JC Penney portraits?

[mjs64]

Tell me about your experiences with JC Penney portraits. Should I take in my newborn for a photo session? Is the cost worth it? How often should we go? Should we sign up for the Portrait Package? Or do you prefer somewhere/something else? We're working on a limited budget, and my husband likes to photograph baby with his nice camera, but I'm thinking I should get newborn and milestone pictures professionally done. What are your thoughts?

[AnnieW625]

We have done Target which is owned by Lifetouch, which also owns JC Penney studios (as well as Sears). We did not buy a plan, just used the coupons off their website or the Entertainment Book. DH and I did 6 months photos with DD1, and then in conjunction with Fathers Day I have done portraits of just me and DD1 to give to my dad and DH as a gift. DD1 was 1, and 2 when we did these so they were her yearly photos too. I didn't do them last year with DD1 because I was 6 weeks post partum with DD2, but I am really looking forward to doing them again with both girls this year.

We also did Kiddie Kandids at BRUS with DD1 and had good luck, but really it all depends on the photographer. We've had great ones at Target, and one not so great one. If you don't like how the photos turn out you can always go back.

[dec756]

only can write for a sec. i did not like them. not professional and too expensive for what you get. ie they cut off my sons leg/foot and still tried to sell me on them..hah

[dec756]

id go with portrait innovations atw...never a bad experience

[katydid1971]

I have gone to lots of these place and it really depends on who is working the camera and the management at the studio. Penneys has coupons on line and in Mags that get you a free sitting fee plus $4 sheets. This is the way I always go. They try and up sell you but usually all I want it 1 or 2 sheets of the pictures I like.

[misshollygolightly]

I love our Penneys. Very reasonable (after coupons and with the club membership), and I love that there's essentially no sitting fee so if DS isn't cooperative or something I can just not buy any pictures (or only buy one or two) and come another time. We've been going for almost three years and have no complaints whatsoever. I never buy any of the altered pics (digital retouches or artwork, b/w, sepia, etc.), which are far more expensive.

I agree with other posters that it depends on who is working the camera, but our particular location has been consistently good.

[boilermakermom]

alot of it is the photographer, but i'm a not a fan of jc penney's. we had DD's NB, 3, 6, 9 and 12 month pics there, because that is all that was available to us at the time.

After moving and getting her 2 year pics done at portrait innovations...won't go back to penney's.

penney's always tried to sell me too much, especially for the 3,6,9 pics..i really just wanted some for family, baby book, etc. i didn't need a ton. i think i spent close to $40/visit and the lady would get irritated. don't join the plan, just use the coupons.

[jgenie]

I love our Penneys. Very reasonable (after coupons and with the club membership), and I love that there's essentially no sitting fee so if DS isn't cooperative or something I can just not buy any pictures (or only buy one or two) and come another time. We've been going for almost three years and have no complaints whatsoever. I never buy any of the altered pics (digital retouches or artwork, b/w, sepia, etc.), which are far more expensive.

I agree with other posters that it depends on who is working the camera, but our particular location has been consistently good.

This has been our experience as well.

[dowlinal]

I've had good experiences at Penneys. They always have coupons on their website that waive the sitting fee for one child and then the sheets are usually $3.99. With one kid, there's no real reason to join the portrait club. Now that I have four, the portrait club costs me the same as the sitting fee so the club made for sense for me.

I know some other places offers packages for a great price, but the whole package has to be one pose. What I really like about JCP is that you can pick a different pose for each sheet. I usually take my mom with me to help and she always likes a different pose than I do so this way we both end up happy.

[barkley1]

I went w/ Sears b/c I liked their backgrounds and online "examples" better. They're prob 99% the same, IDK. Anyway, Sears has a membership for a year where if you go on Mon-Thurs there's no session fee and you get a free 8x10 every time. Oh, and it's B1G1 free for sheets, so you get two sheets (same pose,etc) for $9.99. So, I did that for DS's 6 wk, 3, and 9 month pics. Newborn, 6 month, and 12 month we had a professional package w/ a local photographer.

The pics got progressively better as he got older. The 6 week ones were HORRIBLE. I'll say HORRIBLE again. 3 months....a little better. Seems mostly due to the nature of the baby, they just lay there. BUT, I think it depends, like PP have said, on who's behind the camera, too. We just took him for some quick 18 months ones last weekend and they were FABULOUS.