Conversation on Wal-Mart pics with a mom ...

...while waiting in line to purchase a couple of last minute items today.

I asked her how Wal-Mart did on her pics. She was elated and pulled them out to show. She did a $7.99, yes a seven dollar ninety-nine cent package, for the shoot and prints of her teen daughter. Also used a 20% off coupon to include some extras. Total package cost ... just south of $25.

She got four 5 X 7s, an 8 x 10, a sheet of 4 x 5s and a sheet of wallets that were like 1 x 2". She didn't get the files--part of the $299 package, she said.

The images were well-exposed, as far as amount of light goes, in focus and printed on cheap paper. Nothing special, just 'stand-here-and-shoot' shots.

Merry Christmas, Everybody.

dave

Then how did she print them with out files?

ummm she got them already printed from wal-mart...the inhouse photo studio..

I'm not sure if I've missed something here, but is this good or bad?

The important thing is that she was very happy with the results.

My brother did a Sears package a couple years back. $75 got him 4-8x10, 5-5x7, some wallet size prints, and a CD with all the files. The inhouse photographer spent a lot of time redoing the shots with the baby until the pics looked alright. All in all not unique in any way, but he was certainly happy with them. Without the CD it would have been something like $40.

snyderman wrote in post #11508546
...while waiting in line to purchase a couple of last minute items today.

I asked her how Wal-Mart did on her pics. She was elated and pulled them out to show. She did a $7.99, yes a seven dollar ninety-nine cent package, for the shoot and prints of her teen daughter. Also used a 20% off coupon to include some extras. Total package cost ... just south of $25.

She got four 5 X 7s, an 8 x 10, a sheet of 4 x 5s and a sheet of wallets that were like 1 x 2". She didn't get the files--part of the $299 package, she said.

The images were well-exposed, as far as amount of light goes, in focus and printed on cheap paper. Nothing special, just 'stand-here-and-shoot' shots.

Merry Christmas, Everybody.

dave

99.999% of the crap in walmart is from china, I'd never shop there unless I absolutley had to. The ceo makes $9,247.00 an hour. Times that by 8 hours a day and he makes more in one day then a fulltime employee makes all year. That employees salary is also just under the poverty scale and 50% of them have no health insurance. Dont get me started lol

If you want standard lazy shots the same that every other person got because the "photographer" doesn't know much of what they're doing and can't change things up - they are literally a button pusher - then who cares, you get what you pay for. It's a bulk and easiest possible way business model, that's all.

You do get what you pay for. Many times these places will only offer 1 or 2 poses for very little money, then if you want a wardrobe change or another pose or a CD, etc, etc, it all adds up to the hundreds. Is just their way of getting you on the hook, but if you're happy with that one pose and that package then you come out winning, just the paper and ink will probably cost more to print at home.

I think is very similar to what some timeshare places do in order to get you on the hook, they offer you free lunch or breakfast, free tickets to some attraction and all you have to do is sit down and listen for 4 hours. For some that might be worth the 4 hours, Disney tickets here in Orlando are $79 a day per person so not really a bad deal, they do this because the success rate allows them to. This might have changed a little with today's economy but is the way it used to be not that long ago.

Do you actually think Walmart makes any money on that $7.99 package? Just the photographer alone makes that much an hour going by Walmart wages (just guessing), they really don't pay their employees that well.

"She was elated and pulled them out to show."

What's wrong with that? Sounds good to me.

WalMart could care less what you spend on their portraits, what they care about is that you come into the store and spend your hard earn dollars on the other crap they have on their shelves.

Ernst-Ulrich Schafer wrote in post #11509989
WalMart could care less what you spend on their portraits, what they care about is that you come into the store and spend your hard earn dollars on the other crap they have on their shelves.

Exacetly...once you are in the store they have a better chance of selling you aomething that they arent losing money on...

Ernst-Ulrich Schafer wrote in post #11509989
WalMart could care less what you spend on their portraits, what they care about is that you come into the store and spend your hard earn dollars on the other crap they have on their shelves.

Especially when many parents have to bribe the kids to behave / settle down for the photos.. guess where the pay-off toys come from.. Surprised they haven't moved the studio next to the toy area by now.

Everything gets commoditized...studio photography is going to go the same way if WalMart is doing it. I'd be worried if they start offering wedding service!

We got Walmart studio photos done before I was into photography, and they were all crap. You start with the under $10 package, but then they take more poses and get a couple that are really good luck catches and then they up sell you on the higher package.

I guess whoever too this lady's photos did a better job.