HS Seniors Yearbook photos

[Reyneth]

The photo lab/portrait studio I work in has a contract with a local school to be the exclusive studio to take photos for the seniors for the yearbook. It keeps the photos consistant (size and background-wise) and means the school has a ton less work to do.

This has been the case for about 8-10 years. All of the students in this school are aware of it, or should be aware of it. They start recieving notifications April/May of their Junior year.
And phone calls over the summer as a reminder to come in and schedule appointments.
And (new this year) emails.

The deadline this year was September 10th. Of course, we knew that it wouldn't stop seniors from waiting until the last minute.

Some gems:
- Parents PO'ed because on Sept 4th, our only appointments left were *gasp* during school! Hmmmm, because the kids that bothered calling us more than a week ahead of time got the prime spots? Also, a mom who pulled that on me, after saying when I answered the phone that they had gotten "several notifications" (this was past the original deadline, FTR) and then was upset we didn't have a weekend time open the next day. Hmmmm, maybe if you had called when you got the FIRST notification?

- Several students went to other photographers who told them "it wouldn't be a problem" to have yearbook photos taken there. Parents upset they have to pay our sitting fee to have a photo for the yearbook ($30 for the ENTIRE YEAR, unlimited sittings) when they already had photos taken. Maybe you should've checked it out with the school or paid attention to the information you had been getting?

- One girl freaking out when we were about 5 min behind (because someone showed up late) that today was the last day and she was going to miss the deadline. Then when I was showing her the photos to select, she wanted to see what they would look like after the retouching. When I told her that takes 5-10 min/person (really 3-5, but gotta make it sound good! LOL some are much more though) and she's at the bottome of my list to do (seeing as she is the most recent one added), she went ballistic saying today was the deadline and the school HAS to have the photo today and she was NOT going to miss out being in the yearbook because of us. I just looked at her and told her no, LAST week was OUR original deadline as a store, because WE submit the photos to the school and have our own work to do on them first. Shut her up quick. Besides, if it was that important to her, why did she wait until the last minute to do it, huh?

- Students who couldn't be bothered to make a follow-up appointment as instructed to look at their photos and select which one they wanted in the yearbook. We chose last week for them, now it costs you $25 to change it. They were also given the option of emailing us their choice as they could look at photos online. And were told that they had until Sept 17 to chose and that was it. We're still getting phone calls, and people upset that they can't pick their photo. How I LOVE pulling out the copy of the email that was sent to everyone that hadn't made a selection and slapping it down in front of them. When they are 5 days past the deadline.

Oh yeah, deadline? We extended it TWICE. Until this past Sunday, two weeks past the original one. Started doing shorter, yearbook photo-only shoots so we could fit more in. And there were still people on the waiting list for cancellations for yesterday!

It scares me that these kids are going away to college in a year. How are they going to wash their own clothes? I am very intersted to see how many phone calls to schedule appointments we get this week. They get NO sympathy at this point. NONE.

[georgiab]

I am amazed at the inconsideration schools along with students and parents have for buisnesses. I worked at a local pizza resturant as a shift manager and was treated very harshly by the school and parents. The reason for their rude behavior ...our resturant was giving them FREE pizza for their games on the condition that we needed proper notice (being that only two of us yes two were working that saturday). The Head woman calls and demands another 10 XL pizzas with'in the hours...it was already twenty minutes after the hour....When I politely explained this was not possible being shorthanded and back-uped the bitch flipped..oh and she wanted them delivered nearly ten minutes out of our delivery range.....I can't understand the ignorance of some people.

[mrtauntaun]

You gave them FREE pizza and they still complained?
Man I hate people.

[South Texan]

It scares me that these kids are going away to college in a year.

And just like almost all of the rest of the college students, they will wait until the last possible minute to do their assignments, then blame the university for their inability to do the assignment as the lab/library/building has regular hours and closed at a specified time the night before the assignment was due (never mind that the assignment had been given out two months before).

Then they will grow up to be people who get to a store thirty minutes after it closes on Christmas eve only to bang their fist on the door and blame the store for ruining their Christmas.

[Enjis]

Because Christmas can come at ANY time during the year...who knows WHEN it will be??

