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$500 for pictures?

July 26th, 2008 at 03:57 am

My oldest niece will be a senior this year and they 'have' to get their school pictures done by a professional. Cost $500 - 1500. Unreal. My sister opted for the cheapest package at $500. My niece was complaining because she bought the cheap package. I cannot believe this. $500 for pictures... for a year book. This is insane. My niece wanted my sister to pay another $80 to add her baby pictures. How do parents afford this crap and why do they do it? Why do they allow the schools to dictate these expensive extras?

I had a good mail week. Free sample of Dove deodorant plus 4 $1.00 off coupons on Dove products

Discover sent me a coupon for $10 off at Red Lobster when I spend $20. First time I've gotten something like that from them. But that's cool since I eat there quite often.

Vocalpoint sent me 5 $1.00 off Coke 12-pack coupons

I got my Staples reward check from months ago for $10+

I finished reading the library book Blue Smoke and Murder by Elizabeth Lowell. Mystery. Very good

I also finished reading the library book Live it up without outliving your money! : 10 steps to a perfect retirement portfolio by Paul Merriman. Finance. Very good. Good information on various asset types and how to invest in them.

9 Responses to “$500 for pictures?”

  1. momcents Says:
    1217041280


    That is rather unreal about the price of pictures! I don't like to spend the $9.00 per child for a simple class picture. I think this year we are skipping this altogether and buying one yearbook for $15 that will have each child's class pictured in it.

  2. Thrifty Ray Says:
    1217042539

    My oldest daughter is a photographer who provides local senior pics. She will take the graduate to one of several locations...allow several clothes changes and will spend 2-3 hours with them...she charges $75-100 and gives them a disc to print at Walmart or some other inexpensive place. She does an amazing job and feels like this is her way of giving back. I am very proud of how she turned out!

  3. Carolina Bound Says:
    1217076244

    That price for pictures is shocking. I think this is why so many are in financial trouble. It's just this kind of pressure to keep up with everyone else. And you know there are many who simply can't afford it.

  4. disneysteve Says:
    1217076962

    That's insane! They need one photo to go in the yearbook. What the heck are they possibly doing for $500 (or more)?

  5. monkeymama Says:
    1217089346

    Oh my - I am afraid I would tell my kids no (or pay out of their own pocket). What the heck?

    I was just thinking something similar. With the ease of at-home "professional photography," pictures are not something I really see the point of. (My dad has a professional camera and we have pictures worth thousands if we had paid retail). BUT of my mom friends, about 50% (literally) are now "professional photographers."

    Two of them were just bugging me and it was the same thing. Like their cheapest package was like $500. Puh-leeze. A lot of my non=photographer friends do multiple sessions a year. I Was just sitting here wondering how these people afford it. (Then again a lot of them are going into foreclosure - seriously. There is some connection there).

    On the other hand, I Was thinking that photography was one saturated market!!! Suddenly everyone is a professional...

  6. Broken Arrow Says:
    1217100489

    Way too much money!

  7. Monroe on a Budget Says:
    1217108089

    Yearbook photos are just the start of senior year shoots. That fee that is being quoted probably includes both yearbook photo and the currently popular "informal" post where students pose with their athletic trophies or musical instruments.

    There will also be:

    fall homecoming (football season).

    possibly winter homecoming (held during basketball season, yes even at some schools that have traditional fall homecomings).

    senior prom (a photo stage will be set up).

    boyfriend / girlfriend's senior prom (sometimes a couple attends different high schools).

    graduation day itself (yes there will be a pro photographer shooting that); team or music ensemble photos (when I was a senior I was in choir, show choir and marching band).

    possibly Girl Scout Gold / Boy Scout Eagle (this doesn't have to coincide with senior year, but in our case it did.)

  8. disneysteve Says:
    1217126443

    Monroe - If that's the case, they should also offer a la carte pricing so that someone who just wants the yearbook shot doesn't get stuck spending an obscene amount of money. Surely, not everyone can (or wants to) come up with that kind of money just to have their picture taken. Nobody should be excluded from appearing in the yearbook just because they've got enough brains not to blow that kind of money.

  9. Monroe on a Budget Says:
    1217331654

    We have a photographer in the family, so we set up a full photo shoot on family discount for yearbook and informal senior picture when my daughter was a senior.

    Here's what happens: each high school sets its own policy for yearbook photos. Some will say "any photographer you want, but here are the specifications for yearbook pose." Some will say "here is the photographer you must use for your yearbook pose."

    Now, what you pose for, or purchase, beyond the yearbook pose is, well, obviously, up to you.

    But, the yearbook pose is just the start of senior year pictures. The other "events" I listed in my post had nothing to do with yearbook shoot : )

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