Day 189
I didn’t buy the kids school pictures this year. I also didn’t buy the soccer team photo, the volleyball team photo and the photos they took of us screaming on various rides at an amusement park over the summer.
It was difficult. I mean, school photos are an American institution. In past years it would have never occurred to me not to at least buy at least the smallest package. Heaven forbid, we don’t thoroughly document our kids childhood like mine was.
1976 Rocking the patriotic theme clutching a genuine Liberty Bell replica. PS- My mother cut my hair.
During The Simple Year, I gave it some thought. You know, school photos have been around for a long time and in past decades that might be the only photo taken of a child each year. Now, you don’t have to have film in the camera and you don’t have to develop the film. Photo editing software can be downloaded free from the internet and almost everyone carries a camera around at all times on their phone. At the risk of sounding like a heretic. I’m going to offer that the heyday of the traditional school photo might be over.
This year on school photo day, I dressed the kids up in appropriate photo attire and before they left for school, sat them down against a blank wall and snapped their photo. And they were darling. I had a coupon for some free photo developing so I used that and now first and fourth grade have been effectively recorded for posterity. If those of you who are still buying things want traditional prints made of your snapshots, you can use a site like MPix and buy die cut wallets in increments of four for seventy cents. (although you do have to pay for shipping).
Not only you will save some money doing this, but you will save the excess all of those photos that you don’t need because you were FORCED TO BUY A PACKAGE. In our family, I need about eight photos of each kid to get to various relatives. The rest all hang around in a drawer or box for an eternity. I can’t make myself throw away photos. For years, they will just inexplicably turn up in random places like the toothpaste drawer in the bathroom vanity or in the trunk of the car. (Does that happen to anyone else?)
Clearly props were big in the 70’s. My daughter asked me what I was holding in the photo. I told her, “a wagon wheel”. After a slight pause she said, “did they have cars back then?” A valid question I suppose. Because, WHY ELSE would I be holding a wagon wheel.
I thought I was the only whose kids’ school photos showed up in the toothpaste drawer! HOW does that happen?? Thanks for making me think differently about school photo packages. You’re right. I need one 5 x 7 and a few wallets, which is never part of any photo package.
Too funny! And I love your pics!! Though the reality is, no one takes the time to print their digital image, and 40 years from now, no one will wade through 100,000 digital photos (per year!) to find the perfect photo to bring us right back to our 4th or 5th grade. And probably any CDs/DVDs, USB drives, external drives…will all be obsolete (and maybe even the .jpg format, who knows with computers) and no one will be able to look at them anyways (how many of us still have boxes of VHS/Super 8 tapes to transfer to DVDs still :D). So for $17 each, I’ll take the packages (they are on my counter right now, uncut, ready to be shoved in some random drawer). Just in case…
Uhm…aren’t you a professional photographer? 🙂
I love the idea of not buying school photos, truth be told. As you say, it’s not like kids are leading an undocumented life these days. We have more pictures than we know what to do with around here. Of course, as they’re mostly digital, it’s not like they’re taking up a lot of space. As for my family, we’re homeschoolers, so school pictures have never really been an issue.
My daughter points out that the school picture may not be the best way to remember anyway, as they don’t always turn out great. I can testify to that from my own childhood!
We have framed pictures of family and some friends around the house and every couple of years, we update them with new pictures from our digital collection. And, as for the digital collection, we keep them sorted by folders under a year folder so it’s not too hard to go back and find a picture from a particular year.
We had a foster son for a year and a half who was big on sports – that meant at least three sports pictures a year available for purchase! Crazy, as we had pictures of him in uniform ourselves and in action with his teammates. We bought the first couple, but then stopped.
Shesh, that ended up being a whole stream of consciousness for my first up to date comment. 🙂
Someone gave us one of those digital photo frames at some point about four or five years ago. We initially loaded it up with about 40 photos to scroll through, thinking we would update it regularly. Not only didn’t we update it…ever, but I’m not even sure where it is right now. But, we still have all our photos stored on an external hard drive so at least we keep then even if our display isn’t good.
Our daughter is only 8 mos, but daycare provided us with the opportunity to buy her first school photo. I’ll admit, I bit – but only because it’s the first. After this, we’ll do it ourselves.
If they posed the kids with a wagon wheel, though, that’d be a different story.
It is hard to turn down cute pictures of our children…especially with random props.
I remember both of those pictures Kerry!And everyone has pictures from school turning up all over the house.And your Mom did a great job with your hair!!
What I hate is having to buy the photos in advance. What if they’re awful? I mean, of course all our children are gorgeous, but what if the photos don’t accurately reflect their beauty and grace?
At one place they took the photos and then sent the package home. You kept the ones you wanted, if any, and returned the rest with a check. It was wonderful. And you could get one sheet of 4 3×5 photos, which covered us and the relatives on whom we wish to inflict school photos. Great system, never encountered it again. Dagnabbit.
Right, I forgot about the annoying “purchase in advance” thing.
P.S. I think I had those same bangs in 1977. No props, alas.
OMG! I love seeing “little girl” Kerry! She was awesome.
I am totally laughing about the “did they have cars?” questions. And, for the love of God, who did your hair? And why do you look just like me at that age?! Hair too!
I love your blog. i just found it today and have spent my entire last day of Christmas Vacation reading the Whole thing! i am laughing literally out loud at a lot of this! i love the wagon wheel rationale!
Thanks cyndi- I hope it was an OK use of your time on your last day. Hopefully better than doing laundry…:)
Take a memory stick to Target 😉
I love the idea of not buying school pictures and just taking them at home. Maybe I’ll remember this when the grandkids come along.
I too have a memory photo frame. I know where it is (on display) but it isn’t plugged in.