I was a preschool photographer and these are my thoughts about the job and why I decided to quit after 3 seasons.
1.) The job definitely does not pay enough. Even when you are not working you’re “working” you constantly have to check your email and phone for messages. Most likely everyday there will be an email with something you have to do while not being on the clock. Whether it’s sending a “missing” envelope or sending pictures that the lab deleted because they are clearly on the job that was uploaded so how they weren’t on the job is beyond me.
2.) having to upload jobs at the school HA! As if there’s enough time for that! And it never works. Every upload I’ve ever started always crashes the program, then when you open the program it will upload, but then it won’t show in the upload history, even though it uploaded. So you need to waste your time again reuploading. Get this and the supervisor says if you have a issue (like always) and can’t upload it at the school you can upload it at home and you don’t need to be clocked it for that while it’s just sitting there. Um, excuse me? Don’t even get me started on those modems that do not work in all areas. My house to be exact. So I have to use my own WiFi and deal with it crashing and what not, without being paid? How is it my fault that your computers and programs don’t work like you say they should?
3.) Being at the centers all by yourself and dealing with a director or staff member that just doesn’t like you, no m
Depends, but generally if you desperately need job
This is a job I had over a decade ago, and was only trying to read through reviews.
My time with company was a mixed bag. It was during a recession and at a time alot of higher quality jobs were not readily available, like they are now. It's not an essential job, but it is one that people strangely enough depend, even with modern devices. Alot of parents and students still look forward to school pictures in the traditional manner. So, it is for memories, essentially.
Work days often start before the standard 7am/8am, because you have to travel to the schools, which could be anywhere from a 5 minute ride, up to a 2 hr. travel. You could easily be traveling anywhere from 25 miles to 120+ miles, quite often. I mean you could have weeks where you are out of town nearly everyday for a period of time, depends on the schedule. You get paid based on a percentage of your mileage to travel to the school from home and back home.
Leaving home at 4am or 5am is pretty common. Your school for the day may expect you to arrive as early as 5:30/5:45am to as late as mid-day. It depends on the size of the school, availability of students, and what types of jobs (photography) needs to be done. Also, certain schools may require more experienced photographers, previous photographers who worked at the school (before), or require large number of photographers in general.
So, for the most part, a day could last as little as 2 hrs/3 hrs, up to 10 hrs. 10 hours is typically the case for a very
ProsChildren and faculty members (are pretty pleasant to work with), coworkers are pretty down to earth, Office positions are more in-line with market wages
ConsLong daily travel, Low pay (above minimum wage), No real benefits (unless you worked for long time), some children/faculty member are nightmare, seasonal (unless you work with preschool and infants), work schedule, breaks not guaranteed on every job
I was hired on as a seasonal employee doing Preschool portraits. It took them almost 2 1/2 months to get me my first paycheck. At that time we were turning in mileage and getting reimbursed gas, so during that period I was not getting paid for my hours and was using up all of my gas.
You are supposed to have a 2 week training period with someone and then go out on your own. It took me a realllly long time to get in the swing of things because when you start, you are doing on the job training, meaning you're with a photographer as they're rushing around trying to get their work done and get set up and talk to teachers and all that AND trying to educate you about the process. There is a TON of paperwork to be done each day for each school you photograph, most of it I had to do at home because the school wanted you out once you were done.
You're basically on your own once you start shooting. If something came up I could txt my supervisor real quick, but any of the photographers in my division would tell you not to expect to hear anything back anytime soon, if ever. You had to consistently bug your higher ups to get answers, find out what you were supposed to be doing, etc. I barely ever had to work with another photographer, but whenever I did we would discuss the lack of shared information within our division, how lost we were, the frustration at being poorly trained.
I did like the job for awhile. I have a photography degree so I knew the equipment side of things already, b
Proswork with kids, can be creative
Conswork alone, physically demanding, early hours
1.0
Customer Service Representative | Muncie, IN | Feb 5, 2019
I wouldn't even give them a 1 star, but that was the lowest it would go.
This was by far the worst job I have EVER had. I don't write reviews. But this is so bad, that someone needs to look deeply into this. First, within 2 days of training our TRAINER was telling us things 'hints' on how to keep our 'times' down. For example. "It's not your problem". THIS WAS SAID AT LEAST EVERYDAY at least 10 times a day for 2 weeks. Anytime you had a question or wanted to know what you needed to do for a specific situation, "Don't worry about it, it's not your problem. That's someone else's problem to fix." WHY would ANYONE in customer service ever train people this way?! The worst part, the trainer had to have been getting it from someone. They were, from the SUPERVISORS (Actual department supervisors). I have had mine say this to me twice now in a 7 month period. As a temp you are singled out, you don't receive any kind of respect. The temps are treated as an outsider the entire time they're there unless you're sucking up or brown nosing. There were other ACTUAL FULLTIME LIFETOUCH representatives that have gotten disgustingly nasty with customers on the phone and are NOT reprimanded for it. How do I know this?? Because the Supervisors instead of trying to 'talk' in a respectful manner to you about anything you need to fix will just talk loud and clear so that the ongoing 3 rows can hear what's being said. I have heard things about fellow employees that should not have been said to them in the open. It's demeaning and shows the MASSIVE LACK of respect they hav
ProsEven though nothing can be scented, the paper towels smell like pumpkin spice.
