Lifetouch and Prestige are now part of CADY Portraits. 🛑

Many area high schools have switched to CADY School Portraits for official yearbook photos. If your senior wants to appear in the yearbook, they'll likely need to have that photo taken through the school's contracted provider.

While you're there, you may also be offered additional portrait packages and themed studio sessions beyond the required yearbook image.

At first glance, the experience can look impressive, with multiple indoor sets, special effects, and props. However, we encourage parents to do their own research before purchasing. Reading reviews across multiple platforms can provide a broader picture of other families' experiences, from customer service to photo quality and turnaround times.

At Storybook Studios, we believe senior portraits should be personal, carefully crafted, and professionally retouched. