Has anyone been to Portrait Innovations yet? I know they've had one in Cranberry for a while, but they just opened one in the Monroeville Mall.

For those of you that aren't familiar, PI is a lot like the Picture People, but the advantage (to me) is that if you spend a certain amount you get the disk with ALL of the photos, which is a nice bonus. 

We went yesterday and I was rather disappointed.  I still got a bunch of poses, but overall i was rather unhappy, and wanted to see if it was just our photographer or if you've all had similiar experiences.

I loved that they worked in teams of two. One to entertain/pose the kids and the other to snap the pictures. I thought that was a great idea.

What I didn't like was that they really just tried to take "posed" photos. One reason I stopped going to places like Pennys and Target is because they were too posed and my kids just dont' sit still like that (plus I really like the look of more candid photos).  The Picture People people would just walk around with the camera and snap, snap, snap away while the kids were playing and always caught them in some of the best poses/faces, etc.

This photog would only push that button when the kids were posed and that just wansn't happening.  I told her I'm more than happy with more candid-like photos and to not worry that they were looking perfectly up and smiling.  By the time they would pose each kid "just so", the first kid would move and they'd start all over. It was frustrating. 

And Matthew had just fallen and had a scrape on his knee. They kept wanting to put his hand over it which hurt him and so he wouldn't smile, but they wouldn't give up on the idea and just kept making him do it until I finally put a stop to it.

At one point the photogs left the room so that I could get the kids comfortable, playing, etc.and I did! ANd I summoned her back and I saw her behind me as I was rolling a ball to the kids and they were sitting right next to each other, rolling balls, laughing, it was great.

And then I saw her pics and she didn't take a SINGLE picture. She was just simply waiting behind me until we posed them again. Argh!

And I was sort of disappointed with the photos, too. The color correction was terrible. Several photos are a bit darker than they should/could be, with bad shadows. That could have been easily fixed on her computer but she didnt' do it (I didnt' notice until they were printed and I had them home).  And the cropping is often not centered.

Overall I wasn't very impressed, but I do like the studio, the fact that the pictures were ready in 15 minutes (!) and the prices weren't bad (if you get a lot, they're $15 per sheet individually but I got 20 sheets for $99 plus the CD free). 

So I'd be willing to go back if you've all had a better experience. I do think 99% of my complaints are the individual photographers, not the studio. But are all the PI photographers taught to "pose" the kids like that? If so I won't go back.   I wish I could request a "mother of small children" as a photog. THEY get it.

My favorite picture of the day is this one of Ben frowning. It's a face he makes ALL THE TIME..and I had to specificially ask the to snap it like five times before they would, because he wasn't smiling

(you can see a few of the pictures(the best ones) here  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=170501054&ref=profile#/album.php?aid=2035537&id=170501054&ref=mf

picture people will also sell a disk but it is more like $150 for the CD alone I think.  They are so expensive.

Seems like anywhere we go I am not happy with how my kids act while there.  I don't know what it is about studios that makes them wild.  We always end up with a few pics and a few tears somewhere along the way.

I'm REALLY considering hiring a candid photographer to get picture of us at the park sometime.   Kind of like a photo session without the studio.  Probably just as expensive at picture people though.

Heather,

I am so surprised at your bad experience.  I have been going to portrait innovations for years and I love them.  They usually do just snap pics as the kids are doing what kids do best.  I have been to the one in cranberry 3 times and have nothing but good things to say.  The photographers are all very good with kids and take lots of pictures.  I'm thinking you got a bad one or maybe someone new.  If you go again, I'd ask for someone with experience with kids their age.  And, that is a cute pic!!!