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My first reaction when I saw the infamous school pictures flier in Sadie’s backpack was, “Why would I purchase pictures when I am a photographer?” I would never hang up the pictures in my house…
I then asked Justin, who gave me the ARE YOU INSANE look. We talked it over and couldn’t decide either way. He suggested just getting the class shot.
So what to do when you can’t make a grown up decision between you and your spouse????
You take it to FACEBOOK!
So I asked it- whether or not the photog moms and dads of the world purchase their children’s school pictures.
I got lots of, “HECK NO, I am a photographer and am not going to waste my money on that crap!”
And lots of, “HECK YES, they are hilarious and disturbing and I am hanging that sucker up at their wedding one day!”
It right away made me hunt for my old school pictures.
And when I found these jewels, they were just that, hilarious AND disturbing.
And so- in the spirit of hilarity or maybe I just like to humiliate myself, here are some of mine.
Now, to defend the photographer on these for a minute. Not all of these disastrous excuses of pictures is his/her fault. I mean COME ON!!! The hair??? The clothes??? Mom, would you like to defend yourself here?
Okay- well you have to admit, I was quite the poser!
Now- can we say LASERS? Oh yeah baby! Gotta love the early 90′s! What I want to know is why I am wearing my moms shirt (picture left) and well (picture right, for that matter) And check out that bling!! And the band aid residue! Love it.
But check out the photo on the right…that looks like Sadie right there. Weird!
I only found elementary school pictures. So maybe my parents finally got smart and stopped paying for pictures that embarrassed the family name.
But, while we are on the subject of bad pictures…I did find these gems. Old dance studio pictures.
All I can say is what weirdo suggested these lovely costumes and set ups?!
and the best…and most disturbing of them all…
ummmmmm…
Sooo anyways, you can see my dilemma.
Do I pay $16 for pure amusement? Yes- that’s the price of the lowest package!
Or I do I skip the whole thing and just buy the class photo and call it a day?
Decisions. Decisions.
Thanks for looking…and probably laughing at my expenseIt’s cool- I brought it on myself!
♥ be
It's me, Betsy! - You were the cutest thing!
Yes, always buy the photos!!!!
It's me, Betsy! - PS How old (actually young) are you? I’m trying to date those photos, can’t tell!
Valeire - These are so funny Becky! I am laughing so hard right now! Get the pictures, just the minimum, so they’ll get to have a few in the future. Thanks for sharing those! You are too cute.
MarshaMarshaMarsha - $16 is worth the amusement! TRUST ME. It will be fine and fun so long as you go in with the proper expectations… LOW expectations. The line might only be blurry if you purposefully choose “extra entertaining” outfits for picture day!
Stephanie Belton - Wow thanks for sharing! I wonder who thought it would be a good idea to dress school girls as playboy bunnies that is astounding! I have had the same dilemma and decided to go for whole class photos only, the individual ones in our school are such bad quality and not even funny!
Lisa - These are so funny..but I think in fact point me in the direction that I DO want to purchase the photos. These are PRICELESS!
Jackie Jean - hahaha I love this post! My mom would actually frame them and hang them up and they were all so so so bad
too funny, I’d actually say buy them for the humor cause both of my boys older grade pictures are cute and funny at the same time heh
JaimeFleming - I say get them. they are a milestone in every kid’s life. Yeah…the shots you get of your kids will be better and have more memories attached to them, but I think years down the road your kids will be sad if they don’t have some corny traditional school pics. Can’t you just see “My mom wouldn’t buy me school pictures when I was a kid…” That will come back to bite you in the butt!
Kate Craft - I love it!!! I vote buy them so that your kiddos will have some gems to look back on!!
candace - Ha! My daughter just started first grade and last year I only bought the class photo for the same reason you stated… HELLOOOOO, I’m a photographer, why am I going to buy those crappy photos?? But now I kinda regret not at least getting one of them just to have. I think this year I”m going to buy the smallest package just for the memory.
kati - do it! just obviously don’t buy an expensive package that you’re never going to mail around. it reminds me of when lola was born and i just thought it was the thing to do to buy a “hospital photo” and then it was technically the worst photo ever… except that i love it and it is SO so quintessential hospital baby photo and i love it so much. i mean LOVE. when my son was born almost 3 years later, the hospital said they no longer provided the photos because no one ordered them anymore. so i went home and took one myself! off-comp and weird pose and all. just so i could have one for him, too
do it for fun 
Brook - So, If you buy them, I say you make SURE you get them as strange looking as possible! Get them all dressed up in as crazy, trendy gett-up as possible! At least make it REALLY worth it! Good luck making your decision!
