It’s the tradition of suburban parents everywhere: the mall Santa photo. It’s also an excruciating photo day for actual photographers.
Christmas may be here and your mall Santa photo may already be done, but here’s a heads-up for the next big holiday for mall photography, Easter.
You expect the canned setups, sure, but it never helps that the subjects of the photo (you) are slammed right up against the background. There’s no chance for separation, no shallow depth of field for that “pop.”
Then, there’s the lighting. Sometimes, you run across a place that gets it flat out wrong, for instance, placing umbrellas behind a light source. Even in instances where things are facing the right direction, there’s never any compensating for people with glasses or other concerns. It’s like assembly line photography that makes everyone look OK, but never great. Coupled with a low-end camera like the Canon Rebel that was used to take our picture this year, and you’ll often have Santa’s beard blending into his outfit because there was just a bit too much power on the lights, though that's as much a fault of the lighting and outfit choices as it is the dynamic range on the smaller-sensor camera.
The staff, while often friendly, don’t know square one about photography. Their software often limits them to just a few photos per session, and after that, you’re hustled off. Trained photographers know how to capture a moment. Staff pushing buttons just get plain weird stuff and odd expressions. Five photos and 35 dollars later, I’m left with one usable photo that cuts off my head, has tons of space on the floor, and is slightly crooked. Take the photos at the top of this post, for instance: These were taken on different years, and they still manage to frame it up poorly each time; the photos are presented above as they were handed to me. I'd really much rather have that green floor than the top of my head. Ouch.
Even though the Rebel they were using had a lot more than roughly three megapixels of resolution, that’s all I get from the company that operates at my local mall. There was a time when the mall allowed parents to take photos alongside the staff as long as you bought a print, but sadly, that is no more, at least at my mall.
So what to do? Find a local business. A firehouse. Your child’s school. Go anywhere that’s not the mall and take your own photos. Take photos for the other parents. Make people happy. After the mall debacle, we went to a local store (the St. James General Store) that has a Santa come by every year. We’d been there before and should have known better to avoid the mall. The Santa at the general store took a lot more time to talk to the kids and parents, and the setup was just plain better. Taking your own photos is free, though everyone feels good about purchasing from a local business after a nice gesture like this.
The Santa setup at the local general store, which was much more photography friendly (and kid friendly) than the mall.
So Santa, I’m sorry, but your mall outpost needs a rethink. Perhaps your pal the Easter Bunny can do better in the new year.
Have you had a bad (or awesome) mall holiday photo experience? Share your story in the comments below.
Other news: Millions of hams, poorly cooked; Barrels of shitty, imitation egg nog, enjoyed. Christmas would be better if every one was as savvy as us. Ho, ho ho.
and yet there are hundreds of mall santas every year. i guess i don't understand the end game of this piece.
You sound so bitter. This type of stuff is for cheap people that just want a placeholder holiday shot until the next year. You get what you pay for, so if you value photography and want good Santa photos, book one that contracts with a Santa a year out, that has an awesome set and quality work.
They could try just a little though ...
But why? Why should they? It's cheap photography for cheap people. It doesn't cater to those that want wall portraits of their families. You can't expect a big production for so little profit. Esp. since people are only paying $35.
I'd suggest next time if you want decent to excellent ones, book a photographer that is doing a shoot with a hired Santa. Better results and something actually worth it.
I understand that you can book someone, but is it that hard to maybe try a softbox and move away from the background a bit? As William pointed out - it's two minutes and $35+, they can afford it.
I have no idea what I'm talking about but that's nothing new. Anyway, they have to pay for the photographer, Santa, Santa's helper(s), maybe security, props and the mall's cut. They might not be raking in the bucks.
why should they? you see things as a photographer. everyone else are happy and dont give a crap. if you dont want it, dont expect something amazing for a cheap price. so many go there because its good enough and makes them happy. stop complaining. its like a wine connoisseur going to a wedding and seeing cheap wine on the table. everyone is enjoying but youre too much of a snob too. so the whole wedding goes down the drain because you werent able to enjoy it.
