OK- I want to have some pictures made of the kids this fall at Portrait Innovations. The catch here: it is much cheaper to buy pictures as a "package deal" then to buy random pictures. For example, you can buy a "package" for a certain picture for $15, and that gets you a million sizes and copies of that one picture. If you buy 2-3 copies of that one picture individually, the cost per copy goes way up.

My problem is that I don't *want* a million copies of each pose. You know- I don't ned 12 wallet size pictures for each pose along with four 4x6s, 2 8x10s and a super giant copy. I'm trying to downsize, not multiply.

So I could buy the package deal and throw the extras away- ACK! That would be so hard to do. Do I need to bite the bullet and do that or is there some creative alternative I am missing here?

What do you all think?

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

Well...I absolutely detest portrait style pictures. I think they never look natural and refuse to pay hundreds of dollars to have them done. We just take TONS of pics with our digital camera and crop them when we get a good one and order them online at Kodak Gallery.

Last year for fall we dressed our dd up in some boutique fall overalls and went to our neighbors yard (we live out in the country and they have a bunch of apple trees) and took a bunch of pics of dd picking up apples from the ground and putting them in an old galvanized bucket. It was dusk and the light was really nice...it backlit her blond hair and made it glow. Anyway...we get the most compliments on those photos and we got a ton for really cheap.

While it IS hard to throw away photos, I usually go that route. I just can't afford the other way with six kids!! I only do theirs professionally about once a year. I use my digital camera almost every day...literally..so I get good shots often that I will frame around the house. I know that with my own pictures..from when I was a child...I always look through snapshots, not the professional ones. Since I scrapbook, I am thinking my children will be the same way! MUCH more interesting in Mommy's books than the professional ones.

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Well, I do have a digital camera, and since I bought it three years ago I have taken over 40,000 pictures . So I do get some good ones of the kids on my own.

My big problem is trying to take pictures of the kids together and trying to get a nice picture of myself in with them. If we are outside- forget it. They will be running in different directions. They aren't at an age yet when they want to sit still together for long. So that is why I occasionally try a professional place, although the last time I went a year ago the photographer there had no better luck getting good group shots than I did at home. Also, I like the plain white background- it looks so crisp and uncluttered. Maybe I can work on finding a way to duplicate that at home....

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

Try contacting your high school photography teacher. You could ask him/her if you could make a donation to the photography class (money for supplies, or something like that) in return for having a student(s) take same family portraits. In photography class, one of our teachings was on photographing people and maybe some other families you know might be interested in being "models" for the kids to take pictures. Maybe ask to see the student's "portfolio" or just ask the teacher for their recommendations on the right student for the job. They might even let you pay the student directly for their work.

if you really want professional style ones done, try seeking out a Target with a portrait studio. Their prices are very reasonable, and you don't have to buy a huge pkg of just one picture. they have great coupons to use too.

or, you could ask your neighbors or friends if they were wanting to do the same thing (get family portraits).. you can take their picture, they can take yours. iron a big white sheet (or multiple ones if it's too see-through) and tack it onto your wall for a clean, crisp background. Try other colors -- red, black, etc. make sure to have a lot of batteries or your digital camera charged up really well and take a LOT of shots. i bet you'll get a ton of great pictures and you'll probably have a blast doing it!

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Great ideas- Thanks!

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

I do a combination of candids and portraits. I go to Sears to get their portraits done once a year per child, then once together (so about three times a year). Last year we also had a family portrait taken there. I think if you're a little creative with backdrops and poses they aren't so stiff looking. Their packages are only $9.99 w/the Smile Savers plan. Now you can choose the pose that you like the best (it used to be the first one you approved). Yes, we end up with lots of extras but the kids give them to their friends and we also use them in letters, scrapbooks, and craft projects. So, most all of them end up getting used somehow.

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