Of Course This Happens

Back in late September I think it was, Mia had a school picture taken. Her first "real" one, as a kindergartener. Pretty big deal. She put on a dress, I did her hair just like she likes it (she had a pretty headband on), and off she went with the advice to "smile naturally, no cheesy faces!" and all that.

She returned from school without the headband, and I asked and she said the photographers made her take it off. Well, I guess as long as she didn't flip out on them, that's fine - though I wasn't sure why they'd do that. Oh well, as long as they made sure her hair wasn't doing anything freaky.

The pictures got lost in the mail coming here. (Campus Photo International took the pictures) Side note- now that I have the pictures, maybe someone would've noticed that the company has an AOL email address and thought to themselves maybe we should find someone a bit more established. I'd pay a few bucks more for decent school pictures, especially since we're overseas and will be sending them to relatives & friends back home! But I know, I'm a photographer, and my expectations and reasoning on this might be a bit elevated. Sue me.

We got a note home speaking of the lost photos, and that the company would be reprinting and sending again and they'd be here hopefully in time to drop into holiday cards. Fabulous.

Yesterday Mia got off the bus and said, "I have great news! We got PICTURES!" She proceeded to unzip and unload her backpack in the middle of the street on the walk back to the house - very excited. (mind you, this is my picture taken of her picture - so bear with the quality)


Wow! My little girl is all grown UP! I can't get over how big she is and how pretty. Best picture she's ever taken? No, definitely not - but for a school picture, very pretty.

Wait.

What is that?

It's in an envelope with a plastic cover, that has to be crap on the sleeve.

I take it out.

No - it's the film, it has to be an imperfection on the film. Is it on all the pictures?

I look closer at the 5x7.

Nope.

One thick gorgeous strand of hair is hanging smack dab down the center of her face. Not just across her forehead, but it continues to the side of her nostril, around the corner of her mouth, and to the right of her jaw. You have GOT to be kidding me! I can't even look at these pictures anymore. It makes my teeth itch. I can't stand that there wasn't SOME person there - in front of xenon bulb lights shining on her face while taking pictures of my well-behaved child - after removing her headband or having her do so - who didn't say, "Oh, wait - she has a GIANT HAIR HANGING IN THE MIDDLE OF HER FACE AND HER PARENTS WILL PROBABLY BE COMPLETELY IRRITATED BY THAT - especially her photographer MOTHER!"

I think even if I email these people at their AOL address they'll say there's nothing they can do. I mean Photoshopping that out would be quite time-consuming and probably impossible for their crack team of editors.

Or the email will bounce back. They don't even have a website.

I'm done with the rant of the day.