Information for Parents
Helpful Tips for great School Portraits
1. Clearly communicate your portrait expectations to your son or daughter. (ie. " I expect you to SMILE for your portrait.") Dissatisfaction with expression is a major reason for retakes and can easily be avoided.
2. Be aware of what your son or daughter wears to school on portrait day!
3. Have your children wear clean and pressed clothes with dark solid colours for best reproduction. Be sure to give them any last minute instructions regarding their clothes. (ie. "Don't wear that sweater over your top when you have your photo done!")
4. When in doubt, long sleeves are preferred over short sleeves.
5. Check clothing for missing buttons, tears, hanging threads and other damage. Polish shoes and replace worn laces for full-length class photos if new shoes aren't available.
6. Hair cuts should not take place sooner than 2 weeks before Portrait Day to look natural.
7. Minimize jewelry and avoid clashing styles and colours.
8. Avoid sunbathing just prior to Portrait Day.
9. Advise children to follow the photographer's instructions.
10. When it comes to make-up, "less is more"!
11. The weather in the fall can be quite warm and many schools lack air conditioning. Therefore, dress your child in cooler clothes so they won't be sweating when they have their portrait done.
We have also listed additional recommendations in "Student Information".
Questions Frequently Asked By Parents
"Will I be given advance notice about Portrait Day?"
Information will be sent home with your child at least one week prior to Portrait Day. Posters promoting Portrait Day will be posted in the school. Your school may also opt to promote Portrait Day through it's website or in it's newsletter. If your school uses them, look for Portrait Day and Retake Day in your child's Planner Book.
"What time will my child be photographed on Portrait Day?"
We work closely with your school to organize Portrait Day in the most efficient and least disruptive way possible. We will avoid pulling students out of gym class for their photo. However, it is inevitable that some students will be photographed immediately after lunch or a recess. Generally speaking, we will start with the most primary classes and progress our way up through the grades.
"My ex-spouse and I both want to order photos of our child yet I've received only one order envelope. What do we do?"
First, determine if your school is on our pre-paid or proof programme. If you choose your package and pay for it in advance of Portrait Day then your school uses our pre-paid programme. Please call your school and request an additional order envelope. Your child can also ask for an additional order envelope. If you see proofs of your child before placing an order then your school uses our proof programme. Please share these proofs with your ex-spouse as these are the only proofs that will be made available of your child. If you and your ex-spouse each place orders please be aware that your orders will come packaged together. Maintain a record of what you ordered and share the portraits accordingly. Finally, for security reasons, we do not accept portrait orders over the phone from estranged parents. Orders must originate from the school after reviewing child custody arrangements.
"How does the Food Drive work?"
In schools that use ADANAC's pre-paid programme we operate a Food Drive that benefits a local food shelf in your area. If your child brings a non-perishable food item to the camera on Portrait Day they will receive 8-mini portraits for free - no purchase necessary. There is a limit of one set of free mini portraits per child. Non-perishable food items must be presented when the child is photographed and will not be accepted later. Each child must present their own food donation at the camera so don't send food donations for more than one child with an older sibling. We do not operate the Food Drive on retake days nor will we replace the free mini portraits if a retake is requested. Please refer to the order information brought home by your child to see if your school participates in our Food Drive.
"When will the finished portraits arrive?"
Finished portrait orders will arrive at your school approximately three weeks after we receive your order. Orders will be distributed by your child's teacher and will be brought home by your child. Please ask your child to take extra care of their photos when they transport them home. Please note, that in the fall, Retake Day orders will arrive in time for Christmas but NOT necessarily in time to be mailed in Christmas cards. If you normally include school portraits in with your Christmas cards please stress to your child the importance of looking their best on the first portrait day!
"Can parents volunteer for Portrait Day?"
Yes! We bring our own staff to Portrait Day but we always welcome parent volunteers. Check with your school for more information on volunteering.
"What if I don't like the portraits I ordered?"
ADANAC Images guarantees all of our portraits. If you aren't pleased just surrender your portraits or proofs at the camera on retake day. If you aren't pleased with your retakes you can call our studio and arrange to come in for another session or request a refund.
"Does my school benefit from Portrait Day?"
Yes! Your school will receive a percentage of our net sales in the form of a commission. In addition, we supply your school with student image CDs, student ID cards, yearbook products and other services.
"What happens if my child is absent on Portrait Day?"
Your child can be photographed on Retake Day. (please note there is no retake opportunity in preschools) If your child missed Retake Day you can call our studio and arrange to come in for another session.
"Who owns the copyright of my child's portrait?"
Even though you purchased portraits, the rights to the original image of your child remain the property of ADANAC Images. As such, the original image cannot be photocopied or reproduced in any manner without the written permission of ADANAC Images.
"Why didn't I receive a class photo with my order?"
Class photos are not taken in high schools. Class photos are taken in preschools, elementary and middle schools. In these schools, all students receive a free class photo, no purchase necessary. Class photos may not be distributed by the teacher at the same time as the individual orders. In some cases, class photos are done in the spring and not in the fall. Please check with your school to see when class photos are taken.
"What should I do if I think there is a problem with my order?"
Please call ADANAC toll free at 888.323.2622 and we will work with you to solve your problem. Do not call your school.
"I have more than one child at this school. Can I write one cheque to cover all my children?"
No. Please use a separate order envelope for each child and pay for each child separately. This will help us process your order accurately and avoid future problems and delivery delays.
"What if I've run out of portraits? Can I order more?"
Yes. Simply complete the reorder form that came with your original portraits.
"What forms of payment are accepted?"
We accept American Express, MasterCard, Visa, personal cheques and cash. If paying in person at our studio we also accept debit. Post-dated personal cheques are strongly discouraged as they will delay delivery of your order until your cheque clears. Additional shipping costs may be assessed to orders paid for with post-dated cheques.
"Can you ship my order directly to my home?"
School portrait orders are shipped en-masse to the school for distribution. This helps keep the cost of your portraits affordable. The price of a school portrait does not cover shipping to an individual address. Should you require this service or if you will be moving before your order will arrive please contact our studio to make alternate arrangements.
