I just took the PPP practice exam today and got an 81%. I also scored 33/40 on the NABP Pre-MPJE. My exam is on the 15th, and my stress and anxiety are through the roof—honestly, the MPJE is stressing me out way more than the NAPLEX ever did! Are these scores solid, and does anyone have advice for these last few days?
This is my first time taking family photos with a professional photographer, a business that claims to have 20 years of experience. In my home country, family photo packages usually cost around $100 for 10+ edited photos, including the session, makeup, and hairstyling, and we normally receive the photos within 3 days.
I understand pricing in the U.S. is different. I won a family photoshoot package valued at around $500. Before the session, they did not clearly explain that there would be additional costs. The only thing we were told was that we needed to do our own makeup and hair.
After the session, I found out that the $500 only covered the photography session itself, and no photos were included unless we purchased them separately for $400 per photo. We selected 4 photos, which came to $1,600 total, so we had to pay an additional $1,100 out of pocket.
We paid the amount, but after 3 weeks we still have not received anything. When I emailed them, they told me it would take up to 2 months after the session to receive the photos.
Is this normal for photography businesses in the U.S., and does it usually take that long to receive digital portraits?
I did the free session this morning. It was my first time getting a family portrait, so I didn’t have much experience. I received an email stating the session would cost $200 for 2 hours for 3 people and 1 pet, with an additional $300 for martial arts photos. The photographer also mentioned that her business has been around for 18 years.
When I searched online, I couldn’t find any pricing information for the martial arts photos, so I decided that if it was too expensive, I would skip that option and just get digital pictures instead.
Before the session, I had to pay a $95 deposit. They didn’t provide makeup or hairstyling, so we had to prepare everything ourselves. After the photoshoot, we were informed that each martial arts photo (8x10) costs $200, and it does not include digital copies—meaning I would only receive a single printed photo for that price. This was not explained upfront. When I asked earlier, I was told the pricing would be discussed at the end of the session.
After talking it over with my husband, we felt pressured to make a purchase, especially since my mom had traveled 7 hours to visit us and this was meant to be a special family moment. The receipt showed a total of $1,200, with a $500 ‘reward’ deducted, leaving a balance of $700, in addition to the $95 deposit for 4 photos (including 1 martial arts 8x10 print and 4 digital images, which she said were included as a courtesy). We initially wanted to leave, but we felt bad because of my mom.