Professional Pictures?

[Gemini529]

Hi,
My baby will be 10 weeks tomorrow and I have yet to get professional pictures done of him. I have plenty of pictures that I've taken myself, but I tried and failed to take professional looking ones at home. They just didn't come out the way they would if I got them done in a studio, kwim?

I know I should get them soon but I was wondering if anyone has a favorite place to take their kids? I looked at the Picture People online and they seem really expensive. Anyone have any luck with Sears?

Also, at what ages do you get pictures done, if any? My mom was shocked that I hadn't done it yet and said I should've had them done at 6 weeks. But I wanted to wait til he was smiling more....any suggestions?

[Knitting Mama]

I guess I've never thought there was a set age for them! Cecilia is 3.5 months and has never had professional photos. My husband's a good enough photographer, so he takes her pictures. I take quickies with my phone that don't turn out half bad either, I think. Maybe you're being hard on yourself?

http://aimeeandchris.com/Cecilia/A%2...ths/index.html

Those are the photos my husband takes on the 6th of every month for her little mini-birthdays.

[texaspeach]

we just go to jcpenney. they are near to us and inexpensive. they usually have coupons online (print the out) for 3.99 portrait sheets (which are 1 8x10, 2 5x7s or 8 wallets). if you sign up for their portrait club (something like $30 for 2 years) there are no sitting fees, which saves you $10 a person, and additional discounts like a free 8x10.

[Gemini529]

Aww, those pictures are adorable! They came out so well and she is sooo cute!!!

Perhaps I'm just a terrible photographer? Yours look a lot more professional than mine do. I know there's no set age, but I don't want to wait too long and then always wish I had them done.

I got a coupon to get them done at Sears pretty cheaply so maybe I'll give it a shot. Plus I want to get one of all of us (Me, DS, DH), too. I don't know why I'm so obsessed with pictures. I did the same thing with my wedding and it still took me 2 years to actually print out and frame one of those pics!

[Knitting Mama]

Hahaha, I know what you mean-- the only wedding picture I have is a painting of one of our wedding pictures that my husband had commissioned for Valentine's Day the year we got married. I probably never would have hung one up otherwise!

I do want some really good mama/baby photos and some family ones, so I will probably be asking my friend who's a photographer if she'll do a session for us.

Another idea would be for you to post for something at the art school at a local university. I bet there are TONS of photography students who want to build their portfolios, and it would probably be pretty inexpensive!

[busymama77]

For all of our professional pics, we have gone to JC Penney. They do great work. We've gone, especially for my ODS, at each milestone. For him, it was 3months, 6months, 9months and then 1 year and then every year after that. For my YDS, we just went when he was 3months and they turned out perfect. We use the coups and we're apart of the portriat club, so that provides additional savings like no sitting fees and discounts on packages, etc., I highly recommend them.
Also, they are very patient. DS was a little crabby that day, but they let me take the time to feed him to make him happy and I didn't feel rushed at all.

[busymama77]

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama

I guess I've never thought there was a set age for them! Cecilia is 3.5 months and has never had professional photos. My husband's a good enough photographer, so he takes her pictures. I take quickies with my phone that don't turn out half bad either, I think. Maybe you're being hard on yourself?

http://aimeeandchris.com/Cecilia/A%2...ths/index.html

Those are the photos my husband takes on the 6th of every month for her little mini-birthdays.

Adorable. I LOVE her chunkiness.

[Knitting Mama]

Me too, and it's new! She never had rolls and chunk until recently, and I'm loving every minute of it!

[Norasmomma]

My son is almost 10 months and I have yet to do professional pics

[aylaanne]

My son is almost 3 years old and I still don't have studio pics of him. I've had some done by friends who happen to be photographers, but no "professional" pics as such.

[Gemini529]

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama

Hahaha, I know what you mean-- the only wedding picture I have is a painting of one of our wedding pictures that my husband had commissioned for Valentine's Day the year we got married. I probably never would have hung one up otherwise!

