This is Graham’s third year in school and I have a horrible confession to make: I have never bought his “official” school photos.
Part of it is because I (am cheap, and) take so many photos of the dude that it seems a little ridiculous to pay for a posed photo that somebody else took of him. In Kindergarten it was easy to justify this because the photos were awful. Not only were his individual photos horribly done, the class photo was so bad that it was almost funny. I was not the only one who thought so; the rest of the parents were dismayed at the result. I volunteered to retake them and spent an afternoon taking the requisite posed group shots as well as a bunch of candid ones. We had way too much fun and got the coolest class photos of the entire school. (In my oh, so humble opinion.)
Graham’s first grade photos were done by a new photographer and they were actually quite cute. I intended to order them but by the time I went to do so I saw that I had missed the deadline by…two weeks. Don’t judge me. I have three kids; getting out of the house fully clothed and in my right mind is a major accomplishment most days. Luckily for us, the photo of the entire class is given to each child.
This year, with Nathan now in school, I vowed to buy the school photos of each of the kids. My kids (and I) love to haul out old photo albums and seeing the shots from my school years bring me no end of glee. Some are so bad that they’re hilarious and some are just neat to see. In honor of the dudes I’m busting out my Kindergarten photo.
Well hello, 1980. That dress you have me in is all sorts of fugly. What is with the lace? And the tiny flowers in upside-down baskets? Also, I thought that redheads weren’t supposed to wear red. Or so I’ve been told.
My auburn hair is courtesy of my redheaded Mom and brunette Dad. That nose and mouth are a true Moran trait. I recognize them in Graham and Emily on a daily basis. As for Nathan, he’s 100% Dykstra. He’s been that way since birth.
Regarding me, myself and I: My hair was pretty straight (as you can see) until puberty. Hormones are crazy. Yo. (Those early years were the only time in my life that I could wear bangs. Huzzah!)
I spent the bulk of Tuesday catching up on life after our big family road trip. I refused to get stressed out and just stayed focused while crossing items off of my list. I may have kept the stress at bay but I was pretty burnt out by the end of the day. When the kids were in bed I cleaned out their backpacks, unaware of the AWESOME that was awaiting me. School photos had been taken a few weeks ago and the proofs came home for us to choose a “winner.”
I opened Nathan’s set first.
Not bad, really. If you are a cheese fan, that is. Shots #1 and #2 (Upper left and right) aren’t completely awful. I would love to be able to have the photographer tell me how he got Nathan to actually look at the camera. The bulk of shots I take of that kid consist of him looking to the left, right, up, down, anywhere but at the camera. The fist-under-the-chin poses are far too fromage, but maybe we need more cheese in our lives.
I then opened Graham’s school photos. Matthew was out so I ran downstairs to show my brother because someone needed to bask in the awesomeness with me.
WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN?
Shot #1 (Upper left) gives me glimpses of his high school years and also, has me doing a full belly laugh every time I look at it. I also hear, “How YOU doin’?” in my head.
Shot #2 (Upper right) is similar, but had Graham rocking the portrait head-tilt that his Momma often does.
Shot #3: (Bottom left) is an expression that I capture often, “FINE. Take my photo, but don’t expect me to look happy about it.” (Insert pre-pre-teen angst HERE.)
Shot #4: (Bottom right) makes me think he was ordered to look happy. “Oh, I can SO BRING THE SMILE.”
I have about a week to decide among those stellar choices above. Do I go for the “normal” ones? Or the “so bad they’re rad” ones? My side of the family would lean toward the latter (We mock you because we love you is our motto.)
Decisions, decisions.
Wow, those are different school photos to what we get here! Ours are always very “boring”, look straight ahead and do a cheesy smile. Certainly no hands on chins or cheeks, no capturing different expressions. We also don’t get to choose from the proofs; we get given several copies (all different sizes) of the “best shot” … but in whose opinion?!
Decisions, indeed! Can you buy them all?
.-= Hannah´s last blog ..Tyler’s first day =-.
[Reply]
I only remember having our head and shoulders in our photos and we didn’t get to choose our shots either… In fact, unless someone blatantly blinked, the photographer only took one photo of each child.
I love the 5 yr old Angella photo. I too could only rock the bangs in my younger years. Now my hair is way too curly for that business.
