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View Full Version : Pictures! Target Vs. Sears



Misty1572
03-24-2002, 09:14 AM
Hi! We are in need of having my three month old daughter's pictures taken. Any advice on where to go? Also, any helpful hints on what to wear, time of day to go, etc. would be GREATLY appreciated! This is our first child!

momathome
03-24-2002, 11:03 AM
DO NOT GO TO SEARS!!!! I used to take my daughter there when she was a baby and had way too many bad customer service experiences to ever go there again. Worst example - when my daughter was 21 months old (in other words - squirmy, wormy toddler), it took forever to get her to pose for a decent picture and I'm pretty sure I had a migraine by the time I was done. When I went back to pick up the pictures a few weeks later, they weren't in yet. Went back again the following week, still no pictures. At this point, we were closing in on Christmas and I wanted these pictures to send out with the Christmas cards. When I went back in the next week, I was told, Oh, I'm sorry, that film was accidently destroyed in the lab. So, I rushed and had her pictures taken again and got them in right before Christmas. A few months later, I stupidly took my daughter back again for her 2 year picture when I was informed that they "found" the original Christmas pictures that we had done. It was now February - did I want to PAY for these pictures that they lied about and told me were destroyed in the lab? (Yes, they wanted me to pay for them 3 months after the fact!) Needless to say, I said no, they put them in the trash, and I never had pictures taken at Sears again! I go to Picture People now and while they are a little bit pricey, they have adorable props and you get your pictures back the same day. Good luck!
-Lauren

vkmom
03-25-2002, 03:06 AM
I've had great experiences at Sears here. They were patient. They waited till DD woke up. They cut session early as she fell asleep another time.

Prices are good. Look for coupons in newspaper and magazines or mail outs. They are usually better than on line. Once, the sales person even gave me one. The deals are for the first accepted pose and that's the one I try to buy (didn't work once as the others were so cute!)

KMart is okay, but pricer. Pictures were cute. They have a deal for a free 8 X 10. Just taking the free one!

But I would ask around as the other mom had a bad experience with the Sears in her area. Maybe your Sears may or may not be good. Think you might want to ask people in your area.

Misty1572
03-25-2002, 10:58 AM
Thank you so much for all of the good info! The pictures of your son are beautiful! What a sweetie!!! It is good to know that I can find a decent place to get some nice pictures without going broke! Of course we would LOVE to go to an independent studio...but we could never afford it! :)
I really appreciate your detailed response!

DD
Natalie 12-04-01

Misty1572
03-25-2002, 10:59 AM
That's a good suggestion. I will ask around in my area...there are two Sears stores in the area...hopefully one will work out! Thanks for the help!

m2tandk
03-25-2002, 02:22 PM
I have always used Sears til two years ago at Christmas. I got the worst customer service! The pictures weren't that great either. Since my kids are older now I go to Glamour shots every couple of years and the kids really enjoy it. But with a baby I would recommend checking out WalMart. A friend of mine loves them. All the pics I have seen of her kids from WalMart have been great and they always have specials and coupons.

I would dress the baby in brighter colors if possible and go around the time they are waking up from a nap or first thing in the morning before they get too cranky. I used to get an appointment for firts photo shoot of the morning and it always worked out nicely!

Kelly

suzska
03-25-2002, 08:45 PM
Thanks! :-) ;-)

And, you're welcome!

--Sue B.
SAHM to Evan Jeffrey 03-11-01

rodmar
04-13-2002, 01:31 PM
Our family has used Olan Mills for years and have been pleased with them. I had my daughter's picture taken six times in the last two years. Only one session had bad pictures, and it was definitely my daughter's fault, not the photographer's. I have had four or five different photographers, but they must have good training, because the pictures seem to turn out well consistently.

The downside is the expense. Their current special is $14.90 for three sheets of pictures of one pose, including an 8x10, 2 5x7, and 8 wallets. However, for each additional sheet of pictures (a sheet is an 8x10 or a 5x7 and 4 wallets), the charge is $20, which can add up in a hurry. Alternatively, you can mix and match 7 sheets for $70. I'm sure it's not the cheapest way to go, but it's worth it to me. However, I have not tried anyone other than Olan Mills.

Marcia

suzska
08-25-2003, 11:16 PM
I took my son to Target for his 3-month picture and had a terrible time. He had just gotten up from a nap (he was still sleeping when I got to the store), so he wasn't very cooperative. And the studio was very warm, which made things worse. And I was alone because my DH was at work--take someone with you! We only got one shot taken before things got impossible, so it was that or nothing.

For his 6-month picture we went to Wal-Mart (on 9/11). It was a little better. But I still wasn't crazy about what they charged for a sheet. (Note: For those cheap package deals, it's the first accepted pose that you get, and the rest of the sheets of different poses you pay much more for.)

So for his 9-month pictures (and our Christmas pictures), we went to Sears. They were VERY patient. And it was a much better experience. We had no problems with getting our pictures in time for Christmas. And we also signed up for the Smile Savers club, which is good for two years. And I had managed to get a coupon in the mail (in one of those many mailings that you get as a new mom) for $3.99 portrait sheets (they are normally priced $12.99, but you should never have to pay that much for them). You can usually find coupons for $4.99 sheets. At Sears they let you pick the backgrounds and the props. The other places I went they just decided what to do.

We just took him back to Sears for his 1-year pictures. It was very difficult to get him to stand/sit/smile. The first girl was having a little trouble, so she called another girl in to take over, and we got the session done. Again, they were very patient. They have always been pleasant and cheerful (except for one girl, but she only rang up our order--to be fair that time it was a Saturday before Christmas and they were very busy).

I have never been to JCPenneys for portraits or any of the more expensive places (like Picture People).

If you can, make an appointment for between food/nap time. It depends when your baby is "happier," but they say most babies that age are happier in the morning (maybe that was my mistake the first time--by the time I decided to take him it was after noon). Weekdays will be "slower" than weekends of course. I can't give you help on what to wear, since I've got a little boy. Most people I've seen bring baby girls in a "frilly" dress. And it partly depends on the backgrounds you want to use--what shows up better. I know Sears has all their backgrounds online, along with the props they have, and suggestions for photos. They also have some tips on what to wear. Target may have similar things online, but I don't know. The Sears site is http://www.searsportrait.com. Most of the places also let you sign up for coupons that you can receive through e-mail, and some may have some online.

And in case you wanted to see them, I've attached one of Evan's 1-year and 9-month photos--I don't have the others scanned in.

--Sue B.
SAHM to Evan Jeffrey 03-11-01

wolfpups
08-25-2003, 11:16 PM
I have a 6 month old daughter and have had portraits taken at both Sears and JC Penneys. Unfortunately each store is different. You may have a bad experience at one store and go to another in the same chain and have a great one. When we went to JC Penneys, I was not very happy. We had my 6 year old and (then) 3 month old. To say the experience was trying would put it mildly. The photographer was very aloof and non-helpful:-( The session turned into a 40 minute scream session. Sears, however, had very friendly photographers and Lexy smiled for every photo. The session was so good that it was hard not to buy extra photos. The other advantage of Sears is that if you are on a budget at the time of the session, they do not require payment in full. They will take a partial payment with the remainder due upon pick-up. This was very helpful to us. Also, if you plan on having portraits frequently, the smile savers plan is worth the price. You pay no sitting fees for 2 years. I am attaching Lexy's portraits from last month to show the quality.