Senior pictures!?!?!

[leahjade]

Just took my teenager for senior pix and can't believe the prices on these packages! When I think that it's only 28 centers to make a print at Walmart and these portrait companies are charging $500 for a basic package, it blows my mind. And this is on top of the sitting fee. What kind of prices are other people having to pay in other areas of the country? This is going to be an expensive year coming up!

 

[PinkRhombus]

Photographers have to make money, too. They have all the equipment, the lighting, props...the skill.

Try them yourself with a digital camera.

The only thing is they're not going to be touched up. I really liked the slightly textured surface that mine had.

I'm sure there are MANY student photographers that would be willing to do this for a smaller fee than standard photographers so they can build their books up. They'd give you a copy of the files on a CD-Rom and then you can copy at will. Sam's is 14 or 15 cents per 4x6...50 cents (I think) for 5x7's...under $2 for an 8x10.

 

[figaromeetsmarie]

My DD was required to have them professionally done at the place the school chose or she wouldn't have a picture in the yearbook. I payed about $800ish for her senior pictures (and that was only a few up from the basic package).

 

[leahjade]

We, too, are required to go where the school sends us which may be the reason for the high prices - there is no need for the photographer to charge competitive prices when he has a monopoly! I'm all for the photographer making a decent living (he does do a great job) but $500 for an 8 x 10, 2 5x7's and 30 wallets is above and beyond in my opinion. We will need to buy more than the basic package so the grandparents and aunts & uncles get a picture.

 

[uva185]

DISCLAIMER: I am a semi-professional photographer

If you think they should base their prices on the cost of walmart prints you are dead wrong. By that logic dvds should be sold based on the cost of making a dvd.

Assuming you are going to a good studio you are employing the services of a professional photographer who knows how to light the subject correctly and produce a stunning photograph. The equipment they are using easily costs thousands and thousands of dollars. I have one portrait lens alone that cost $2,000.

Are they requiring your child to go to a particular photographer because the photos he takes will be used in the yearbook?

If you have the option I would recommend finding a local photographer who probably has better skills than a larger studio who will take his time with your child to produce photographs you like. (Outdoors, poses you like, etc). You may or may not get a cheaper rate but I think you would be much happier with the results than the typical studio senior portraits.

 

[clh2]

One of my coworkers took all her kids for senior pics to JCPenney...

She is a single mom, and money was tight, and she had 4 (3 were hers, and then she was a guardian for a nephew.) The pics turned out very nice, and while I do not know the exact numbers, in her opinion, they were far cheaper than a regular studio.

The pics were very nice!

 

[tinkerbell615]

I just ordered my DD's senior pictures this past Monday. They should be here next Friday. They were quite pricey but I knew they would be and I saved up all year to get them. Actually, I paid $50.00 more for hers than I did my DS's six years ago at the same studio. I did get less pictures for her though. I have a really large family and I try to make sure everyone gets pictures and she wants give wallets to all of her friends so we got pretty many of those also. While the school does allow you to go elsewhere for pictures and submit the photo for the yearbook, this photographer submits them for you. I have found that the pictures from this photographer always look clearer and more vibrant than the other photos submitted.

I really like the guy who took their pictures. He allows them to show their personality and bring different props/items to use in the pictures. DD told him what she wanted and he helped her to achieve exactly that. He did not rush her and told her what would look best... which outfits inside or outside etc...
I know we could have gotten the pictures a little cheaper elsewhere, but I think we made the right choice.

Good luck to you. It certainly is an expensive time. This is my 2nd to graduate high school and I am trying to plan early.

 

[zumbergc]

back in the day when we did senior pictures. You had to use the school's company to get the picture in the year book. That is all we used them for, those photographers were horrible, most of the school did that. So we bought no pictures from them. I don't have a clue what that min sitting fee was, but thats all most of the class did with them.

We went somewhere else, and had my real senior pictures taken, more reasonably priced.. and much better photographer. I was lucky, my BF had scoped them out, and so I used them too. My brother a year older used the school photog cause he didn't know any better, horrible, horrible pictures and cost a lot more money.

 

[amberlynnhawkins]

My best advice is to shop around for your photographer -- for the pictures you want to hand out, anyway. When I graduated from high school, we were required to have our pictures taken by a certain photographer to have our pictures put in the yearbook due to a contract issue with that photography studio (I worked on the yearbook staff) ... so we DID have to pay the sitting fee to have those pictures made.

HOWEVER, we didn't buy those pictures because they were astronomically high! We found a small professional photography studio owned by a man who ran his business out of his home. But trust me, he was VERY professional (he actually had contracts for yearbook photos with some area schools). When we checked with him on his prices, we got more than DOUBLE the amount of photos ... for less than HALF of the price for my school's photographer! Don't get me wrong ... senior portraits were expensive when you compare them to your average photos. The entire YEAR is extremely expensive! But I just advise you do the sitting for the yearbook photos and then find a less expensive photographer elsewhere for the bragging photos!