Seriously, I am amazed at what school photos are these days. Back when I was a Senior (when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, I gues) we had two shots taken, one with a dark background, one with a light one, and you got to choose which one you'd like. That's it. And it was taken at the school...no photo studio for us! Man, these kids today have a whole butt-ton of choices in their poses, colors, etc. And retouching! Man, I WISH we had retouching!!

[South Texan]

Seriously, I am amazed at what school photos are these days. Back when I was a Senior (when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, I gues) we had two shots taken, one with a dark background, one with a light one, and you got to choose which one you'd like. That's it. And it was taken at the school...no photo studio for us! Man, these kids today have a whole butt-ton of choices in their poses, colors, etc. And retouching! Man, I WISH we had retouching!!

We were ushered into the school's gym lobby where we guys got to slip into a tux shirt dickie with a bowtie and put on a tux jacket. Ladies got to wear a sleeveless shell like top (really a hospital gown like thing that tied in the back so as to accomodate all sizes) with a feathery trim at the bust. Then we were positioned in front of the generic blue cloud background and had two shots taken. Everyone looked like we were in some choir uniform. Next we got to wear a cap and gown for two more shots. The proofs came to us three weeks later and we had to choose the shot from the "formal wear" pics right then to be used in the year book.

[Greenday]

And just like almost all of the rest of the college students, they will wait until the last possible minute to do their assignments, then blame the university for their inability to do the assignment as the lab/library/building has regular hours and closed at a specified time the night before the assignment was due (never mind that the assignment had been given out two months before).

Then they will grow up to be people who get to a store thirty minutes after it closes on Christmas eve only to bang their fist on the door and blame the store for ruining their Christmas.

Hey, I'm a freshman in college and I don't procr...wait, yes I do. But I get my work done. I don't care if I don't sleep, I'll work on it till it's done.

And as for blaming the university or teachers, on my Calculus test, nearly the entire class failed miserably. The highest grade was in the mid-70s. Makes you wonder, when a bunch of kids, who have taken pre-calc and calc and calc honors, many whom have gotten A's in calc or calc honors, fail a test, is the problem with the teacher or is it with the entire classful of students? I'll admit, I made a couple stupid mistakes, but when a problem is worth 6 points, and the teacher takes away 5 points because she doesn't like the work, AND you got the answer correct with the work you've shown, wtf is she smoking?

Um, wow, I have an amazing ability to go off on a tagent on these replies. As for the main subject at hand, I say when a kid calls in asking for an appointment, laugh at them, and tell them you feel no sympathy at their apathy for being on time for stuff.

[sportsmom]

We were ushered into the school's gym lobby where we guys got to slip into a tux shirt dickie with a bowtie and put on a tux jacket. Ladies got to wear a sleeveless shell like top (really a hospital gown like thing that tied in the back so as to accomodate all sizes) with a feathery trim at the bust. Then we were positioned in front of the generic blue cloud background and had two shots taken. Everyone looked like we were in some choir uniform. Next we got to wear a cap and gown for two more shots. The proofs came to us three weeks later and we had to choose the shot from the "formal wear" pics right then to be used in the year book.

I used to work for a company that did school photos, and one of my first assignments with the company was that. We had them come to our studio and then I would take them back in groups of 10, 5 girls and 5 guys, (Separate dressing rooms you perv ) and get the girls into their drapes and then go over and get the guys into the jackets and dickies and ties. I got really good at sizing jackets that summer.

I always laughed at the poor guys who couldn't figure out how to put on a tie, though. One time I had a kid who was a big basketball player at one of the schools and he could not figure out how to put that thing on for the life of him. He was too tall for me to actually reach up and around his neck to tuck it under and everything, so I made him stand on his knees so I could reach to do it. The photographer walked past and laughed at me, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.

[phillippbo]

And the entitlement problems get worse and worse. When I was a Senior (way back in '94-'95), the pictures were taken in the library of the school a week before school started back, we only had two days to do it, and it was first come, first served meaning you might have to wait a looooong time when you got there. On the plus side, though, we had (if memory serves) something like six or so pictures taken and we got to pick one of them to go into the yearbook. (We had two poses each with a traditional black tux with a white shirt, black shirt with white bowtie, and whatever we chose to wear that day.) If I do say so myself, I looked GOOD in the picture I chose for the yearbook.

