| Wednesday, January 30, 2008 |
| Picture Me by Walmart |
Last week I took the Awesome Blossom to Walmart to try their photo studio, Picture Me. I visited their website to check out their promotions and backgrounds. The backgrounds were nothing to write home about, they looked like the stereotypical cheap studio backgrounds, but they had a huge package for $5.99 so I decided to try it out. I called the studio on Thursday and made an appointment for the next day.
We arrived and got checked in. I was given a book of backgrounds and asked to choose one. The actual studio had more backgrounds than pictured on the website, but none really caught my eye. I choose a pretty plain, watercolor-like background with some brown in it. I had the Awesome Blossom dressed in red & white with a brown, red & white hooded sweater. I also brought along a sock monkey to use as a prop in her photos. I figured if I couldn't find a cute background I'd choose an inoffensive one and showcase the sock monkey theme.
The photographer got the background set up and told me she'd take a couple of shots with the background I chose for the package then move on to some other settings. She wasn't kidding about taking a couple of shots either. She took exactly four shots using the setting I had picked out and spent the rest of the appointment doing what she wanted. When it came time to choose my shot for the package I didn't get the option of using anything she set up. Actually, I didn't even get the option of choosing from all of "my" shots either. I could pick shot one, two or three for the package and that was it. This is the fifth time I've had the Awesome Blossom's photos taken in a studio and the first time I've had my choices restricted.
I wasn't all that thrilled with the rest of the experience either. They have a rule that they won't photograph small children unless the parent is seated on a little stool next to them. From a safety aspect this is great. From a photo aspect it's a disaster. The Awesome Blossom would not smile for this woman. When this happened at JC Penney the photographer and I switched positions. The camera is on a remote anyway and having me out front allowed us to work together to get over a dozen great shots. Here that wasn't an option. Of course we may have gotten some good shots if she would have listened to my suggestion of peek-a-boo rather than waving a stuffed animal in the baby's face. She tried peek-a-boo for about a second, got a half smile and went back to annoying the kid with a toy. I couldn't figure out why she'd abandon a technique just as it started working. She also kept picking up the sock monkey to wave when I clearly wanted it in the shot. By the second background change I had given up and was waiting for it to end.
On the way home from the shot I stopped at Adray Camera in Troy, MI and picked up a couple of photo flood lights. I set up a background and got all of the shots that Walmart couldn't. Next time I'll save my $5.99 and use it toward a $9.99 package at JC Penney.
Picture Me by Walmart in Troy, MI: skip it!
JC Penney Portrait Studio in Troy, MI: go here instead.Labels: reviews |
posted by Michelle at Bargains 4 Detroit & Beyond @ 4:20 PM   |
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