I do want some really good mama/baby photos and some family ones, so I will probably be asking my friend who's a photographer if she'll do a session for us.

Another idea would be for you to post for something at the art school at a local university. I bet there are TONS of photography students who want to build their portfolios, and it would probably be pretty inexpensive!

One of my best friends is a photog but she recently moved to the west coast and we live on the east so I won't be able to ask her.

I appreciate the tips about Penney's. I will probably schedule some pics for around 3 months and maybe join that portrait club. It's so hard to get my DH to agree to do stuff like this. I'll have to get him to come to the mall and then kind of spring it on him. Hopefully he doesn't question why we're all wearing coordinating colors!!

I never thought about the college student idea but that is a good idea. I do live near a fairly big university. Maybe I will look into that!

[St. Margaret]

Originally Posted by aylaanne

My son is almost 3 years old and I still don't have studio pics of him. I've had some done by friends who happen to be photographers, but no "professional" pics as such.

us, too! sis has a good camera and took some at visits... and we have plenty of good pics in this digital age

[happysmileylady]

As a photographer, I can tell you the most common time frames are newborn, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 1 year, then it's pretty much all over the place. The next most common is once a month. Newborn pics are usually done within the first 2 weeks.

For my first, I did the 3, 6, 9, 1yr and then 18 months, then every year after (at least, as the set of pics that I send out, hang up etc. For my second, I did some newborn/one month pics too, and because I was now self employed rather than working for a studio, I tended to just shoot whatever, whenever I wanted to practice more with my home equipment and uploaded them to my website for family to order themselves.

For this one, my business is a little better established and I have a little more experience with my new equipment, so I probably will be doing them more often, just because I can.

As far as studios go...I think that most retail studios are pretty much the same. They are expanding a bit because of digital, but for the most part, their routine is close to the same. And with every one, how good the pics are and how well they work with your child is as much if not more so about the photographer you get, as opposed to the studio you use. The studio you use is going to determine more what you pay and how you order. If you want more info about a particular chain's policies, you can shoot me a pm and I can give you what I can-I haven't worked at all of them and of course policies can change.

[happysmileylady]

Originally Posted by Gemini529

One of my best friends is a photog but she recently moved to the west coast and we live on the east so I won't be able to ask her.

I appreciate the tips about Penney's. I will probably schedule some pics for around 3 months and maybe join that portrait club. It's so hard to get my DH to agree to do stuff like this. I'll have to get him to come to the mall and then kind of spring it on him. Hopefully he doesn't question why we're all wearing coordinating colors!!

I never thought about the college student idea but that is a good idea. I do live near a fairly big university. Maybe I will look into that!

Guys are a PAIN about this stuff. In 8 years of doing photography, I have to say that it's VERY rare for guys to be "into it." It's been my experience that the best way to deal with them is to get whatever they are in done and out of the way first, then have them take the other kids out somewhere else-to Orange Julius for a smoothie or the play area or whatever, so that you can focus on just the little one...and the ordering, without him. They rarely care about what you order too....only how much it costs.

[Gemini529]

Originally Posted by happysmileylady

As a photographer, I can tell you the most common time frames are newborn, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 1 year, then it's pretty much all over the place. The next most common is once a month. Newborn pics are usually done within the first 2 weeks.

Awesome! That's what I was looking for!! I was so frazzled the first month he was born, I could barely get myself to the grocery store for milk, let alone get professional pictures taken so the newborn ones were out of the question. But we took about a million pics of him during that month on our own. We still do, I'm just looking for some of those pictures that have the nice background and lighting that for some reason I am not skilled enough to achieve with my own camera!

I'll def set up a 3 month appt though. DH will just have to deal with it!

HappySmiley, good tip about getting his out of the way first. And I'll definitely send him away to Best Buy or something when I order cause i'm sure he'll just want to get the cheapest set! And he won't be there to see me set up the 6 month appointment! ...hee hee.