If you're a photographer that takes high school senior photographs for the Manchester New Hampshire School District (MSD), please read this. This will effect your business or any future work with the school district. If you're a parent of any student in the MSD, I encourage you to read this as well.
Memorial High School is planning on working exclusively with one photographer for all senior photographs. If students use another photographer, the photos taken by that photographer will not be allowed to be used in the yearbook. Students buy their yearbook but don't have an option to choose the photographer to take their photo for it. Requiring students to go to a specific photographer limits their options and hurts other photographers' business. It is my understanding that a bid for this type of contract has not been publicly noticed yet and is expected to be bid out sometime in April or May.
As a photographer in the MSD area, I've already sent emails with my concerns to the MSD, the Principal of Memorial High School, and the staff for the Yearbook Committee. I do not know if this also applies to Central High School and West High School, which I will find out about.
I am looking for parents and other photographers to also voice their concerns and join me in this fight to save small businesses and allow students a choice. Please understand I'm not fighting against a specific photographer. The fight is for the students and other photography businesses.
Updates
January 20, 2016
Seeing this kind of momentum confirms that I am not the only one who sees how wrong this policy is for our students. My heart is full knowing so many of you care about protecting our local photographers and the freedom of choice for our seniors.
Reached 100 supporters
January 20, 2016
76 Comments
My son will be a senior at MHS next year. I don't think it's fair that we don't have a choice as to where we get out senior portraits done. Some of us don't have the money for Mark Lawrence or transportation to get there. What are those kids supposed to do? Just my concern.
Freedom to choose photographer is a parents right. Better for the local business community and for parents that can not afford or like the quality of photos assigned by a photographer that may not meet the expectations for wharves being paid for.
Limiting options is unfair and monopolistic. I would think a school would be above such practices. It would seem this serves only the simplification of the process for the school and certainly no greater benefit for the consumers.
I am a photographer in Manchester as well. Senior portraits are a good portion of my fall income. Not only does this take away from our income, but it takes away from the students freedom to choose the photo that they want in their yearbook.
The choice of photographer and price point should not be delegated by the school but rather by the student and families who are creating the memories and footing the bill.
When my son graduated from Memorial, I was a recent graduate of the NH Institute of Art's photography program and had access to the studios and equipment there. I provided the files according to the requirements they said were needed and was rejected because "my photography business was not listed in the phone book". I appealed this with the school and was told it was solely up to the decision of the teacher in charge of the yearbook. That teacher refused to budge and his only method of acceptance was being in the phone book. A business that was online would not have sufficed. A portrait taken by the head of NHIA's photography department (who has his work in museums) would have been unacceptable, because he was not in the phone book. In the end, I wound up bringing my son to the school's contracted photographer for the free yearbook photo. I told them upfront that I was only there because of the school's regulations and had already shot my portrait package. The photo was fine, but a waste of his and our time, as I'm sure he did not make a mint off the single shot without a chance of making a sale. A disservice to the photographer and the students, as well as limiting choices and negatively affecting local businesses. I've shot many other senior pics without issue, but always preface doing so with making it clear that the customer verify the school will accept the work first. Memorial is the only place where this has been an issue.
What gives a government entity the right to force a citizen to use a certain, for-profit business?
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If you're a photographer that takes high school senior photographs for the Manchester New Hampshire School District (MSD), please read this. This will effect your business or any future work with the school district. If you're a parent of any student in the MSD, I encourage you to read this as well.
Memorial High School is planning on working exclusively with one photographer for all senior photographs. If students use another photographer, the photos taken by that photographer will not be allowed to be used in the yearbook. Students buy their yearbook but don't have an option to choose the photographer to take their photo for it. Requiring students to go to a specific photographer limits their options and hurts other photographers' business. It is my understanding that a bid for this type of contract has not been publicly noticed yet and is expected to be bid out sometime in April or May.
As a photographer in the MSD area, I've already sent emails with my concerns to the MSD, the Principal of Memorial High School, and the staff for the Yearbook Committee. I do not know if this also applies to Central High School and West High School, which I will find out about.
I am looking for parents and other photographers to also voice their concerns and join me in this fight to save small businesses and allow students a choice. Please understand I'm not fighting against a specific photographer. The fight is for the students and other photography businesses.
Updates
January 20, 2016
Seeing this kind of momentum confirms that I am not the only one who sees how wrong this policy is for our students. My heart is full knowing so many of you care about protecting our local photographers and the freedom of choice for our seniors.
Reached 100 supporters
January 20, 2016
76 Comments
I went to Nashua High North and my graduating year they started to require us to use Mark Lawrence too. I hated it because my best friends mom is a photographer and took better pictures of me for free! I hope the the current Manchester students can get what they want!!
My son will be a senior at MHS next year. I don't think it's fair that we don't have a choice as to where we get out senior portraits done. Some of us don't have the money for Mark Lawrence or transportation to get there. What are those kids supposed to do? Just my concern.
Freedom to choose photographer is a parents right. Better for the local business community and for parents that can not afford or like the quality of photos assigned by a photographer that may not meet the expectations for wharves being paid for.
Limiting options is unfair and monopolistic. I would think a school would be above such practices. It would seem this serves only the simplification of the process for the school and certainly no greater benefit for the consumers.
I am a photographer in Manchester as well. Senior portraits are a good portion of my fall income. Not only does this take away from our income, but it takes away from the students freedom to choose the photo that they want in their yearbook.
The choice of photographer and price point should not be delegated by the school but rather by the student and families who are creating the memories and footing the bill.
When my son graduated from Memorial, I was a recent graduate of the NH Institute of Art's photography program and had access to the studios and equipment there. I provided the files according to the requirements they said were needed and was rejected because "my photography business was not listed in the phone book". I appealed this with the school and was told it was solely up to the decision of the teacher in charge of the yearbook. That teacher refused to budge and his only method of acceptance was being in the phone book. A business that was online would not have sufficed. A portrait taken by the head of NHIA's photography department (who has his work in museums) would have been unacceptable, because he was not in the phone book. In the end, I wound up bringing my son to the school's contracted photographer for the free yearbook photo. I told them upfront that I was only there because of the school's regulations and had already shot my portrait package. The photo was fine, but a waste of his and our time, as I'm sure he did not make a mint off the single shot without a chance of making a sale. A disservice to the photographer and the students, as well as limiting choices and negatively affecting local businesses. I've shot many other senior pics without issue, but always preface doing so with making it clear that the customer verify the school will accept the work first. Memorial is the only place where this has been an issue.
What gives a government entity the right to force a citizen to use a certain, for-profit business?
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I went to Nashua High North and my graduating year they started to require us to use Mark Lawrence too. I hated it because my best friends mom is a photographer and took better pictures of me for free! I hope the the current Manchester students can get what they want!!