 

[eliza61]

Just took my teenager for senior pix and can't believe the prices on these packages! When I think that it's only 28 centers to make a print at Walmart and these portrait companies are charging $500 for a basic package, it blows my mind. And this is on top of the sitting fee. What kind of prices are other people having to pay in other areas of the country? This is going to be an expensive year coming up!

1) Yep, it's going to be an expensive year. Sorry, I just got done with my oldest son and I swear senior year was one big pay day after another. (Can you tell I'm a little p.o'ed )

2) I hated the pictures the portrait company took. I got 1 5X7 simply so he could get his pictue in the year book and then I went to a professional studio. I got a much more reasonable price (~$250), way better pictures and didn't have to buy those crazy size prints that I would not have used.

3) the school studio wanted some thing like $500 bucks.

 

[windycitymom]

I waited and bought a 8x10 from their graduation (in their cap & gown) ceremony. I think it was only $30. However, I have boys and saw no need to spend big bucks on senior portraits. I figured my money was better spent putting it toward the cost of the college. I had good intentions of taking them to JCP, but it never happened. The portrait company came to the high school and took photos of the kids who didn't sit for a portrait sitting (no charge), so they made it in the yearbook without us having to travel to their studio. I agree the cost of senior portraits is a huge rip-off. The schools usually sign a contract with the photo studio. If more parents complained about the cost to the school, they might find a studio that is more affordable.

 

[RangerPooh]

If the school requires you to go with a certain photographer for yearbook pics than just go with them for that 1 picture. When we did ours, there was no cost for this as they were doing everyones strictly for the yearbook. Of course they would send you the small proof pic as a teaser to buy more, but were always expensive. Do this, then shop around for a photographer who has more affordable prices in the look you wanted. Our yearbook company only did the traditional drape or tux look, it would ahve been much more meaningful to me to have had them in normal clothes, looking like me.

 

[MichelleVW]

My DD18 had hers done in North Dakota at an amazing studio. When it was all said and done, we probably paid about $800 or so.

She had a blast getting them done, and they all turned out great!

here's a couple of them...

 

[Adi12982]

We had to take the yearbook picture where the school chose, but then didn't have to do a session or buy anything from them. My mom did for both of us, but it was in 2001 and 2003, so the prices were lower, but we had the option. For my college pictures I took the one for the yearbook for free, and then went with my cap and gown to walmart and did a photo session and bought a HUGE picture package for less than $10

 

[snoopybabe]

In order for DD senior picture to be in the yearbook we had to use the one that they brought to the school auditorium. The basic sitting fee was $30. They haven't mentioned how much packages would be but after reading this its making me very nervous.

 

[powellrj]

My DS graduated in May, but I just wanted to warn people that at least around here, the kids didn't give out senior pictures like we did. I have a whole box of leftover pictures. He really only wanted the disk that we bought to put pictures on facebook and myspace.

The same with graduation announcements. I didn't buy them from the school and made postcards myself. I ordered 100 because that was the least I could order and it only cost me $10. I also have lots of those left over too. Once again he invited people using myspace and facebook. I sent out very few announcements and had around 300 at his open house.

Before you order anything, talk to last years parents and see what is the norm in your area.

 

[MichelleVW]

My DS graduated in May, but I just wanted to warn people that at least around here, the kids didn't give out senior pictures like we did. I have a whole box of leftover pictures. He really only wanted the disk that we bought to put pictures on facebook and myspace.

The same with graduation announcements. I didn't buy them from the school and made postcards myself. I ordered 100 because that was the least I could order and it only cost me $10. I also have lots of those left over too. Once again he invited people using myspace and facebook. I sent out very few announcements and had around 300 at his open house.

Before you order anything, talk to last years parents and see what is the norm in your area.

Maybe it's a boy thing because we went through so many wallets that I swore she was handing them out to random strangers on the streets!! We even had to go back and order more.

 

[powellrj]

Maybe it's a boy thing because we went through so many wallets that I swore she was handing them out to random strangers on the streets!! We even had to go back and order more.

I wonder too, I have had 2 boys and have lots and lots of pictures. My DD will graduate in 5 years so I guess I will find out!

 

[tinkerbell615]

I wonder too, I have had 2 boys and have lots and lots of pictures. My DD will graduate in 5 years so I guess I will find out!

It's true.

We did buy quite a few pictures for DS to give out, but he was not overly excited about giving out his pictures. He really did not give out many. Most of what he gave out was to the girls he knew because they wanted them.

Now...DD on the other hand... has stated that all of her friends have said they want lots of her pics. They all want one of each pose! I told her that was not going to happen. They will have to decide the one or two poses they like best. I certainly can not afford to buy one of each pose for all of her friends.

 

[JamesMom]

My DD was required to have them professionally done at the place the school chose or she wouldn't have a picture in the yearbook. I payed about $800ish for her senior pictures (and that was only a few up from the basic package).

That's insane!!

I paid only $500 for my WEDDING pictures at Disney in 2001 and $850 for CASTLE pics! Did you get castle shots? LOL

Good thing I know how to use a camera.

Did you HAVE to buy the package or could you just do the one yearbook pose and be done with it?