ConsWalking through the front door and working here everyday.
PAY: $12/hr + $0.20 mileage reimbursement ($8/hr driving time). Paycheck is bi-weekly.
HOURS: During the peak season: 40 hours (August-Beginning of October), but after that, 20 hours for retake days. The hours can be long days starting from leaving at 5:30AM to coming home at 5:30PM. It all depends on how far away the school is and when they want you to be there and if it is the whole day or not. The furthest school for me was 1.5hrs away and the closest was 20 minutes. I's only worked overtime two weeks during peak season. They schedule you for 40 hours, but it can vary due to the school either wrapping early or go over due to going behind schedule. You HAVE TO drive back to your regional office to drop off job bags that day if you're the lead photographer which can be a hassle if you're at a school in Douglasville, GA and the office is in Marietta, GA (during rush hour). They will ask for off the clock work (which I don't appreciate or like). For example, handing off the server around during the weekend, driving to the office for job bags, and re-burning CDs.
TRAINING: The training is a week before you begin fro 5 days. Though it may seem overwhelming at first, they will not throw you into it without any help. You will be an assistant the first couple days after and management is there the first 2 weeks to help. The training isn't a true representation of what the work is really like, but gave a good direction as to what it will be like. Many of the elements learned in t
I've worked in two different districts and have really enjoyed the job. I love working with kids and being in a school environment. It can get crazy and stressful but the upside is that the next day can go off without a hitch. It's different every day, which I like. The worst part of the job is all the driving, setting up in the morning and then having to tear it all back down at the end of what is usually a pretty exhausting day. Another downside is that you usually have to go a long time without eating. Most schools don't schedule breaks so it's crucial to carry snacks.
Management is amazing. They are very accommodating when you need a day off. I've never had a supervisor be at all mean to me. They're there for you if you have a bad day, don't get mad if you break a piece of equipment, etc. But mostly you manage yourself. You're in charge of the picture day event so you can't be late or out sick, period. Sometimes you work with other photographers and all my co-workers are really great. They're very team oriented and helpful. Sometimes you totally alone at a school, which can be a little scary at first, but you get used to it.
It's seasonal but my district stays busy for the vast majority of the year. With each change of season comes a new program(s). So if you hate doing one thing you tough it out for a few months and then you're doing something totally different. You do anything from standard portraiture to photographing groups, sports, proms, and s
ProsGreat supervisors, fun work, always learning
ConsA lot of driving, really early mornings, not the best pay
Look, it's certainly not the worst job in the world. If you're currently flipping burgers or working in a cramped store at the mall, I definitely think you should drop that job and head on over. If that's not the case, though, I have a hard time recommending it.
Let's start with the good. If you're a freelance photographer who's looking for a way to build your resume and get some practice repetitions in, this position will be great for you. The hours are decent and they truly don't ask too much of you. If you like working with kids, you're in luck - you'll be seeing anywhere from a dozen to over 100 of them every day.
One thing that you need to know about this job is that you travel. A lot. There are pros and cons to it. If you're a foodie, you can relish in the fact that you're in at least two different towns a week. Maybe you love thrifting - check out the local thrift stores after work. Honestly, it can be fun to explore the states you're working in.
The downside, of course, is that you're doing all the driving. Even if you're like me and love driving, your car isn't going to enjoy it nearly as much. You can expect to rack up 20,000 miles in a year - easily. You'll be saying goodbye to your warranty much sooner than its expected expiration date.
Again, there are pros and cons to that aspect. You get paid per mile driven and are on the clock while driving. If you're driving a beater or something super reliable, it's definitely a net-positive. If you're not, it's not.
ProsTravel, easy without being boring
ConsWear-and-tear on vehicle, abysmal pay, lack of benefits, no paid time off, no career progression
From what I witnessed in just a small amount of time, this company does little to care for the worker bees (photographers).
From the start, during the interview process I (co-workers included) was fed lies. More akin to poo covered in glitter. They dress up the job and then send you out to assembly lines to fend for yourself.
This wouldn't seem like an issue if you are one freelance working for yourself. You are truly alone in that situation, it's your equipment, your problem. But when you're supposed to be part of this BIG company, you should have the support and back-up from upper management. (They don't even return phone calls). They hop,skip, and jump around questions about raises. Tell you you can advance. Dangle "employee owned company" in your face and sweep turn over rates under the rug.
What's worse is my bad experience couldn't even be soothed over by my fellow co-workers tales of better times to come. Every team member I worked with was on the cusp of quitting, if not already out the door. So, I couldn't even feel like maybe I was personally thinking too negatively about the job.
