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Random Q: How often do you take family photos or have them done?

(14 posts) (10 voices)

Started 10 months ago by Delkroemer
Latest reply from amama5

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Delkroemer
Member

Family is always bugging us for more photos, of all of us. We take plenty of the kids on a daily basis, but pretty much only have professional photos done at Christmas.

I hate having my picture taken, as I just don't think I am the least bit photogenic, but professional photos seem even worse to me because I feel they will sharpen every physical flaw.

I would like to have more professional photos done of my kids though, and plan to have some school themed ones done soon (kind of like a homeschool picture day) but it all got me wondering how often other moms' families have pictures done professionally. So, how often is it for you? Do you like having photos done?

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post
jawgee
Member

Professionally? LOL. Does the church directory count? We had one done for the church directory 2 1/2 years ago.

I'd love to have them done more often, but I find the prices too expensive for us, and I'm never happy with the quality at WalMart or JCPenney-type places.

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post
Misty
Member

I asked around and have been very blessed to find a very talented budding photographer. She comes to my house (or where ever the kids would like) and takes all the time we need (usually about an hour) and takes the kids pictures in there natural, happy settings. She then sends me a CD with copywrite agreements on it. I take them to Wal-mart/Targe and print what I want and she only charges $50! It's a steal and she is very good. So the kids (which all there birthdays are from Aug 31 to Feb 22 - that's all 7 fall in that time) each get their pictures done once a year professionally. It was important to me cause at my wedding my mom realized she never took pictures of me so I said every year they will at least have this. I do try and double up on kids when she comes so she doesn't have to come 2 times a month or back to back months.

Yearly we go the the Wilderness Family Fellowship Memorial Family Fun weekend in WI and they do old time photos (same girl actually) for free each year. It's a hoot. So not very formal but very fun. We have talked that we should do one again, but it always seems with families there is never a really good time to do it.

But that's how we role with photos. I agree though we use to do wal-mart etc. and to many times we'd have such issues that by the time the photos came back and you relized they have a line in them or there glasses were glaring it was to late to fix it and didn't want to re-do little ones (to much work).

Talk to others, call a local college that teaches photography.. I was amazed how many people do this to get going. My girl keeps traveling and learning new things. I am scared the day she opens her business big.

Here is her website just so you can see how luck and blessed I am: I have it put to the kids section just click on Fallon's picture or Rhedyn's and you'll see some of what I get back on the CD ! http://caitlynkphotography.wordpress.com/kiddos/

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post
Misty
Member

Sorry to brag.. That wasn't what I wanted to do... Just love her work and price and thank God every time I need her because without her we'd never be able to afford it.

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post
botanicalbecky
Member

You are SO lucky Misty! Those are really nice pictures. I would love to have someone do that for us .... some day. :)

I just had my boys pics taken at JC Penneys last week - it had been about 4 years since we had them taken last time! I think it was time, lol. We have never had a family picture taken - I also don't feel hugely photogenic. :) For the Christmas card last year, I ended up just having a friend take a couple shots of all of us together out in our woods. Worked for me. But, again, if I could find a real photographer and some extra cash (ha), I would love to have something like that done.

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post
Delkroemer
Member

I agree ladies, I really dislike the in store photos like Walmart, but most times that is what we do for Christmas, and I definitely wouldn't go there throughout the year.

Misty, thank you for bragging on your photography lol, I checked out the link and you certainly are lucky, the photos are gorgeous and I noticed she is a Christian photographer too, all the more awesome.

I have some talented friends who do photography and for very affordable prices, but I am always hesitant because I hate being photographed. My family rarely took pictures also, and I want to have plenty more for my own children, so even if I am not in them I think I will go ahead and start having their photos done more often.

Now I am pondering ideas for homeschool student photos, poses and props ...

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post
LDIMom
Member

I highly recommend you sign up for Living Social.com

We family photos done last August with a photographer we found through Living Social deals. He did a fantastic job capturing our large family in a way I had hoped he would (more casual and realistic and less posed). Het met us at a local park here in town, and about 2 weeks after the session, he mailed me the images digitally on 2 CDs to have printed as I wished. The fee one time was just $75 (a real deal for 2 hours of professional photography). He edited the photos as well as gave me the original (so 150 total photos).

