An Even Bigger Con Than School Photographs!

Did you think that school photographs are a MAJOR rip off? I most certainly do! In fact, I was torn between whether or not to get them for my little ones!

With four school-going children I couldn’t very well pick and choose who gets photos and who doesn’t- it’s not like I could simply get the most photogenic child’s pictures taken and forget about the rest… without being severely judged by society, and perhaps even God.

The School Photographs Con…It Never Ends!

You know what’s worse than the exorbitant price of school photos? Their even bigger cash grab at the end of it all!

First they take your money for these ridiculously priced photo packs- which you have to get so that your child isn’t the odd one out! Then MONTHS later when they FINALLY send home the photographs they attach perhaps the GREATEST GIMMICK their marketing team could have ever invented- ‘FUN PACKS’!

Who Wants The ‘Fun’ Photos?

For as little as $20 per photo, you could be the proud owner of a ‘fun’ school photo of your child- they give you a username and password so that you can sample these photos prior to purchasing them!

The worst part about these photos is that they are glorious! They actually do capture the FUN side of your little one at school and there’s just something about the moment they’ve captured that is simply so much more relaxed, natural and really lovely.

They’re different to the classical face forward and smile that makes up the bulk of the standard school photos. There’s an element of mischief, a wilder happier smile and I can see why they market these photos as ‘fun’.

Don’t Do It!

Having said this though I do not want a bar of it! No way am I about to encourage this money heist! In fact, I strongly believe that if everyone just boycotted these additional ‘fun’ photos there’s a better chance of the photography company simply making them part of next year’s photoshoot- WITHOUT further jacking up the price… hopefully!

As it stands, I feel the very reason why they wait so long to mention these ‘fun’ photos is because they already realise that they can’t stretch parents any further financially at the time they launch these packs – that’s why they wait a few months! They hope that parents can recover a bit financially before hitting them with another massive expense.

Perhaps they hope that parents forget precisely how much their initial pack cost. Maybe they think we’re foolish enough not to add the price of the first package deal to the price of the new ‘fun’ pack and have a mini heart attack!

Don’t Hide It!

As wonderful as these photos truly are I’d much prefer them to be an option at the very start. They need to give me my choices all at once, ask me if I’d like a classical smile or a happy one from the very beginning rather than trying to hoodwink me.

If I fell for this trap where would it end exactly?! What if I received my ‘fun’ photos just in time for Christmas and they include a sample of a ‘Christmas pack’ that they sneakily took with the first photoshoot!?

Don’t Fall For It!

Nope, I’m not interested… well I am… but I’m not falling for it! Not for $20 per image per child, especially when they have already made an absolute KILLING!

Thank you, school photographers, but no thank you!

Take Our Own School Photographs

In fact, if I had my way I’d opt for a school ‘Photo Day’ event where all parents could come and capture their own child’s photos… for FREE! For heaven’s sake the time is going to be utilised anyway taking these photos, why not trial letting parents do it themselves… or even a school staff member- the school could even raise funds for the school or a charity by doing it that way!

Quick somebody, give me a seat at the P&C Committee, let’s make these photos happen!

Do you think school photographs are an overpriced con? What is the alternative? Do you usually get them? Tell us in the comments below.

43 Comments

- - Kimeeja said
  - 28 Oct 2020
    10:49 am
I think they are so overpriced that it’s not funny but I have still been buying them, up until this year as I like Class photo. I would love to be organised enough to get my kids to pose in the same place over the years but I’m not so I will probably continue to buy them

- - mom19782016 said
  - 27 Oct 2020
    2:21 pm
It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. You have to have the photos for the memories and milestones! I like the P&C idea though!

- - mom418449 said
  - 27 Oct 2020
    9:36 am
Our child care photos are ridiculous, often over and above $300 and more like $500 for something reasonable. So when I see $50 for school photos, I think why not! All a huge rip off.

- - mom101628 said
  - 27 Oct 2020
    12:19 am
Love your novel idea – get in on the P & C and make it work. The fees for these school photos have just got more and more exorbitant as time marched on. Hope you can make it work for the coming year.

- - mom468317 said
  - 26 Oct 2020
    11:08 pm
Only get what you think is worth it. Others like, and this writer doesn’t. Their personal choice

- - sarahsunshine said
  - 26 Oct 2020
    10:27 pm
The price of school photos are ridiculous, but the school knows that many parents want the memory of their children as they grow through their school years.
I understand that ‘professional’ photos are more costly but they just have ur child sit & put a smile on their face, takes less than 1 minute… the class photos are a joke now as they just put the faces of all the class in one photo, they no longer sit/stand as a class so that makes it so much easier on the photographer again…..
In saying that I do buy the photos for memory sake but when u have more than 1 child it’s a huge chunk of money…
It’s just sad that schools take advantage of parents like they do, I know our school has their hands out basically every week for one thing or another…

- - mom457980 said
  - 26 Oct 2020
    9:59 pm
Yes definitely a waste of money and way too pricey. My child was sick the day the photo was taken one year and it was no great loss. I cherished the photos even thou collars weren’t neat and hair not neat like it was when they left home. My eldest is now grown and i was shocked to see that she went to throw out all her school photos when decluttering her room .
- Ellen replied
  
  28 Oct 2020 , 1:21 pm
  Oh no, bummer !!
- - mom71495 said
  - 26 Oct 2020
    9:17 pm
Good thinking 99. I think being able to take your own children’s photographs is a great idea. Join the P & C quick!

- - pavlova said
  - 26 Oct 2020
    8:38 pm
Yes! love the Fundraiser idea for the school or a charity.

- - youngoldlady said
  - 26 Oct 2020
    8:21 pm
All professional photos are very pricy. Never heard of these fun ones though. With only two left at school and in the same class, it gets silly as they expect me to purchase two lots. The only difference is the single photo of each child.

- - BellaB said
  - 25 Oct 2020
    7:07 pm
Though I don’t mind paying so much when it includes a download that I can print any number of copies of.

- - celebrity said
  - 24 Oct 2020
    9:56 am
They are only digital photos one can do themselves unless your child wants a class photo to remember his friends in.

- - mom471956 said
  - 24 Oct 2020
    1:06 am
School photos are hideously overpriced. Not so bad if you have an only child but when you have more than one it is just so expensive. I’ve never heard of these fun photos.

- - mom460689 said
  - 22 Oct 2020
    10:33 pm
I do think the school photos are a bit expensive but they always come out fabulous so I always buy them.

- - mom19782016 said
  - 22 Oct 2020
    1:39 pm
I’d be up for parents coming to school to DIY their own photos too! Between multiple school photos and sports photos, we spend hundreds of dollars every year on them!!

- - mom322089 said
  - 22 Oct 2020
    6:50 am
The suggestion of a staff member or trusted parent taking them could be a good idea and then a small fee to cover costs go to the school.

- - Ellen said
  - 22 Oct 2020
    5:14 am
Yes they’re totally overpriced. That’s why we never got them for our kids and just take some photo’s ourselves.

- - mom265671 said
  - 22 Oct 2020
    12:29 am
They are so ridiculously expensive!! It sucks.

- - Forgetful Mumma said
  - 21 Oct 2020
    11:35 pm
I’ve never even heard of it before and probably wouldn’t have purchased them anyway.

- - Frankiielot said
  - 21 Oct 2020
    8:28 pm
Not sure how much school photos cost these days but I remember my mum only ordering the whole of grade ones and one for the start of school (kindy) and end (year 6) then again in year 7 and then year 12.