Memory Lane Portraits

Wow, I just saw one of our family pictures taken by Memory Lane Portraits during our trip to Hilton Head last July pop up on my Face Book page… A huge thanks goes out to the entire Memory Lane Portraits team for helping to preserve our great week on Hilton Head island. Your group did a fantastic job of capturing the memories that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. As we get older we quickly realize that preserving special times like these is not only important to us but also for our generations to follow. We are looking forward to our next visit… and just maybe a few more shots on the beach!

This marked the 38^th year that my mother and father in-​law have vacationed in Hilton Head, South Carolina. I have had the privilege of traveling to the beautiful island the last nine years as a member of their family. My two boys have spent the last 7 years growing up, learning to love the beach, the bike rides, Harley the Clydesdale and Greg Russell. This year’s trip was bittersweet. My father in-​law was diagnosed with Stage 4 Mesothelioma. While we have hope and plans to return next summer, there is no cure for this type of cancer.
When we arrived in late June, I began to think seriously about hiring a photographer to capture this year’s trip, the many memories of our time in Hilton Head and this vacation in particular. I knew my husband would be resistant. I looked into a few photographers and nudged by husband a bit more. When we saw the advertisement for the free sitting at Memory Lane Portraits, I made the call. I explained that we were less interested in fancy framed pictures and prints and interested in capturing our time and each other at Hilton Head. While my husband’s family is less likely to get all matched-​up for a beach portrait, it was important for us to capture our time with images other than my selfies. I inquired then about the purchase of digital images to preserve the images for my boys and was told that we could even purchase Christmas cards through Memory Lane Portraits, I decided to explain our situation. The woman I spoke to seemed empathetic and said she would discuss our situation with her manager.
I was able to get the whole family on board and we came to the beach to meet our friendly and charismatic photographer who was clearly not informed of our situation or any other details about our family. While friendly and fun, I grew impatient when we had to remind him about capturing a photo with grandparents, my husband and I, and our two boys. The whole sitting was said and done when the limited number of shots in his repertoire were not doable with the sun in our eyes. I realize of course that nature has it’s way over ambiance, but this is when the photographer changes the shot. In my experience with weddings, baby-​bump shoots, and hiring a photographer to capture my baby boys, a good photographer takes the people, light, story, and personality and captures the moment in time.
When we arrived to preview the pictures we settled in on six shots that we liked. I was extremely disappointed to discover that the only shot of the six of us, my father in-​law has his sunglasses on. I inquired about the digital images, and the response was a quick «no» without explanation. Before our photographer reminded us that he was not there to sell us pictures, we looked at the pricing. He displayed the many different artsy options, all ranging in the thousands of dollars. The price range from ONE 8×10 print to an 11×17 jumps from $ 65.00 to $ 250.00. I was not terribly polite when I expressed out loud, «They’ve got us by the balls here.» We opted to buy the six prints in 8×10 so we can scan them and we purchased an 11×17 of the six of us (even with the sunglasses) to frame for my father in-law’s 74^th birthday this week. We spent $ 650.00. Humpf. I wish I had hired a photographer.
I imagine this friendly team is amazing at reeling in your party of 30 on the beach and at providing a simple and streamlined service so you are not spending your vacation dealing with picture orders… but if your are actually looking to hire someone capture what’s unique about your family or vacation don’t be fooled by the free sitting fee. There is no deal here. Someday I will likely laugh when I see the picture with my father in-​law in the sunglasses and chuckle at what I sucker I am.