So...
We got a notice in the mail early in the summer that we should schedule a photo session for Nick at Keane Studio. This notice said the sitting was free. Because I am very disorganized and scattered, it took me until a few weeks ago to schedule the appointment. When I called, I got their machine and left a message. It so happened dh was home when they called back and I wasn't, so he scheduled an appointment, giving them a credit card # for the $42 sitting fee. "Say what?", said I, because it was my understanding that the session was free. It turns out that there is no fee if you are just going to use the picture for the yearbook, but if you plan on buying a package, then the fee applies. Seems to me that given the price of the packages, the sitting could be thrown in for "free", but I digress...
Just my luck that they sent the proofs to choose a shot for the yearbook and they were terrific. This guy does awesome work. Especially given that dh hadn't told them our son has autism, so the photographer had no idea why Nick was so stiff and needed extra coaxing to get some nice shots. I was so grateful that he gave no indication that the session was anything but a typical sitting with a 17 year old, even though I knew there's no way he couldn't have been thinking, "hmmm, something's different about this kid". So, I went from just choosing a single pose for the yearbook, which wasn't supposed to cost anything and the fee for which I probably to going in this morning to order photos and discovering that the package which offers the best value is $695! I had gone in there expecting to spend around $300, because their website says that packages start at $195 and just figured I'd probably want to add a bit to the most basic choice. So, damn, I'm hit with another huge expense I haven't budgeted for, but you know what? If I can give the city of Carlsbad $300 for some bogus traffic violation, I can certainly justify spending $700 on pictures that my family and I will cherish for a lifetime! As I was driving home, thinking about how to break this down to dh, I decided that we can forgo the prix fixe dinner we'd planned to indulge on this month at our favorite steakhouse (savings=$100), the balance pod shoes I'd planned to buy for myself ($200) and lunches out for the rest of the month (around $100) and I've got the additional expense covered. Dh may be just fine with it, or he could carry on about it, I'm not sure. It doesn't matter, this is the package I'm getting and I'm happy about it- just a bit in shock is all! |