RE: Olan Mills and other picture prices
Olan Mills does seem a little pricey to me.
I have a membership to Sears that's mostly going unused after the bad experience I had last time. They are ALWAYS understaffed and undertrained and the turn around is HUGE. Lately their coupons haven't been as good either. I used to always hang the 10X13 on the wall, but their new coupons no longer give you a 10X13. If you want it, it costs an additional $13.
Oh, and if you want just a package at Sears, it's made from the 'first acceptable pose'. Basically that's one of the first pics you take and if you say, "that's good" that's the package you get. After they get that picture, they work WAAAAY harder to get a cute picture of your child so they can sell you more of the extra sheets at a higher price.
The last two times I've needed pictures, I've driven an hour to the nearest JCPenney's studio. I was VERY impressed. They actually were using all three camera rooms, there are separate photographers and cashiers/receptionist (not one person doing it all, like at Sears). Their coupons are also good and the 'free 8X10' promo has been going on for months.
At Penney's if you want to buy a package, they take 5 pictures and from all those you can pick which one you want your package from. You also are allowed to surf thru the pics on your own on the computer and choose without a sales person breathing down your neck trying to sell you additional pics at inflated prices.
Penneys does send out extra pics tho. When you go to pick up your pics they will have printed out extra sheets of a second pose that they will try to sell you at that time. They took it very well when I said no. :)
So, there's my opinion, from someone who has WAAAY too many pictures taken! ROTFL
~~AngelaS~~
Mommy to 3 girls: A, G and M. (15, 11 and 8.5)
The education of all children, from the moment that they can get along without a mother's care, shall be in state institutions at state expense.
– Karl Marx, "The Communist Manifesto"