For Parents

FAQS

Questions Parents Frequently Ask.
A Pre-Pay Program is the most common method used for school picture taking. This is when you receive the order form before picture day, fill out the order, and return it/order online by your school’s picture day. This is the fastest method of ordering and least cumbersome method for most schools. 98% of our schools utilize this method for their Fall Portrait Program.  

Fall Program - Before Picture Day


My school’s picture day is coming, when will photo forms be delivered?

Photo forms are delivered to the school about 2-3 weeks before photo day. Photo forms should go home shortly after we deliver them to the school. If you think your student didn’t come home with one, please check with your student’s teacher or with the main office, there are usually extras.

How do I order photos?

Either fill out the envelope attached to the form, include payment and return to school no later than picture day or follow the online directions to order online.

What should my student wear? How much of the body is shown?

Fall photos are generally head and shoulders poses. We capture from the waist up for Fall Photos. Solid colors work well, please make sure shirts are clean and pressed. Avoid bright neon colors, they often reflect their colors into the chin.

Can I get all my children photographed in one photo?

Our setup can fit three children in a photo. Any more than that and we recommend making a studio appointment. If you wish to have all children in a photo, you must make arrangements with your children’s teachers to get them to the camera at the same time. We are not responsible for getting your children to the camera, and we can not pull student’s out of class. A separate order form with all of your children’s names is needed.

My child wears glasses, will it be an issue?

We are able to work with most glasses to eliminate glare. Some prescriptions are very strong and we do recommend borrowing a pair of frames from your optometrist. Please make sure your child knows if they are suppose to wear their glasses or not, or if it doesn’t matter to you.

Do you take photos with sweaters/jackets on or off?

This is totally up to you. If you send your child in with a jacket or sweater, make sure your child knows your wishes. We are always asking students if they are suppose to wear their sweaters and often children aren’t sure.

My child is in a wheelchair. Can we get it removed?

Yes, all you need to do is order retouching and then make a note on your order that you would like the wheelchair taken out. If you do not make a note, then we will only retouch their face.

Any other advice?

Yes, do not get hair cuts the day before photo day. If the hair cut comes out bad/or too short, you will not have time to fix it, or grow your hair out.

Do I need separate envelopes for multiple children? Can I write one check?

Each child needs their own envelope. If you write one check, please indicate on the envelope which child or children that the money is for. On the envelope the check is not in, please let us know where to find this check.

Is there a discount for multiple children?

If you have 3 or more children in the same school, the first two are full price. The rest are half off for a package of equal or lesser value. At this time, the discount can not be applied online. You would have to use a paper order. Please write ‘1st child, 2nd child, etc... on each envelope.

My spouse and I are separated, what should I do?

Depending on your situation you may want to put both orders on the same form. If this is not an option you may send two separate forms in. At the top of the envelope please label them ‘Mom’s Order’/ ‘Dad’s Order’ or other titles. We will keep the orders separate and label them accordingly. You may also order online, we will see that there are separate orders for the same student and package accordingly.

My spouse and I are separated and they won’t give me the photos if I order.

Please call our office to make arrangements for delivery. We can mail photos home, but there is a $5 charge. We will also verify that you do in fact have access to your child’s photo, before we send out your order.

My school wears uniforms. Do we have to wear them for photo day?

Unfortunately we do not make your school rules. Some schools have dress up days for picture day and some schools do not. We would love to photograph everyone in their clothing choice but we must adhere to your school’s rules. Please check with your school to see what the rules are.

My children go to different schools, why are the packages/prices different?

This could be due to a number of reasons. The most common being if one school does class photos and one does not. It could also be due to the different needs of the schools (what they require from us), this factors into determining prices. Some schools request certain prices/packages while others do not. High schools are generally a little more expensive than elementary schools, due to lower buy rates.


Fall Program - On Picture Day



My child went to school and forgot to hand in the form. What do I do?

You have two options. Place your order online by midnight of photo day or mail your order to us. You must mail it within two days of picture day in order for us to catch it up with the rest of the orders.

My child came home and told me it was picture day! I didn’t know! What do I do?

