My Mall Mission - by Beth Hite and her three young children.

To make the comparison fair, I dressed my sons, Bobby, 5, and Charlie, 4, and my 1-year-old daughter, Riley, in similar outfits for each studio.

I also requested a simple, classic photo on a plain background.
Other than that, I let the photographer pose my kids however they wanted.

I bought the least expensive photo package available at each studio. (You only get to choose one pose for all your prints.) You may find that the prices in your area are different from the ones I paid here. I used sale coupons that I printed out online for several studios. Most of the studios also charge a sitting fee, which you should figure in to the final cost.

*****

Sears Portrait Studio

AT THE STUDIO:
Our appointment started ten minutes late, but the waiting area was clean and roomy.

WHAT I LIKED:
Once the session got started, the photographer was sweet, �friendly and engaging. She tried about five different natural poses. My favorite was an adorable one in which the boys are sitting cross-legged and Riley is sort of nestled against them. The white backdrop is appealing too.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD:
This particular studio was not super-organized. The photographer was called away for ten minutes right in the middle of our session, and the woman who processed my order didn't know about the basic packages that I had seen on the Website (so I ended up ordering more expensive shots). When I picked up the photos a week later, they were overexposed and had to be processed again (I got two free prints as an apology).

BEST FEATURE:
You can access your photos online and share them with family members (who can order their own prints).

COST:
$31 (including sitting fee) for four 5X7 prints.

*****

Olan Mills Photography Studios

AT THE STUDIO:
I hit some traffic so I was actually late for this appointment, but the photographer was ready for us right when we arrived. Good thing, because the waiting room was small and cramped.

WHAT I LIKED:
I thought the photographer was nice, and I liked how seriously he took his job. I was also happy with the final product. �I got a sweet, frame-able shot of the kids. And I love that Riley's cute little tuft of hair is sticking up!

THE NOT-SO-GOOD:
I told the photographer several times that I only wanted to use plain backgrounds, but he didn't really listen to me, �he changed the background frequently despite my requests. Also, I made it clear that I only wanted a group shot of the children, but he insisted on photographing my daughter alone anyway. I could do without the velour-like fabric they sat on too.

BEST FEATURE:
It was a real bargain.

COST:
$15 (no sitting fee) for one 8x10 print, two 5X7 prints, and eight wallet-size ones.

*****

Picture people

AT THE STUDIO:
The appointment started right on time, and the studio was clean and well organized.

WHAT I LIKED:
The photographer was good with the kids. He kept most of the poses simple, I appreciated that, since Riley is so young and it's hard for her to keep still for long. And I thought the plain white backdrop was classy. The photo I chose is great; I love how Bobby has one hand around Riley's shoulder.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD:
I told the photographer I didn't really want to use props, but he insisted on trying some. Finally, I let him take a shot of the children in a rowboat, which, as I suspected, turned out pretty hokey.

BEST FEATURE:
The photos were ready in one hour, �a huge convenience. At most studios, you have to wait 7 to 14 days and then go back to pick up your prints.

COST:
$46 (no sitting fee), which included one 8X10 print, two 5X7 prints, and eight wallet-size pics.

*****

JCPenney portraits

AT THE STUDIO:
There was a nice sitting area with a TV for the children to watch. They started our session on schedule.

WHAT I LIKED:
Our photographer made the kids feel comfortable right away by talking to them and making them laugh; I could tell she really knew what she was doing. Plus, it was fast, �we were in and out of there in a half hour! And the picture is so cute. I feel like it captures the real Bobby, Charlie, and Riley.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD:
The plain backdrop they used looked like gray clouds, �it seemed a bit old-fashioned and fake, like the portraits taken of me when I was young. The same goes for the carpet-covered box the kids sat on.

BEST FEATURE:
They posted all the pictures online so I could look at them again at home and order more photos in the future.

COST:
$33 (including sitting fee) for two 8x10 prints, two 5X7 prints, four 3 1/2X5 prints, and 21 wallet shots.