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best inexpensive portrait studio - sears, target, BRU, walmart, picture people?

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don_tspamme

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Mar 14, 2005, 9:23:26 PM3/14/05
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We are having his 1 year old photos taken by a more expensive
photographer, but in the meantime, we'd like to have some portraits
taken of our 6 mo son. His grandparents are visiting right now, so of
the store portrait studios, which ones do you recommend? And do they do
family portraits, not just babies? We'd love to get some with his
grandparents in the photos as well...

TIA

Nan

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Mar 14, 2005, 9:31:09 PM3/14/05
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On 14 Mar 2005 18:23:26 -0800, "don_tspamme" <don_t...@yahoo.com>
scribbled:

IME, skip Walmart... the pic quality is not that great, and waiting
can be very frustrating.
Sears is good, but pricey compared to JCPenney. We've bought a 2-year
portrait club membership for $29, and can waive the sitting fees as
well as receive member coupons. We've not had family portraits done
yet, but I know they do them, all you have to do is let them know how
many will be in the sitting when you make an appt.

Nan

Jeff

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Mar 14, 2005, 9:35:43 PM3/14/05
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"don_tspamme" <don_t...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1110853406.4...@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...

I would imagine the quality of the photographs has more to do with the skill
of the individual doing the work than with what particular chain.

You might be better off asking your neighbors and friends which are good
ones?

I am sure they would do family portraits.

I have to say, I am not sure that it is worth the time and money to rush to
the store, get everyone dressed, etc. You may be better off taking both
formal and informal pictures in your house or out back or whatever. Just use
the highest resolution on your digital camera for the formal portraits.

If you do it with the digital camera, you could just go to your local drug
store and get the pictures you like printed.

Jeff

> TIA
>


Donna Metler

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Mar 14, 2005, 10:06:48 PM3/14/05
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I had really good results with Picture People. One thing I like about them
is that they take 5 separate poses. They do have an additional fee for each
person in the photo, though, which adds up fast.


--
Donna DeVore Metler
Orff Music Specialist/Band/Choir
Mother to Angel Brian Anthony 1/1/2002, 22 weeks, severe PE/HELLP
And Allison Joy, 11/26/04 (35 weeks, PIH, Pre-term labor)


JennP

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Mar 14, 2005, 10:56:20 PM3/14/05
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"don_tspamme" <don_t...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1110853406.4...@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...

You aren't in Massachusetts or Connecticut, are you? There's a new place
called Portrait Simple and their photos of Jessica were just stunning.
Here's their website.

www.portraitsimple.com

JennP.


Mary W.

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Mar 15, 2005, 6:54:03 AM3/15/05
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don_tspamme wrote:

I've liked all my pictures from Sears. The JC penney ones
were OK, but not as good. K-mart (if they are still around)
were fabulous.

Mary W.

jojo

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Mar 15, 2005, 8:29:59 AM3/15/05
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I worked at both sears and Penney's as a photographer years ago.
(I use the term photographer loosely, in case there are real photographers
lurking about)
JC Penney's uses the best film prep of them all. They also work a bit
better than the others with families (make an appointment!)

If you have a kidi kandids, they are excellent.

jojo


"don_tspamme" <don_t...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1110853406.4...@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...

Barbara

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Mar 15, 2005, 8:34:45 AM3/15/05
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Donna Metler wrote:
> I had really good results with Picture People. One thing I like about
them
> is that they take 5 separate poses. They do have an additional fee
for each
> person in the photo, though, which adds up fast.
>
>
The Picture People are really in a different league from the others.
While I wouldn't call the people who work there high-end photographers,
they do understand how a camera works, and they can and do move around
with it. Sears and JCP have the camera fixed in a particular place, so
the *photographer* just snaps. When One was little, they would
complain if he would not sit on a particular spot, since the photos
would not otherwise come out! TPP will also wait out a cranky baby or
uncooperative child, while most of the other places allot a short
period of time, and snap whatever happens in that time.

Be aware that some Sears may not honor appointments. I took One for a
portrait when he was just a few months old. Although I made an
appointment, they told me it was first come, first served, and the wait
was over an hour. We waited a while, but he became cranky. Plus they
suggested that I would lose my place if I left to change his diaper. I
left.

