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October 3, 2003
Say Cheese
According to the Christian Science Monitor, the school picture market is still booming. School photography has grown to be a $1.5 billion business annually in the US, with packages ranging from $12 to $60 dollars for grade school students.
This however, is just a fraction of what families spend on high school seniors, often springing for multiple poses and additional sittings throughout the year, not to mention prom night-- as much as $500.
Now, I've got to wonder. School pictures never come out well. This is a well known fact. Take into account the fact that most children look painfully awkward from about 11 years old to 16 or 17, what really is the incentive? As the author of the CSM notes, school pictures are often the images that we go back to or can easily locate as we get older. Is there some sort of comfort in knowing that we've finally gotten past those awkward stages?
Being the photo hoarder that I am, I review all of my school pictures quite frequently. Each time I do, I have an urge to bury many of them someplace where they could never, ever be found. But still, I keep them.
I guess I'm finally at the stage where I can (sort of) laugh at them.
Posted by callalillie at October 3, 2003 10:48 AM |
Just found this site - was looking for ideas for a photo business mission statement - feel like I am eavesdropping on your life. Great stuff though - strange because I don't know you, but inspiring. Liked this article and the P.Diddy stuff -- I am running the LA Marathon in March, but don't think MTV will show up, maybe MadTV.
Posted by: Lena at October 3, 2003 10:58 AM
aw, those pictures aren't bad at all! i shudder to think of all my school pictures lined up. especially the ones from my 'flock of seagulls' phase.
Posted by: Jimmy Legs at October 3, 2003 12:42 PM
Do note that the pictures stop at 3rd grade...5th grade until about 24yrs are hidden from public view.
Posted by: callalillie at October 3, 2003 12:50 PM
I dreaded the class picture we had to take every year almost more than the individual ones. As the consistently tallest child in the class I always had to stand in the back row. I desperately wanted to sit on the floor or in a chair next to my friends, but alas I was relegated to the back row, standing next to the teacher and all the boys in the class...yeck!
Posted by: kim at October 3, 2003 2:02 PM
Class pictures were awful...yet I still have all of mine. My parents still have theirs and can remember a lot of the kids' names...I hope that I will be able to, as well. Though now that I think about it, I was basically with the same class of kids until high school.
Posted by: callalillie at October 3, 2003 3:43 PM
Awwww!!! I know the girl in the last two! She's my best friend.
:)
Posted by: kar at October 3, 2003 5:34 PM
My mom threw out the school pictures regularly. I don't have a single class photo for K-5. I have maybe one or two individual photos from elementary - but i definately have my senior photo. thats it. maybe my mom was trying to save me from looking back in pain. she says she was simply 'cleaning up' - grrr.
Posted by: Sean at October 4, 2003 12:19 PM