I used mpix.com to have them printed. VERY reasonable prices, and I gave them at Christmas to grandparents and aunts and uncles along with the homemade gifts we made and charitable gifts given in their name. They LOVED the photos! If you sign up for mpix e-blast, they will send you coupon codes regularly for up to 50% their aleady reasonably priced prints. They come to you on professional paper, just like the kind you get at the studios such as Sear's.

I am on the lookout now for a new deal since we now have another family member.

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post
LDIMom
Member

Oh and most of us would probably concur on not liking being in the photo, but you need to get a family photo done at least every couple of years. Have you seen ones where the children are in the foreground and parents in background blurred? That might be a nice pose for you. They are quite nice and focus on your children. I wish I could send a link to ones I've seen, but I've just seen them on people's blogs and such.

We always dress casual but I always wear a skirt and/or dress. It makes me feel better to be dressed up a bit, yet casual if that makes sense. We try to coordinate but not match. We also did one at the photographer's suggestion where we all ran away from the camera. That one turned out great. Then he had us run back, and that one is nice too. We were all giggling, so the smiles are very genuine.

HTH

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post
chocodog
Member

We are lucky we get ours done professsionally every year by a photographer that comes to the area to take pictures of the area children at Christmas. She has done ours since she offered years ago and she charges me $1 a pic. and sends them to us. She is a professional and I am lucky to have her. I haven't taken many pictures in the last few years due to problems with my cameras.... First it was stolen, Then I bought another one that didn't work. I bought another one that worked and my son took it over and either looses the batteries or our SD card. UGH!!! Then I buy my own batteries and before I get to use it he can't find his and takes mine again! double UGH!!!! Yes, I have hid it but then it isn't out when I need it. Which means I loose those spontanieous moments on film. So, needless to say I have given up (pretty much) and I am still waiting for my batteries to be found and recharged. I know that when we do find them they will be dead. Just my luck with the camera thingy...

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post
Corie
Member

As a military family, we move often, and it seems that everywhere we go we end up with a friend who is also a great photographer! Ask around at church and amongst friends, and I would be surprised if you couldn't find someone good with a camera willing to take pics. Honestly, I am not a professional photographer at all, but I prefer the pics I take of my kiddos to just about any we've had done in a studio. It is so easy to throw a white or other solid colored sheet up for a background or just get the kiddos in their natural settings. For the entire family, I definitely agree that having someone come to your house works so much better. If you don't want to spend a lot, maybe you could trade services, such as babysitting, cleaning, baking, etc. with a photographer friend.

As for how often, I try for once each year, which doesn't always happen. And sometimes that one time ends up being a really good shot someone got of all of us at the lake, the pumpkin patch or somewhere else that happened to provide a great photo op!

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post
momto2blessings
Member

Our JcPenny's is really good and I always have a coupon for $3.99 per page. I went a little crazier when they were little:) But now I limit myself to about $30-35 once a year around their birthdays. Every other year I try to do a whole family shot. :)Gina

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post
momto2blessings
Member

Oh...their b-days are both in July so that's all I spend on BOTH kids:)

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post
Kate Mom of 1
Member

A friend of mine from church did a family picture of all of us at the same time she did Kelsey's 2 year old pictures...Kelsey's now 8 1/2 lol. We've taken other pictures of DD...I take pictures of her on a near-daily basis. But it just hasn't felt right to do a family photo since we lost my husband 5 weeks before Kelsey's 3rd birthday. I also don't feel too photogenic, and would much rather be behind the camera. The two of us do church directory every other year or so, but that's about it! :)

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post
amama5
Member

We got tired of all 4 sets of grandparents asking why we never give them professional pictures, they've even offered to pay for them but we have to drive to their photographer. We found a place called Portrait Innovations, do you have one of those in your area? They always have a basic package for 10.00. It's a ton of pictures, and everyone is happy, we do it once a year for the grandparents and that's their Christmas present from us. Plus we love having the wallets to show when people ask.

Posted 10 months ago # Report Post

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