Actually in the grand scheme of things, $35 is really cheap when you compare it to other production line mall Santa shoots. These guys(the realistic Santa) are contracted for the month or so they work with that company, and they aren't cheap. Hiring a Santa for a few hours, or a day is going to cost you $75/hr +. Not to mention the cost of labor from the 8+ employees they will have on hand to direct traffic, take the photo, print them out/do products, cashier etc... it all adds up. Then there's insurance, the rental space, the cost of products, etc... Then you factor in how many potential clients you might get, and let's be honest, they aren't getting huge lines all the time.
They skirt by with cheap prices because it is a production line and nothing more. It's not some special experience, or personally catered photoshoot for a family. It's CHEAP, and with cheap photography comes cheap work. If their employees cannot tell the difference from an f-stop and a doorstop, what makes you think they will know how to properly light the set? They are trying to get the most bang for their buck by offering cheap prices to pull in more cheap clients.
Furthermore, if you take a look on Fstoppers you can see an example of a photographer that made 10k in 6ish hour time span doing this type of work.She was charging I believe $160 for 3 minutes per family...now that is a lot of money for 3 minutes of work. I imagine her take home was 1/2 or less of that 10k. Not a bad chunk of change for 6 hours, but with quality work you book less quantity to ensure said quality is intact. You want more quantity, your quality is going to suffer, and hiring people that don't know a thing about photography are not going to give you more than they're taught.
Rule of thumb, don't expect champagne on a beer budget, and if you do it's CHEAP. lol
But you're expecting people who are not professional photographers, to *know how to light* like us. Again, they aren't going to know the difference, or even know how to fix it. Even then they have to accommodate every skin tone so blown out (sadly) will be more of a norm than heavily underexposed. It's like JCP, Portrait Innovations, Sears etc... they all light the exact same way, nothing changes. It's all get in get out.
i would have laughed at security and taken more pics.
but everyone will complain when Uncle Joe (GWC) is shadowing the photographer at a wedding. You did the same thing. Of course they mind. They are paying for the employees, props, rent, etc. Not you. So why should you get that for free?
Your photo is better but the "General Store" Santa looks a bit tipsy. ;-)
He was really the nicest, though. Maybe that's why!
So what you're saying is, cheap photography services are cheap? Wow, really dug down and uncovered some hard truths in this one.
Operating on the presupposition you are a professional, do you provide premium services at super-low prices? I'm not entirely convinced you comprehend how business works.
A) $35 for 5 minutes work is not “super-low”.
B) Including a person’s entire head and holding the camera straight is not “premium services”.
I also want to mention how sick I am of people excusing laziness and disrespect with “that’s business”. Normal people don’t have to become ripoff artists just because they’re taking money for a service.
I hate to tell you, but the word "professional" is in no way a synonym for artist, or quality, or excellence. It means nothing more than runs a business.
I'm not "excusing" it. I just come from the default position that the average "professional" is a talentless hack. That said, I have a lot of respect for professionals who are also artists.
But cutting off my head each time? Come on, that's basic.
I'm not quite sure how "basic" excludes my working premise of "talentless hack".
I assume, as the consumer, you requested a reshoot, or demanded a refund?
Not asking for a reshoot because that kinda ruins the moment for the kids. However, each time, whatever software they use to show it on the screen looks fine, so I OK it and then agree to an email with digital files. Later in the day they send the digital files, and everything's cut off. When I called to complain they said they put away their computers for the year that have the files and I'd have to wait until Easter when they pull the computers again to get the files - and I'd have to call back with a reference number to begin the process. I think they make it as difficult as possible so that people won't do it.
In this year's case, I used Photoshop and fixed the file myself:
Their response is unsatisfactory. In any case, I would assume that there are general consumer protections where you live, and given that they cannot remedy the situation in a timely fashion (they don't have to know you have), you should be entitled to a refund.
If they refuse, you may have a local fair trading body or some such thing.
Well done with the fix.
they aren't hiring photo school graduates but basically anyone that needs a short term temp job
I see no issue with it. it makes people happy. the experience is what matters, scrooge
Did you really suggest showing up at a Firehouse or school to use as a backdrop? Yeh, explain why you think they are going to let you do that and not arrest you for trespassing. Their insurance won't cover that. The firefighters are kinda busy fighting fires and they don't need you in their way when they are trying to get to a fire. As for the school, are you really a parent? With all the school shootings, schools tend to have very strict policies about who is allowed on campus. You're going to show up as an unknown with some guy in a costume? just wow.