Handling the equipment is fine. Unloading and loading, setting up and breaking down are just parts of the job. I get that. Barely getting paid for it, I don't get. Kiss your car goodbye. Because its life is about to be cut short driving everywhere they intend to send you. What's that?! You say you have a personal life? Ha! Flush that down the toilet. You'll be asleep before your kids, e
Prosnot eating lunch every day will help kick start your diet! -__-
Review is specifically for Phillipsburg, NJ office.
The management and higher-up employees are all one family. A mom, her two sons, one son's wife, that wife's sister, that sister's boyfriend, the other son's roommate, etc. This results in everyone in the office knowing everyone else's business. That is simply the office staff.
The photographers are referred to as either "newbies" or "vets," and there is another realm of gossip among the vets (veteran/returning employees). The vets also know everyone's business because they are all BFFs with the managing family, which is why they have been brought back each season and continue working there.
Schedules are incredibly inconsistent (and also unfair). You can be working five days one week and two days the next, while a fellow newbie may work four or five days every week. The vets get all the jobs first; they work every day, even when it results in newbies not being on the schedule.
You have to wake up between three and six every morning, in order to get to the assigned schools on time. On time means 1.5 hours before you are starting pictures (you will set up during that time). Typically, you have to try to find someone to open the school door because the custodians are never informed what time you will be arriving. Most schools are a one or two hour drive from the office, with only a few being a mere 30 minutes away. Management says they will place you at schools that are closest to you, but that was a lie and never actual
ProsMaking children smile, paid for time spent on morning commute, fuel reimbersement
ConsNo lunch breaks, hours change daily, driving up to 2 hours (one way) each day, coworkers gossip, management is biased, poor communication, no benefits since it's seasonal even though you are working full-time
I enter my scheduled ChildCare Ctr. with a smile and greet the staff member in a positive manor beginning with identifying myself. I've been with Lifetouch for 9 years now, so the majority of my centers know me, at least by face.. I ask where they would like me to set up my equipment, and begin bringing in and setting up my Portrait Studio. I deliver my camera cards to teachers and explain how the day will go, and inquire about special changes to schedule like field trips, lunch, and naps.
No two children are ever the same to photograph, so each must be approached differently, but in a timely manor.. Staff, as well, need a little special treatment in photographing. There is always a staff member in the room to assist or assure supervision of the children.
Upon completion of the day, I verify with the Director that nobody was missed, and ask for a short moment of her time for any paperwork we have to do. I always ask her to verify spelling of teacher and class names to ensure accuracy on Class photos and Staff ID Badges.
I commence breaking down my equipment quietly, as, usually by now, the children are napping. The room is usually left how I found it, I try to leave nothing to be cleaned up from picture day.
Finally, I make my way around and thank the staff and Director for all their help, and let them know when to expect their pictures back, as well as what to do when they come in...THAT is when the story begins!!!
When I was hired into t
ProsI keep the equipment, nobody "looking over my shoulder" constantly, and getting that one smile that nobody expects!!!
ConsQuality versus Quality..., seasonal work
Questions And Answers about Lifetouch
What would you suggest Lifetouch management do to prevent others from leaving?
Asked Mar 21, 2017
The pay is very low for the work that you do. You have to love photography and love kids otherwise you are not going to make it. The managers often demoralize new hires and chose their favorites (mostly women). The entire company is mostly run by women, there are men bosses and supervisors, but they usually stay in the background. In my first 2 months I put 5000 miles on my car. I usually put 10,000 miles on my car for the entire year.
Answered Nov 13, 2020
Need new HR personnel. They are bias, gossiping with on the floor employees, not professional when employees go to them with issues, etc, etc ,etc
Answered Oct 31, 2020
If you were to leave Lifetouch, what would be the reason?
Asked Mar 21, 2017
HR, politics , cliques in the extreme and non-empowered supervisors. Too much wanting to 'go to the conference room" instead if properly treating employees with respect and compassion.
Answered Oct 31, 2020
Because I’ve been there for 2 decades and my pay is so little for all I do and all I contribute. It is the beautiful souls of coworkers I work with , and the fun of making those students smile that keeps me so far.
But the lack. If financial respect is a spit in my face 😐
Answered Sep 13, 2020
If you were in charge, what would you do to make Lifetouch a better place to work?
Asked Feb 26, 2018
Fire all managers and start over
Answered Nov 4, 2020
Keep nepotism in check if let run out of control, it causes undue stress on everyone else.
Answered Oct 31, 2020
Why did you leave your job at Lifetouch?
Asked Mar 29, 2017
You can’t live on this tiny excuse of a salary and you are too exhausted by the end of the day to have a second job.
Answered Feb 15, 2020
Seem there is a little abused in the supervisory post but i can ignored thosed since i am a college grads
Answered Aug 18, 2019
What tips or advice would you give to someone interviewing at Lifetouch?
Asked Apr 30, 2018
Be yourself.. most likely you will get the job if your seeming around the holidays..
Answered Feb 24, 2020
Be yourself don’t try to be who you think they want you to be