[Reply]
I LOVE that photo of you! I see so much Emily and Graham, it’s wild!
.-= Amanda Brown´s last blog ..Special K =-.
[Reply]
I like #2 for Nathan and #4 for Graham. And it’s clear now that your kids are a total 50/50 blend of you and Matthew.
[Reply]
The photos are awesome. Man, you kids are ADORABLE.
.-= Sizzle´s last blog ..I’ll Give You More Than Two Cents =-.
[Reply]
Wow. I didn’t realize that school photos had moved on to cheesy poses instead of just “look ahead and smile big.” For Nathan I think the top right is the clear winner. Graham is tougher because they’re all hilarious. It would be awesome if you could order one just like that with all four of the photos in one. Barring that, I think you HAVE to go for the top left. EVERYONE will belly laugh when they see it, including him in ten years or so.
.-= Jess´s last blog ..Neighborhood associations =-.
[Reply]
So flippin adorable, Angella.
.-= Shauna´s last blog ..Why you shouldn’t take drugs =-.
[Reply]
I refuse to spend money on school photos when I take so many that are WAY better and capture who my kids really are. I have decided just to keep the proofs as a reminder of the school year.
[Reply]
Oh my word! You were (are) ADORABLE! Not that I wondered where your kids got it or anything.
I love how Nathan’s two top and then two bottom photos look IDENTICAL!
And Graham, what a charmer!
.-= Jen´s last blog ..the best sound in the world =-.
[Reply]
Do kids still hand out photos to their friends? If so, I think you should let them pick which one they like best…
P.S. Your boys are adorable…
[Reply]
We only got one shot, too. And then if there was a problem with the photo, you could get a reshoot later. These seemed to be the only pictures my parents ever had of us, you should all the horrible head and shoulder shots littering their walls.
I like the simple no hands on face shots. They seem more genuine. Although, there’s really nothing genuine about school photos.
.-= C @ Kid Things´s last blog ..A Post About a Skillet. No, Really, it’s Exciting! =-.
[Reply]
Those pictures are awesome!!
I’m definitely of the opinion that you should pick the “so bad they’re rad” ones, but after reading Jana’s comment, and remember passing photos out to my friends when I was a kid, it might be best to let them pick what they like. At least you will have record of what all of the photos looked like, no matter what one you end up choosing.
.-= Sharon´s last blog ..ABC’s of Sharon =-.
[Reply]
I love them! Graham’s top left is my favorite of his four, and I think that – cheese-factor and all – my favorite of Nathan is the bottom right, because his expression is so impish!
We got Hayley’s yesterday. I have to pick a package to order and pay for them by TOMORROW. Thanks for all the time to figure it out, NOT.
We usually have so many leftovers because the bigger packages come with 18,000 wallet-sized photos (or at least that’s how it feels) so this year we decided we’re getting the most basic package and we’ll just scan and print extras for anyone in the family who needs some.
.-= sherry´s last blog ..Busy long weekend =-.
[Reply]
I like number 2 for Nathan and number 1 for Graham. For some reason Graham’s, “I’m only 7 but I am gunna pose like I’m 16 and all the girls want to date me” look cracks me up. Yes its a little funny, but he’s totally adorable. And for Nathan, that sweet cute grin is exactly him.
[Reply]
The photos are cute. I admit that I don’t like paying for photos either, although when a good one comes along I will purchase it. I don’t know if its like this in your school district but around here the school photos are actually a fundraiser for the school. They get a % of the sales. Probably not much, but its something.
.-= Heather @ Domestic Extraordinaire´s last blog ..His Name is Logan =-.
[Reply]
Pure awesomeness!!
.-= Heather´s last blog ..I’m Thankful that I went to France! =-.
[Reply]
When I worked at a 125 year old school a few years back we hired an Archivest to prepare for the 125th celebration. She was awesome and I learned a ton from her about preserving history and such. One of the things she lamented about “modern times” is the lack of the “formal portrait”. She said that starting in the 1970s an Archivests job gets really hard because of the abundance of snapshots and the lack of the photos like these. Snapshots have their place, for sure, but posed, single-person, formal shots with a neutral background are much better for historical reasons. Made me re-think the lameness of school photos. And one a year can’t hurt – right?
