permission to his clients that is another matter entirely. But you can't just pick an interpretation of the law that suits you if it is illeagal and say you disagree with it so you'll do it anyway.

I'm not asking to agreeing to disagree on copyright law. I just don't want to argue because some professional photographers have different ways of doing business. Maybe you should re-read what was said.

 

[englishteacha]

We have Lifetouch where I teach. Maybe it's because we're a low income community, but our picture packages aren't quite as expensive as those mentioned here. Many of our students don't purchase pictures. They just have their photo taken for the yearbook and their IDs. Many parents take photos of their kids and print them out at Walmart, or take them to Walmart to get the photos done.

 

[pyrxtc]

As a photographer, I offer editing photo's too but it is mostly used on little things for kids. My kids always seem to injure thier face on a day when they are supposed to take pictures or the day before at least. It never fails !! I want portraits of them looking their best. I ahve plenty of them scarred and scratched up from playing and having fun, I don't need that passed on to everyone. Also, it is not unusual to edit a SR yearbook photo to get rid of acne. Would you want to be remembered wiht a face full of acne just because it showed up the day of your scheduled session ?? I don't think so ! Women usually cover it up wht make-up but what if you could have no make-up and still look awesome ?

 

[NYCDiane]

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.

You are 100% correct! I never realized this until I put my DD in public school. When she was in Catholic School the pkgs ranged from $45 to $80. In public school, I can get a pkg as low as $19 and the more expensive ones are $60-something but that includes a lot of sheets.

I purchased the "cheapy" package this year, but it suits me fine. We got a 5x7, some smaller ones and a bunch of wallets. That's all we really need.

 

[alikat99]

Our school is using Lifetouch this year and for us our top package is $33 and that's for 3 8x10s, 2 5x7s, 4 3x5s, 8 wallets and the photo CD. I don't think that it's too outragous.

My problem with Lifetouch is that, as the school yearbook editor, they rush the kids through pictures and we end up getting terrible pictures. My poor kid looked like a deer in headlights her eyes were SO wide. And my poor preschooler had a runny nose that day, and yes you could see it in the picture (YUCK!!).

Thankfully, I had them both redone on retake day and they were better. I just wish that they'd slow down just a tad!!!

 

[Stephanie218]

My problem with Lifetouch is that, as the school yearbook editor, they rush the kids through pictures and we end up getting terrible pictures. My poor kid looked like a deer in headlights her eyes were SO wide. And my poor preschooler had a runny nose that day, and yes you could see it in the picture (YUCK!!).

Thankfully, I had them both redone on retake day and they were better. I just wish that they'd slow down just a tad!!!

I work for a school photography company (small, local...not Lifetouch) and it's still amazing how fast the schools except us to shoot the kids. We're given usually a minute per child to groom, seat, and shoot 6 - 8 images.

It really doesn't help if the child (for whatever reason) doesn't want to cooperate or smile that day, or gives a huge fake smile.

So I know it's frustrating and the pictures aren't always perfect, but coming from the other side there are serious time constraints as well. In a perfect world, each photographer would really love to have a few minutes with the child and we'd come out with much better pictures.