Please determine if you were happy with how your child was dressed today. If you are happy and you would like to purchase photos please refer to the above question to place your order. If you are not happy then you can wait until make up day and be photographed again when you are ready. If you aren’t sure, you can wait until photos are sent home. You will receive a proof of the photo and be able to order. However, please be aware - if you choose to wait for the proof, the packages and backgrounds that were originally offered will not be available to you. (this is to make if fair to all the parents that did purchase early)

I ordered online. Do I send in anything?

If you ordered online, your order goes right into our system and you do not need to send in anything. You may want to inform your child’s teacher, so they are aware of an order for you. Some teachers worry about children ordering.

I’m worried my child might have gym, recess, lunch, art before taking their photo. What if they are messy?

We try to encourage schools to not have classes come to us immediately after one of the above events. Due to complicated school schedules that is not always possible. Please remind your child to be extra careful if their photos are after one of the messy specials. We try to straighten up clothing and hair as much as possible, but we are limited in the amount of touching we can do per child.

My child came home and said they were photographed on an ugly green screen. I didn’t order that.

Everyone is photographed on a green screen. The background that you ordered is later switched in the computer. Your final prints will have the background that you ordered.


Fall Program - After Picture Day


When do I get my photo order?

About 3-4 weeks after picture day. They will be delivered to school in most cases. Some schools do request mail to home packages. You will see a shipping charge on your order form if this is the case.

One of my children came home with their photos and the other didn’t. I did order for both.

Please wait a day or two before calling our office. Often if one child comes home with their photos and not the other it is because one teacher went to the their mailbox while the other one hasn’t yet.

I ordered pictures and all I received was the second chance form.

First check to see if your payment was cashed/processed. If it wasn’t processed there is a good chance we never received your envelope. Please check with your student and see what might of happened to your envelope. If your payment was processed please call our office and we will help you figure out what might have happened.

I didn’t order originally, can I still order?

Yes, please fill out the 2nd Chance form and mail it in or follow the instructions to order online.

The packages on the 2nd Chance are different and I can’t choose backgrounds, Why?

The best opportunity to order is on the original day. If you waited to order packages until you received the proof, then yes packages are different. This is for two reasons. The first is to be fair to the parents who did place their order on time. The second is, it is most economical for us to process orders in large batches, if you waited, your order is now a late order and has to be handled separately. Orders placed after the fact are also mailed directly home, so more labor is involved in handling your order, after the fact.

I didn’t get all the photos I ordered...

All packages are hand checked before they are delivered to your school. If you feel you are missing photos, please double check your student’s backpack, desk at school, and locker, then call our office.

I didn’t receive the correct background/I don’t like background I picked.

The first thing to ask is are you happy with the photo of your student? If yes, you can send all the pictures back and get them reprinted with the background that you would like. There is a $10 charge for this. If this was a mistake on our part, you can just send the photos back and we will correct the mistake for you, there is no charge if it was our fault.
If you don’t like the background and you also don’t like the photo of your student, then we will treat it like a retake. You’ll have a retake done and we will make a note to have your new photos printed with the correct background.

I feel my child’s photos look to dark, too washed out, to red etc...

The first thing to ask is are you happy with the photo of your student? If yes, you can send all the pictures back and get them reprinted with the adjustments that you would like. We must get the photos back so we can compare the old ones with the new ones. Also make sure you are looking at the photos in a well lit room, often light from a particular room can make the photos look too dark or discolored.
If you also don’t like the photo of your student, then we will treat it like a retake. You’ll have a retake done and we will make a note to try to correct the original problem.

I didn’t order retouching, but realize I want to now...

Return all photos. We will retouch them and get them back to you. Please know it is $10 for retouching and $10 for reprinting and mailing them back to you.


Fall Program - Make-up Day


When is retake day?

Retake days are generally set with the school when photos are sent home. Please keep an eye out for a retake notice and check your school calendar. They are usually within 1-2 weeks of photos arriving home.

I didn’t like my photos what do I do?

You are more than welcome to attend retake day. Please refer to the retake policy in your package. In some cases there is a $5 retake fee. If you are unsure if you need to pay it, please call our office and they can help you. You must return your entire photo package (uncut and undamaged) minus the class photo if there is one. We will not give out new photo packages until the old ones are returned.

