Smile! A post about the church directory photos.

This week has been picture week.  K had soccer photos on Sunday.  I had to send her back up the hill because they didn't take her single shot, just the group shot.  Since I paid for it, I kind of wanted it.

Yesterday was school picture day.  K went all rainbowy and if I didn't have an issue posting her beautiful 10 year old face on the internet, then I would.  Just take my word for it-- she looked fabulous!  A 10 year old in her rainbow glory.  :)

Last evening was the church directory photo session.  M came home feeling a bit under the weather, so the fact that he was even with us was pushing it.  His coworker has been sick and though she missed a day, she came back to share.

As church directory photo sessions always are, it hearkened back to the days of Olan Mills.  When she had me to the hands on the shoulder thing I did comment, "Really?  :snarly nose:  You want me to do the Olan Mills pose?  I'm feeling very 1980's."  She laughed.  I wasn't being snarky, but I'm thinking that they need to update the posing a hair.  She did after that.

To their credit, they did take a few nice photos of us.  The time came for us to view and select and all that.  We got a free 8x10 and a directory.  Super!  We haven't had a family portrait done since K's adoption.  We discussed which portrait for the directory and chose the free one.  We decided that 2 additional 5x7s would be great for the parents.

"Okay, then that will be $70.35."

"Um, the 8x10 was complimentary, right?"

"Yes."

Y'all, it was $50 for the 2 5x7s and then the additional $20 was for tax and ship.  The last I checked, it shouldn't cost $15-$20 to ship two little 5x7s.  I'm just saying. Oh, and especially with the 5x7s being shipped bulk to the church and not to the house.

"I'm so very sorry.  I didn't expect 2 5x7s to cost more than the picture package that I bought for my daughter today that includes 2 5x7s along with 6 other sheets of photos.  I apologize.  We should have asked the cost.  We will just take the complimentary 8x10."

I felt bad to lead her on, but we couldn't have been the only people to have sticker shock.

I understand that they are trying to make a profit.  Good for them.  However, highway robbery was spoken to me many times last evening when telling people our story.

Eeek.

If you choose to purchase church directory photos, and I know folks who have, just know that they are going to be photo studio prices.  My comment to my friend?  "It's not like Lance Mercer or Annie Leibovitz came out and took the photos."  Now for them, $70 would have been just fine.  They wouldn't have made me do an Olan Mills, either!