6 month photos

Has anyone had success with getting good pics of their twins together?

We thought we would give JC Penny a try and boy I felt like I was being set up. They took a ton of pictures but I only had like 13 to pick from and the really good photos they would charge $14 to crop and make a close up out of them. What a rip-off. Not to mention that they made me sit through 10 minutes of "collages" and "enhancements" that literally take two seconds on photoshop to do but then charge you 10X as much.

While I am not cheap it seems crazy to spend that kind of money for photos I could take.

Any tips on making better use of a sitting? Maybe I had too high of expectations? Is it just this age?

 

We didn't get professional pics until about 10 months ... and we only did it because we had a gift certificate that was about to expire at Kiddie Kandids.

They didn't come out great. The kids were crying. They weren't happy. If one smiled, the other didn't, etc. I would guess that 6 months is a hard time ... they are more aware and aren't going to sleep through the photo shoot.

I personally wish I had done a newborn professional shoot when they are tiny tiny peanuts ...

I'm sorry your pics didn't come out great... I am surprised about the extra charges for CROPPING?? That's crazy. At Kiddie Kandids (the ones located in Babies R Us) they took a whole bunch of pics ... we basically ended the photo shoot becaues the kids were crying too much ... Then we got to pick the pictures and they did all the cropping and all that for us for free ... and we got the CD with all the pics so that we could print them ourselves at home ...

Maybe next time try a different place!

Good luck,
Erica

 

We do pics at JC Penny every month. I've only been really happy with them twice (2 months old, and 7 months old). I always get one of each of them individually and one of them together. It's SO hard to get a great one of them both looking at the camera smiling. They take turns on who is going to pout and not smile each month. I just chalk it up to them being babies and being in a weird place with lights and cameras flashing in their faces. But, I'm glad we'll have the pictures to look back on (even if they're not smiling!).

Carrie

(Also wanted to add... I agree with PP, try somewhere else. I've never thought they do a great job at JCP - we just keep going there b/c it's 2 minutes away and we have a membership. I've heard that other places are a little better.)

 

i switch off and on between JCP and Sears, and i have been since my oldest DD was a baby, and i like Sears way better, although JCP is a little cheaper

 

We just had our 6 months done at Target's Smile Station. I'm not sure if you have a Target with a portrait studio near you, but I really liked them. They were really helpful and not too expensive either.

 

Do you have a portrait innovations near you. They are amazing!

 

QUOTE(Tammy Fine @ Mar 19 2008, 05:37 PM) [snapback]677849[/snapback]
Do you have a portrait innovations near you. They are amazing!



I just saw an ad for them and I think I may try them next. If the sitting fee is free and I feel up to is I might just start picking good days and going. A good way to get out of the house.

I called them because I forgot to use a gift card (the reason I picked them in the first place - twin brain!). When I asked if I could just get a refund on my credit card and use the gift card when I pick up the photos I could here the manager in the background. Her responce "sure she can do it when she comes in, maybe she'll use it to buy one of the protraits". Nice....lucky for me I have you ladies and I am sending DH so I don't get suckered into buying a bunch more pics!

Any tips for how to get good photos - do you just take charge and tell them what poses you want?

 

QUOTE(jenniej @ Mar 19 2008, 07:44 PM) [snapback]677942[/snapback]
I just saw an ad for them and I think I may try them next. If the sitting fee is free and I feel up to is I might just start picking good days and going. A good way to get out of the house.

I called them because I forgot to use a gift card (the reason I picked them in the first place - twin brain!). When I asked if I could just get a refund on my credit card and use the gift card when I pick up the photos I could here the manager in the background. Her responce "sure she can do it when she comes in, maybe she'll use it to buy one of the protraits". Nice....lucky for me I have you ladies and I am sending DH so I don't get suckered into buying a bunch more pics!

Any tips for how to get good photos - do you just take charge and tell them what poses you want?



PI is free for the sitting and for $10 you get a large package. Basically go in with a few outfits for each child and they will pose it all. Just tell them what they can do. Sit, crawl, pull up, etc.

I have gotten great pics. If you like I will share my 6 month pics with you for an idea.

 

[SIZE=10pt]We've gone to The Picture People every month so far. I LOVE them. They take amazing pictures...whether they're both looking at the camera or smiling. They seem to turn out great.
They always ask what poses...props you want to use (they have a ton)
I signed up on their website and get a coupon once a month for a free 8x10 or 10x13 with no sitting fee. Their additional sheets are a little expensive ($18.00), but there are times when I only get the free picture (not that I don't want to get them all becuase they're all so good) and they don't mind at all.

April [/SIZE]

 

I like Kiddie Kandids a lot...the photographers are really interactive, but they're a little pricy, so we've only done 1 month and 6 mos, and will go for 1 year tomorrow. I budgeted for them, and have my coupon from the last visit to get a free sheet.

