Professional Photos

DH and I (well mostly me because I have finally lost the weight I've wanted to) are ready to have some family pictures taken. I am wondering where everyone goes and what their experiences have been. I have seen some of your pictures and they are so beautiful I just can't see mine cooperating. I can rarely get good pictures myself, as soon as the camera comes out they are too interested in it to smile. They are getting a lot more used to being out in public and they surprisingly are extremely well behaved babies everywhere we go. Yesterday I was feeding Jack a bottle sitting in the shoe department at Macey's while my mom was trying on shoes, and he was laughing so hard at me he couldn't even eat without it all running out of his mouth. :lol: So just curious what everyone's experience has been?

 

I took my kiddos to Kiddie Kandids in BRU. I didn't think they would get a good shot either but they did! The pictures came out beautiful and they aren't too bad on prices. They can snap alot of pics quickly so, within all of them, there are usually many good ones to pick from. The photographers were great at distraction and they weren't too into the camera since it was this huge big thing, if anything, it helped because it made them look that way. Oh and they have pretty okay props, better then I do at home. Give it a shot. They don't have sitting fees and worse case, you can only get one sheet which is like $8, I think? Good luck and share the pics if you get them!

 

We go to Picture People! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!

The best part is that you sign up for their Portrait Club which is $40/yr. You get:
3 Free sheets
3- $10 off your purchases
1- $20 SmileStore reward (I use this for picture stamps for Christmas)
Plus all your pictures get store, and you can share them from online with family

Also in the mail and email I get TONS of coupons for FREE 8x10 or 10x13 picture. There are NO sitting Fees either, and you get your pictures that day! They have great props and you can even bring your own. From 3 mo on to 1yr we took pictures every 3 mo with a big teddy bear to show their growth. Also at their 1st b-day pic they let us bring in a cake for them to smash and take pictures and THEY clean up the mess! It was great, Bella didn't want to have anything to do with it though.

So all in all I pay only $40yr for pictures since I get them for free! (I do scan them in to print out for family) and I get the rest online to share too so I don't miss out. I have also seen the Kiddie Kandids in the Mall which seem to have the same kinda deal so we are going to do the same there to get the most bang for our buck.

 

We had someone come to our home to take pics of our 3 girls. She was totally amazing. I didn't want posed pictures, I wanted candids. They came out wonderfully. I spent WAY too much money but they won't be little again. I am so glad we had professional photos done.

 

I love the idea of someone coming to the house. I just may do that. I love the photos that I get from the Picture People but they are not without stress. I hate making an appointment and then having to wait up to an hour because they mostly do kids and kids dont always cooperate for a 15 minute shot and they have to take them. So the last 2 times I have gone, I get nice pictures but I have had to reschedule once (then call and complain to the manager) and then I can never look at the pictures and buy them the same day that they are taken because getting to the photos takes so long that my kids are done. So I always have to make another trip over to the Mall to see and buy. I hate that!

 

i take my kids to sears 3x per year.. probably not the best thing to do.. its more about clothes then acutally them

except for birthday which falls between the two major holidays..

if you expect nothing you expectations will be met.. if you expect something and dont plan your expectations will not be met..

ie plan colors, styles, positions and poses.. and you may have a chance..

m

two things.. ask for the manager to take the pictures, plan the clothes, bring a snack and if you have plans on framing them.. after viewing them tell her you want to do a second shoot.. i do it all the time and she gets a huge sale

m

 

check mine out on my site (siggy) Kacy a gal i met online came ot my house and she did a great job, the ones posted are just a few... She came from Cinncy, OH...

www.kacyphoto.com
Check her out, she was great...

 

I really like Portrait Innovations myself. They do a great job and you get to pick from all the shots instead of the photographer deciding which shots are best for you.

 

Kiddie Kandids has a good reputation. I take mine to JCPenney because I am cheap but they do a decent job. Have fun!

 

We did a local photographer for their first pics - it took THREE sessions to get some OK shots, and then the family one he had to airbrush a bit cuz both mine and DH's double chins showed! (from looking down at the girls, and they were only 2 weeks old so I hadn't lost ANY weight)

Since then I've done Sears and just did their halloween shots at Wal-Mart... I'll do their one year shots with a professional again though, but all the in between shots I don't mind just going to the neighborhood mall or WalMart. Sears was allright.....

 

We plan on taking everyone in every 3 mos until 1yr, then every year. We used JC Penneys for the 3 mos. DW signed up for the "frequent photo" card, don't know what that gets us. Beware of Penneys though, they will always try to upsell you. It's easy to suddenly have a $200 bill.

 

A family friend just did some pics.. these are some of the best. We have done sears and I don't like them for twins, just singletons.
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/Al...rue/t_=32971651

 

QUOTE(Schoebdoo @ Nov 12 2007, 08:29 PM) [snapback]492906[/snapback]
We plan on taking everyone in every 3 mos until 1yr, then every year. We used JC Penneys for the 3 mos. DW signed up for the "frequent photo" card, don't know what that gets us. Beware of Penneys though, they will always try to upsell you. It's easy to suddenly have a $200 bill.


No kidding! A tip for that is to send DH in to pick up the prints. They always print up a bunch more that you didn't order and then try to sell those to you as well when you pick up the ones you did order. I think Mommies tend to give in because how can you leave such adorable pictures behind? Well DH went to pick them up by himself and didn't have to think twice about leaving the ones we didn't order!

 

We haven't been yet...but I did find that JC Penney has a multiple program.
http://www.jcpportraits.com/occasions/multiples.shtml
CLICK HERE for our special Multiple Birth Program. --- look for that under the picture and sign up for coupons.
The sheets are $4 instead of $10. Hope that helps someone!!!