portrait studio difficulties

Today I was all set to get my twins' 6 month pictures taken at a local portrait studio. It was such a big production giving them breakfast and baths and early naps as well as getting my sister to babysit my two older girls. I made it to my appt. in the nick of time because I wanted the babies fed and well-rested. They were both in very happy moods which doesn't always happen at the same time, as you know!!! THEN they took me 45 MINUTES LATE FOR MY APPOINTMENT!!!! There was another customer in there with a crying baby for over 45 minutes...they really wanted that baby to stop crying for their picture and they just kept trying and trying. But in the meantime, one of my twins pooped through her outfit (grrrrr) and their happy little moods were going downhill fast. I tried to nicely say to the woman at the desk that their "goodness" was only going to last so long....and she asked if
I WANTED TO RESCHEDULE??????? And I said, "not really, because you don't know what I had to go through to get here and I really don't want to do it all over again!" By the time they called us in they were both hungry and tired (due for their next nap) and fussy. The photographer took about 6-7 quick shots of Sarah and said "ok, she's done!" but she wasn't even smiling! They took 3 pictures of Rachael and hers were worse than Sarah's. I seriously think the photographer was trying to make up for lost time because the other customer ran so far over. We tried to get a picture of both of them so the trip wouldn't be a total waste and they both were lying on the floor crying hysterically. I scooped them up and said, "forget it"....I certainly wasn't about to make the person after me wait for my babies to stop crying, because I knew that it just wasn't going to happen.

I was soooooo mad, but unfortunately I'm tend to not be very assertive. They asked me if I wanted to buy any of them and I said, "no" and that I didn't want to reschedule. The only reason I went there is that the pictures are affordable and I bought the Portrait Club membership and wanted to make sure I got my money's worth. I wish I just asked for a refund on my membership and told them how I really felt. But I had to get out of there and get to my dentist appointment. FUN!

Anyway, thanks for listening to me vent. Sometimes I think people just don't get it....how hard it is with infant twins (and two other children under the age of 6). They had really no sympathy and didn't really seem to get why I was so frustrated.

I think I'll just try to take photos at home from now on.

shannon

 

I had a similar problem yesterday at penneys. we waited 45 minutes and by the time it was the girls turn they were cranky and wouldn't stop crying. the studio had no a/c so everyone was cranky including the photographer. she didn't let us pick the backgrounds and has up plop the girls on the floor on top of each other. it was a mess! finally, i got up and said we are leaving. we didn't reschedule and i will never go back there. the studio was in a closet of a room and all the props were dirty and old. i guess we are going to have to take pictures at home as well. we will try in a month or two when the girls can sit up on their own, but right now i think they would have another meltdown that i just can't handle.

 

:hug: that really blows! i'm sorry it was such a crappy experience. most people really don't understand how much more work two babies are. :hug:

 

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. We haven't tried the portrait studio yet. I am afraid of what you described happening. Plus, I think we take pretty good pictures at home.

 

I am sorry you had a rough experience, but unfortunately, that is what happens at portrait studios. I found the best way to deal with it is to always get the first appointment of the day-that way they are on time, and it is much smoother.

 

Ugh, that sucks. Sorry that happened to you. My mom tried to take the girls for pics not too long ago and wound up not buying anything either. The same sort of thing happened to her, only add in inappropriate or ugly props and backgrounds. Like my girls were in dresses and they wanted to put a beach scene behind them, when they in no way looked like they were going to the beach.

 

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I know how you feel - I take my baby's pictures every 2 months and buy just enough for the two 8x10 frames hanging in their room and for each of the grandparents. I've done JC Penney and Portrait Innovations and for the money the pictures were cute. But they hardly took any time at all at Penney's and I was quite disappointed with that. Luckily it was early in the am and the babies were happy in most shots. I can't afford to do this more than once or twice a year, but I hired a photographer in our home town (we use her when we go home to visit) to take the babies 3 month pictures and she will do there 9 month pictures as well. It was so worth the money! I know prices vary depending on location, but I took them on a weekday to her studio and for a $50 sitting fee she spent 4 hours with us and worked with us on our schedule. It was wonderful and the pictures were precious. She probably took around 100 or so. I think the only thing I would have done differently is waited to have spent that money when they were more interactive and could sit up or crawl or something. Just a thought. It made all of that work (and it was SO much that day) definitely worth it!

 

:hug: to you both, I am sorry that you both had bad experiences.

 

I've avoided having professional pictures taken entirely. My boys have had stranger anxiety since they were 7 months old. You should see their picture with Santa! LOL! My Aunt and Uncle complain that they don't have any professional pictures of the boys but they are in town this week, so maybe they can take them! That will be a sight! These are the people that make excuses to get off the phone with me if the boys are "talking" let alone screaming!! I take about 30 pictures a day and think that is plenty.

 

Ugh! We had a similar experience at 3 months and I was fuming. I left after waiting 45 minutes and called the manager the next day. She was very apologetic and gave me some free photos. Sorry you had a bad experience. :hug:

 

Ugh, that is so frustrating!! Been there. Although I will say that our portrait studio still always took the time and made the effort to try to get good pics out of them.