After your kid’s school picture day, it’s time to choose which photo package to buy. Here’s how to figure out what might be best for you.
I have a confession to make. I have dozens of unused Lifetouch school photos of our son still sitting in their original envelopes. They span back over a decade of my middle schooler’s life. What happened?
Quite simply, I ordered more photos than I needed. Each year, I’ve really tried to order to right package for my family. But the truth is the package configurations are supersized with options I don’t need. I’ve never wanted those little 2×3 wallet photos to give out. (Doesn’t a digital picture on a smartphone serve the exact same purpose?)
Sure, an 8×10 print is nice. Even a couple of 5×7’s. But really, it’s the digital file that’s most important to me. Then, I’ve got the keys to do exactly what I want with it. I don’t really need a photo factory churning out a high volume of prints for me. (Caveat: I’ve got a smaller family.)
But of course, Lifetouch wants you to buy prints. That’s their profit margin. So, the digital file is difficult to isolate.
Welcome to the Digital Landscape
Now, Lifetouch (owned by Shutterfly) offers their new Digital Only Package.
Yay! But wait…
It contains two digital versions of the exact same photo. One has the standard blue background. The other offers the background of your choice.
You also get the option to stamp your kid’s name and grade on the front, and the option to allow a Lifetouch artist to retouch your kid’s photo to ‘improve’ it.
Really?
Keep it Real
So, I don’t really want or need a buffed-out photo of my 13-year-old son. He’s perfect. And I say that every kid is perfect. There’s no need to change anything. Seriously. I understand why a parent might want to improve a photo, but that’s not the way your kid looked in that moment.
If you’re buying school portraits every year, like I’ve done, I think it’s best to think of them as a progression of a child’s life over time. That’s their ultimate value. We all have thousands of photos of our children that we’ve taken ourselves. We don’t really need another photo.
But taking the same photo year-over-year… and then putting them together in a montage… I find that’s a magic equation to help tell the story of a person’s early years.
The Basic Package
For $19.99, the Basic Package offers plenty for most needs (unless you have a large family). You get the digital photo file with the basic background (forwarded to your Shutterfly account). Plus. you receive a few prints:
The two 5×7’s are useful, and I can pop them in frames. The rest will sit in the envelope forever.
Still… spending twenty bucks for a portrait, the digital file and a couple usable prints is a good deal.
The Digital Only Package
For $36.99, the Digital Package still only gives you the one portrait. Sure, they say they give you a second digital file with a different background. And that’s true, but I don’t feel that almost doubling the price is worth it for the exact same picture of your child.
No, I don’t need the ‘premium’ touch up treatment, thank you very much.
And I absolutely don’t want his name and grade burned into the image of the digital file. That’s really limiting for future use in my own photo montages of him that I may create. (I just want the ‘clean’ photo.)
Basic is Best
If you compare the two packages and strip away the undesirable pieces, the Basic Package gives you more. You get the digital portrait plus a few hard copies.
The Digital Package effectively gives you the same digital portrait. And that’s it. For almost double the cost.
So, this year, I’m buying the Basic Package.
Click.
Barrett’s Suggestion for Lifetouch
If I were to design a Digital Only Package that I would want to purchase, it would contain four digital files.
- 2 digital files with the background of my choice
- 2 duplicate files with the name and grade burned into the image
- Optional premium retouching service (if you insist)
- $29.99
You’ve got to believe that eliminating the printing/packaging/delivery costs of physical prints is a huge savings for Lifetouch. Why not beef up the Digital Only Package a bit and bring the price down?
Food for thought, Lifetouch…
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