Things to Know Before You Go to a Picture Me Portrait Studio in Wal-Mart

So you may one day walk past a giant sign in Wal-Mart that says over 30 portraits for $7.99. Well now they have you. Picture Me Portrait Studio is a great inexpensive way to get some great photos at a great low price. This article will help you understand and prepare your self for a great session with your photographer.

Making your appointment.

Yes, I know the sign says they except walk-ins. Walk-ins do not have priority though. How would you feel if you had an appointment at noon and when you got there they were taking first come first server? The best way to make sure you have very little to no wait time is to make an appointment. It is even better to make an appointment during those busy times of the year and even on busy days. Normal busy seasons for any photographer is Christmas and Easter. Normal busy days are Saturday and Sunday. Remember when making your appointment for a baby or small child it is important to plan around nap times and meal times. Your child will be rested and ready to play, making "picture day" a great experience for both of you.

After you set your appointment.
There are a few things you should do in advance to make your day go smooth. First pick out what outfits are going to be worn and make sure they fit. Nothings worst than getting to the studio and having to rush to get a new outfit. Also pack an extra outfit incase there is an accident on the way to your appointment. If an adult or teenager is going to be photographed make sure hands are good and clean, and nails are done. Your hands will more than likely be in the photo.

Make sure to plan out what you want. If you seen a pose in a book or that a friends child had don't be scared to bring that with you and show your photographer. Your photographer will thank you and your photos will turn out that much better. This is also good for larger group photos that in involve extended family. It is good to know in advance who is going to have their photo made with great aunt Georgia and who is going to be sitting this one out. This also helps things run smother and faster.

The day of your appointment.

Pack a goodie bag for young children. With a few snacks and drink will help if they get hungry before or after the photos. Remember to not bribe a small child with a snack. If you start to give a child raisins to smile all your photos will have raisins in them. Bring along a toy, toys will make the photo more personal. Make sure it's a toy you don't mind being in the photo. If you hand your child a cell phone to play with then try to take it away your child is not going to be very happy. Bring someone with you. The old saying two sets of hands are better than one applies here. Bring dad or grandma even a close friend to help you out.

If you are running late make sure to call the studio and let them know so they can plan for you incase they do have a walk-in waiting. Also come dressed and ready to go nothing makes picture day smother than starting to get those laughs as soon as you get there. Don't forget to talk to your photographer about what you want. If you want some belly poses make sure he or she knows that, if you don't tell them you might not get them.

After your session.

After your photos are taken you will sit down and look at them. Remember it is your photographer's job to try to sell you more than the intro offer that is on the sign. They will "enhance" the photos by making them black and white or adding text. Just let them work though this, they have to do it. There is always a string attached to a good thing also. Remember that $7.99 that got you in the door, well that is only good for one pose and it can not be "enhanced" in any way. Also that is one person if there is more than one person there is a fee. Normally if there is something free offered it can not be combined with this offer or it has to be the same pose as the pose you have chosen.

Little inside tip for you on price, nothing is set in stone. All studios have coupons, most of the time they are on the same flier as the intro offer. Just know these percent off coupons will not count towards anything but a larger package. Packages start at $99.99 and go up to as high as you want to make them. Copyrights are a big thing if you want to post your photos to your Facebook you better have the copyright release for those photos. A CD on its own with your photos is going to be $200, if you want the disk go in a package. The CD when bought with a "collection" will cost anywhere from $59.99 to $79.99.

So remember these few tips the next time you see one of those signs in Wal-mart and want to take advantage of the great value.