Jen - You may regret not buying them, but you will not regret having them….you just might not want to display them.
Missy - Holy cow, you are hilarious!!! Yes, getting that school photo is quite the right of passage, I suppose. I ALWAYS buy the minimum package, and put it in the box.
Kerri - oh the memories! lol If you nothing else you should dress the kids up in costumes like this for pictures! =) And why oh why did our parents subject us to those boy cuts! Good memories. I think totally worth it!
Lori @ Just Pure Lovely - I can’t get myself to spend good money for school photos. Not when candid shots are my passion, and posed shots are not. But I love your photos there! If your child comes home with something as hilarious as that, by all means, get it!
Pam Douglas - Ahhh Becky you were adorable then as you are now
Sadie is the spitting image of you when you were young. Amazing!
Katie - I say yes get them. Maybe a year ago I heard someone talking about school pictures and it just documents that time of their life in school. Yes most of them are awful, but it’s fun to see the progression through school
So I still get my kids school pictures and I usually just buy a class pic and an 8×10 
nicole - i love this post!!! honestly, made me laugh out loud after such a stressful day
Tara - Yes, I did laugh…and at your expense! I love these shots. I say get the lowest package and one day she’ll get a good laugh out of them too. Thanks for sharing these gems!
kattie - I say BUY them:) Everyone needs some good old school pictures. She will have plenty of the perfect ones with the perfect outfit and background. BUT school ones are the classics and then you can cut some and mail them to the grandparents, you know they will be proud. I seriously kept thinking wow saidie looks like becky, oh wait not here, but oh wait again:) I was like my eyes were playing tricks on me. I am going with a mostly YOU wilth Justins mouth and ears:) You need them for black mail later. I will sponser it!
Ashley Dawn - Oh heck I love it! ha ha and those arn’t as disturbing as some of mine…..although… HA HA I HAVE THAT SAME LAZER BACKGROUND!!!
Anyway….
Becky….Pay the $16….Its worth it for the possibility of MAYBE regretting it in the future. And its cheap enough that if you regret it when your babies are ready for their wedding….who cares. It was $16.
Seriously love how you shared all these LOL
But.. what is with the Bunny Matador outfit??? Your dance teacher….I won’t lie in saying I am curious as to what they were thinking LOL
Freaking genius!
xoxo
Ashley Dawn - PS- I second Brookes comment of dressing them as “SCHOOL PICTURE DAY” as possible
donna mccann - I’m with you..I’m not a photographer….and yet – I really don’t want the class photos that YOU ARE FORCED TO PAY UP FRONT FOR…(what other job is allowed to get away with that?)…and yet – I usually do and feel so stupid for it. I honestly think you should just get the class photos…and of course…if they won’t have a yearbook picture if you don’t buy them..then you have to buy the individual shots too…what a racket! You need to go take the school picks and save the kids from the torture we were all put through.
Jen Stafford - AWESOME!!! I have some doozies too. I’m one of those “just get the class picture” moms. I’d have to pay that lowest price 4 times just for hilarity otherwise.
toni raper - Ok so after I recovered from a fit of giggles the first thing that struck me was that Sadie is a mini you, astounding! I would say you buy the class group pic BUT they are not going to any comic relief for the future like the individuals. In Australia each student wears the same uniform unique to the school they are attending so there are fashion no faux pas. But in year 5 I changed schools right and my mother sent me to the new school wearing the old school’s uniform! As if that is not bad enough, the dress uniform was so small for me it barely covered my crotch! I have a photo to prove it. You have inspired me to get it scanned and circulate for sympathy votes!
Kelly Robison - I was having this same thought myself this week. Tomorrow is my daughter’s school pictures. Hers always turn out great, I just hate paying close to $75! We have a lot of people in our family that want them, it sucks. So, I think I’m going to do a small cheap package and then go shoot some of my own to send out. I’m glad I’m not the only one with this dilemma!! Ha ha!!