Barbara

Sue

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Mar 15, 2005, 11:03:10 AM3/15/05
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I had wonderful luck with K-marts portraits.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)

"don_tspamme" <don_t...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1110853406.4...@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...

Irene

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Mar 15, 2005, 1:12:32 PM3/15/05
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I have only tried Sears, and wasn't terribly happy with them. Granted,
I was trying to use one of those freebie coupons, and wasn't terribly
happy when they told me that it was a digital camera that had no
memory. So, basically, I had to decide whether or not I would be able
to get a better pose - I got three chances, but I couldn't go back to
an earlier one. Blech. Ds was about 5 months at the time, and
couldn't quite sit unsupported at that point, so that was also a bit of
a hassle, tho we finally managed with the covered support. It was
pre-holiday, so it was extra crowded, too, and hot (esp. in his nice
sweater) so he was in a relatively cranky mood.

Needless to say, that wasn't the best portrait...tho I did have a ton
of copies to give to all and sundry, which was the main point of the
exercise.

Since then, I've done candids at home, going through an entire roll and
picking my favorites. However, I did get a wonderful B&W portrait of
dd as a gift from my SIL's SIL, who is an amateur photographer. That
inspired my MIL to take ds to the Picture People to get a portrait,
which also turned out well. Of course, he's now 3, and a bit more
cooperative, too. (SIL's SIL hadn't managed to get a good shot of ds
when she was taking photos, which is why I only have the one).

Irene

lenny fackler

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Mar 15, 2005, 2:21:15 PM3/15/05
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Barbara wrote:
> Donna Metler wrote:
> > I had really good results with Picture People. One thing I like
about
> them
> > is that they take 5 separate poses. They do have an additional fee
> for each
> > person in the photo, though, which adds up fast.
> >
> >
> The Picture People are really in a different league from the others.
> While I wouldn't call the people who work there high-end
photographers,
> they do understand how a camera works, and they can and do move
around
> with it. Sears and JCP have the camera fixed in a particular place,
so
> the *photographer* just snaps. When One was little, they would
> complain if he would not sit on a particular spot, since the photos
> would not otherwise come out! TPP will also wait out a cranky baby
or
> uncooperative child, while most of the other places allot a short
> period of time, and snap whatever happens in that time.
>

I'll give another recommendation for the Picture People. We've always
been very happy with their photographs. Discount and department store
places are too inconsistent.

Tracey

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Mar 15, 2005, 7:09:03 PM3/15/05
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"JennP" <jennifer...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:Z8WdnVps69e...@comcast.com...
>

> You aren't in Massachusetts or Connecticut, are you? There's a new place
> called Portrait Simple and their photos of Jessica were just stunning.
> Here's their website.
>
> www.portraitsimple.com
>

Thank you for this link, Jen! I'm going to have to take a ride up to
WestFarms to check this place out. :-)
Tracey


toypup

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Mar 15, 2005, 8:00:15 PM3/15/05
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"Sue" <sburk...@wideopenwest.com> wrote in message
news:ne2dnXn0D4n...@wideopenwest.com...

>I had wonderful luck with K-marts portraits.

I haven't.


Sue

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Mar 15, 2005, 9:48:46 PM3/15/05
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I think everyone is either going to have good and/or bad experiences
everywhere. It just depends on the camera used, the photographer themselves
and how equipped the person is at waiting for a good shot. Needless to say,
I used K-mart for many years and never had a problem. There was one girl
that we used for all of them and imo, she was good.

--
Sue (mom to three girls)

"toypup" <toy...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
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Rosalie B.

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Mar 16, 2005, 12:24:54 AM3/16/05
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"toypup" <toy...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

I don't think this is so much brand specific as it is photographer
specific. My daughter uses JC Penny because her husband is employed
by them, and she said one of the ladies there was really good and one
was not. So when she went to get a group picture, she got the one who
wasn't so good, and the picture wasn't so good - not bad technically,
but the kids were glassy eyed or on the verge of tears. Admittedly,
it was a tough assignment - 8 kids ranging from under a year to 16
years old.

I used Sears sometimes when my kids were little. Sometimes we went to
a studio for things like a 4 generation picture.

grandma Rosalie

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