For these brats, if they complain like you're describing, I'd be tempted to take a polaroid of them standing in front of the counter while they're yelling at me. Nope, sorry, that's the way your classmates will remember you until the end of time. Maybe next time you'll think twice before yelling at the photographer that you're hoping will make you look good.

I guess I'm just evil...

[MadMike]

Because Christmas can come at ANY time during the year...who knows WHEN it will be??

"Hey! I was watching that!"

"It'll be on again next Christmas."

"Well who the hell knows when that's going to be?!"

[RogueOne]

KISS Saves Santa?

[Reyneth]

Maybe next time you'll think twice before yelling at the photographer that you're hoping will make you look good.

I guess I'm just evil...

Ohhhh no you're not. We've expressed that thought ..... "Why would they want to piss off the people taking these photos that will hang around for eternity?" several times during this. Unfortunately, my idea of "if you wait until after the deadline, you can be in the yearbook, you just don't get retouching" was rejected. Some of these kids deserve to have their zits memorialized for eternity IMO.

[repsac]

I have to share this, and yes, I'm naming names. It's only fitting.

My school, CTA, aka Cruger Tchula Academy (the T in tchula is silent), used Lambbs as their photographer for the senior photos. CTA is long gone, but Lambbs is still around. This, is singing their praises!

You see, CTA was a private school in the depths of the bible belt. No facial hair, no long hair, no smoking, drinking, or anything that could look bad on the school. In fact, to this day I still tuck in every shirt I wear. Even T shirts.

During the summer of 94-95, I grew a mustache. A very nice one at that. It, as many said, really complimented my face and complexion. I loved that mustache, but since I couldn't have it for the year; I planned to shave it. However, I did at least get some of my senior photos taken with it. One photo in particular sticks in my mind. I hope I can describe it well.

This photo had me in a kind of "thinker" position. Yes, you could plainly see my facial hair, it wasn't hidden at all. My hair (somewhat shoulder length at the time) was curly and framed my face well as I stared into the distance. This photo, was the one that Lambbs chose to be my senior photo.

The school, was not amused. "Retouch it, Hide the mustache." they demanded. Do something to change that. "No." Mr. Lambb said. "I'm not changing anything. That's the photo, and I've since lost the negatives. So, you have to use it."

That school tried everything they could think of to hide the facial hair. Even calling ME into the office and threatening me with my graduation. Turning to the Headmaster (who was on my side) I said simply. "Coach, let me get this straight. These gentlemen (the school board) are saying that if I don't have the picture changed, I'll never graduate? Even though I've already got twenty five credits and it only takes eighteen to graduate, and the simple fact that the hair was grown when school was out of session?" Coach grinned some at me, knowing where I was going with this. "I suppose so." He said. Thinking some I nodded. "Sounds like a damn good lawsuit to me. Doesn't it you?" Coach grinned and looked at the board. "Oh yeah. Easily worth a few hundred thousand."

The picture, made it into the yearbook.

[Jester]

It scares me that these kids are going away to college in a year. How are they going to wash their own clothes?

My mother raised my sisters and myself to cook, to wash dishes (which I still hate doing, mind you) and to do laundry. I was doing laundry by the time I was 12...and not just mine, mind you, but the whole family's. (We took turns.) So....I get to college, and go to the laundry room to wash my clothes. No problem. But when I got there, I see all these other guys looking at the washing machines like they were freakin' alien spaceships. Cracked me right up!

Of course, some of these guys started dating some girls just to get their laundry done...so maybe I was the stupid one in all of this!

Seriously, I am amazed at what school photos are these days. Back when I was a Senior (when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, I gues) we had two shots taken, one with a dark background, one with a light one, and you got to choose which one you'd like. That's it. And it was taken at the school...no photo studio for us! Man, these kids today have a whole butt-ton of choices in their poses, colors, etc. And retouching! Man, I WISH we had retouching!!

Choice? What is this choice you speak of? Hell, as I remember, on photo day, they took your photo, and that is what they used. And I remember it being that way in all three of my high schools. (Yes, three high schools. My parents like to move. A lot.) And of course, if you forgot it was photo day and showed up wearing a Def Leppard concert shirt and your hair going in literally every direction, THAT was the photo they took, no matter how embarrassed you might have been.

Not, of course, that that happened to anyone I know...