 

I have had pictures taken at JC Penney, Kiddie Kandids and Portrait Innovations. JCP was horrible and I will never go back. Kiddie Kandids was good, but they only give you 6 pictures to choose from. I have been to Portrait Innovations the past two times and love them. Great pictures, great prices, great people there. They have taken between 80-100 pictures each time we went and you get to pick from all of those pictures. I also like the staff there. I have always had a photographer and a "player." It is the players job to get both kids to look and smile and that lets the photographer take the pictures. We always take the kids right after lunch when they are in a good mood and have had good luck. Do your babies have a happy time of day? I would try and book pictures for then.

Good luck!

 

Try Portrait Innovations if you have one near you. You get to look through all the pics they take (like 50 or more). And you decide what you like best. I hate when the portrait places do that for you, you know your babies' personalities better than they do and I like shots that capture their personality.

 

QUOTE(KJS @ Mar 20 2008, 06:22 AM) [snapback]678479[/snapback]
We always take the kids right after lunch when they are in a good mood and have had good luck. Do your babies have a happy time of day?


That was the whole thing they were both in GREAT moods and there were times that BOTH were smiling (a tough feat since DS is a little shy with his smiles) and she didn't snap the shot. I was wanted to scream "TAKE THE PICTURE LADY TAKE THE PICTURE!".

Protrait Innovations is has the vote I think.

I'll let you know how it goes!

 

QUOTE(turnerbabies @ Mar 19 2008, 10:27 PM) [snapback]677835[/snapback]
We just had our 6 months done at Target's Smile Station. I'm not sure if you have a Target with a portrait studio near you, but I really liked them. They were really helpful and not too expensive either.


We've always gone to Target, and they've done a great job and in comparison to most other places, they're dirt cheap (esp. w/ coupons). They just get you on the reorders so I've gotten better at figuring out ahead of time what I'm looking for. The first couple of visits I messed up royally!

 

We have a private photographer/family friend (she did my avatar) come to the house. It's so much easier and because she's a college student, her prices aren't bad at all ($30 for a session and CD full of pictures). The boys always seem so much more relaxed and at ease, so getting their pictures done is pretty much stress free. If you can find someone to do that for a reasonable price, I definitely recommend it! She's done some fabulous work with the boys! I've got them framed and put up all over the house.

 

QUOTE(4lilmonkeys @ Mar 20 2008, 11:37 AM) [snapback]678870[/snapback]
We have a private photographer/family friend (she did my avatar) come to the house. It's so much easier and because she's a college student, her prices aren't bad at all ($30 for a session and CD full of pictures). The boys always seem so much more relaxed and at ease, so getting their pictures done is pretty much stress free. If you can find someone to do that for a reasonable price, I definitely recommend it! She's done some fabulous work with the boys! I've got them framed and put up all over the house.


Is your friend on Flickr? I think I saw some pics of your boys once right after they were born! Great pics--I was pregnant at the time and thought they were just beautiful. I just put two and two together on your twinkies names and the pictures!!!

 

4 times I have just had a friend with a nice camera take pics at home. They turned out pretty well. They were free and I could just make copies at Costco for cheap. Like $1.50 for 8x10. At some point we will do professionals but so far I have been happy with that. Next month we are goingn to take them to the park and do it again.

 

We went to JCPenney's for our Christmas pictures. We only had about 15 pictures to choose from, and didn't like any of them. We ended up paying way too much money for pics we didn't really like! (It was close to the holiday, so we had to get something for our cards). Next month we're going to Portrait Innovations for the girls 6 month pictures. I've heard and seen nothing but good things of them as well. Lots of pics to choose from, lots of poses (outfit changes if you like!), great prices and I heard the photographers are really kid friendly. We plan on going early in the morning after the girls first nap, when they are the happiest.

 

you pay for target and jc penny prices you get jc penny pictures. You never get those moments back, hire a professional who likes working with kids not someone working minimum wage at the mall

 

I would call them. I wasn't happy with the pictures from JCPenney for Christmas and I called them and they bent over backwards to make sure we were happy and satisfied. It wasn't even the girls taking them they were very patient. I just didn't like them when they were delivered and I saw what I picked. I didn't think anything could be done because I picked them but they said they just want their customers to be happy and redid the whole order at no charge. (In my defense the proofs looked one way because they were small but when they were blown up and in color my one twin was cross eyed which is fine if you are cross eyed but she isn't and they even agreed it looked different on the proof I picked than when it came out.) My hubby said though we take better pics and could just do it and have them developed next time (because we get them smiling etc.) I was just all pumped to get professional pics done and spent a ton of money on all those different sheets and poses. I literally had a headache trying to make up my mind and just picked whatever after awhile.