My child was absent on picture day, how do I order on retake day?

Fill out the envelope and send it in. Unfortunately, online ordering is not available for retake days. If you need a flyer there are usually extras in the school office.

I ordered online for the original picture day and then my child was absent. What happened to the order.

If you ordered online and your child was not photographed on the original day, we automatically hold the orders until the retake day. Your order will be applied to the retake photo.

My child missed the original day and the retake day? What can I do?

You have two options. The first is to bring your child to another school’s retake day, if there is one in the area. You would be responsible for taking your child out of school and transporting them to the other school. The second and probably more convenient way for you is to make an appointment at our studio for a retake. Original retake fees apply, there is no addition charge.

I don’t like the retakes either. What do I do?

You have two options. You can make an appointment at our studio, for another retake or you can send the entire package back for a refund (within ten days of receiving the photos, minus the class photo).

What if I end up liking the original photos better than the retakes?

You can get the originals back. You will need to return the entire retake package and we will switch them.

A Proof Program is when your students are photographed and then are sent home a small sample photo, along with a photo order form. You make your selections and then send the order back to school or order online. This method is usually used on Spring Programs as there are generally two poses to choose from. This method takes longer for pictures to be delivered and it is a bit more work for schools overall, which is why most schools use the Pre-Pay method in the Fall time. 


Spring Program - 
Before/On Picture Day


My school’s picture day is coming, do I send in money? I didn’t see an order form?

With a proof program you do not need to send money before hand. You will get an order form after the photo is taken.

My spouse and I are separated, can I get two order forms?

Yes, give us a call and let us know which student it is and we will make two proofs for you. You may also choose to share your child’s password with other relatives and they can order directly online.

What should my student wear? How much of the body is shown?

Spring photos are generally casual poses. We change the poses every year. It is a good idea to wear a full outfit. Often three quarters of the body is shown. Avoid bright neon colors, they often reflect their colors into the chin. Shoes are not shown.

My child is special needs, what will you do for poses?

It really depends on the capability of the child. If it is possible we will try to photograph them as we do everyone else. In some cases we can modify the poses to make it work for their ability. In other cases we may not be able to do as much and will most likely photograph a normal head and shoulders pose. We will definitely do our best and we train our photographers to have lots of patience with special needs. We are also very dependent on their paras to work with us, as they know their students best.

Can I get all my children photographed in one photo?

Our setup can fit three children in a photo. Any more than that and we recommend making a studio appointment. If you wish to have all children in a photo, you must make arrangements with your children’s teachers to get them to the camera at the same time. We are not responsible for getting your children to the camera, and we can not pull student’s out of class.


Spring Program - After Photo Day


When do I get my child’s proofs?

In about 2-3 weeks after photo day. They are delivered to the school.

My child was absent/I didn’t like the proofs, what can I do?

Unfortunately, we do not come back to the school for retake days for spring programs. You can call our studio and come in for a retake, that is the best way to handle it. There is no charge for Spring Program retakes.

My child is in a wheelchair. Can we get it removed?

Yes, all you need to do is order retouching and then make a note on your order that you would like the wheelchair taken out. If you do not make a note, then we will only retouch their face.

When do I get my photo order?

About 2-3 weeks from the proof due date. They will be delivered to your school in most cases. Some schools request we mail orders home, you will see a shipping charge if this is the case.

I missed the due date, what do I do?

You can either mail your order to us, or place your order online. After the due date, we do not make any more pick ups at your school. Please be sure to include the late fee and your return address. Orders that come in late, miss the school delivery and will therefore be mailed straight to your home.

I don’t think I received what I ordered.

Please give us a call. We will look up your order and see what was on the form. If something was left out, we can easily fix it. If you forgot to order something you can always reorder.

I didn’t receive the correct background/I don’t like background I picked.

Please call, so we can look up your order. In either case we can change the background. You will need to send the photos back so we can switch them. If it was not a mistake on our part and you just want to switch backgrounds it is $10 (reprint plus shipping fee) and you must return the originals.

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