Anyway…I like the top left for both the boys.
(also love that your 1980 photo and these present-day photos have the exact-same backdrop!)
[Reply]
Graham’s different expressions are awesome! I like the cheesy Nathan photos.
I think you need to get them because in 20 years, you’re going to want to bring out the cheese for both of them.
.-= Kristabella´s last blog ..Pain In The Neck. Literally. =-.
[Reply]
Graham and Miss Emily are you. 100%
I never buy school pictures either. I just keep the proofs so they can have them for their future blogs. heh.
.-= ali´s last blog ..I guess preschoolers don’t notice laugh lines or crow’s feet. =-.
[Reply]
Blasphemy! That dress is awesome!!!!
.-= Marcie´s last blog ..Vanity Fair =-.
[Reply]
Look out, ladies!
.-= Coach J´s last blog ..Back to School; or, why parents scare the Bejesus out of me =-.
[Reply]
definitely go for the “so bad it’s rad” option! they’ll love it when they’re older
.-= hillary´s last blog ..Wednesday Break My Heart Oh Thursday Doesn’t Even Start =-.
[Reply]
hee!
[Reply]
“so bad they’re rad” all. the. way.
.-= Elizabeth´s last blog ..Sawyer’s arrival: Short on Sleep, Long on Lovin’ (the extended version) =-.
[Reply]
Oh my goodness, how cute you were! Emily looks very much like you- same smile.
I bought all the school photos when my kids were small (my eldest baby is 23 today) but because my husband was in the military it was mostly for the grandparents who didn’t get to see the children very often.
The best school photos are the ones with the wild outfits or a bad haircut (my husband’s brother removed his bangs with school scissors prior to getting his pic snapped). My 2nd grade class photo shows something so shocking, so terrible, 7 year old me could not imagine what punishment the boy must have faced from his ashamed parents. He crossed his eyes.
[Reply]
er, do they still do “retakes”?
[Reply]
Well no, aren’t they all great in their own special way? I think most of them are quite good.
And WOW. I had NO idea how much Emily resembles you until I saw that pic of you!! Love the dress by the way… ; )
.-= Elaine´s last blog ..PSF – Beautiful Girl =-.
[Reply]
If I had an ounce of your photography talent, I wouldn’t waste the money on school photos. But I don’t so I do.
Last year, I wanted Grace to have photos like Adoras so I took her to get them done at Wal-Mart. The quality was just as good, I got waaaay more photos, and for a THIRD of the cost of the school ones.
Crazy.
I’ll decide when their school proofs arrive.
.-= Danica´s last blog ..Gifts =-.
[Reply]
I also take too many photos of my kids, so official portraits always seem like overkill. There is something special about seeing them accumulate over the years, though — and it looks like these ones are actually pretty good.
.-= Jeremy´s last blog ..The Iceman Cometh =-.
[Reply]
Why didn’t we get any sort of pose while we were in school?
(the photos are totally darling. I love school pictures! I can’t wait until my nieces are old enough to go to school!)
[Reply]
Nathan — top right!
Graham: — Bottom right.
And this from a total stranger, lol.
.-= Jannie Funster´s last blog ..10 Great Mysteries of the Universe, 2 =-.
[Reply]
#4 in Graham’s set is my favorite. It’s all “We’re almost done? YEAH? OK, how about an eyebrow raise?”
#2 in Nathan’s set is awesome. (But they all are! That kid is super photogenic.)
(Also: I can totally see Graham in your kindergarten photo, or rather, you in Graham’s face at this age. So adorable.)
.-= Kerri Anne´s last blog ..“There’s water all over the place!” =-.
[Reply]
You MUST go for the 3rd choice of Nathan’s… so bad it’s rad. You will totally regret it if not.
I just think you might regret not having this awesomeness to enjoy later!
I just realized it kind of sounded like I was threatening you. I’m not.
[Reply]
I buy the smallest package possible. Max has now had the same photographer for the third year in a row. (2 x preschool, and now kindergarten.) He thinks the guy is hilarious. Apparently he has an inflatable hammer that he bonks himself on the head with to get the kids to laugh. Perhaps that was the solution with Nathan?
.-= rachel joy´s last blog ..just when you thought you’d seen it all … =-.
[Reply]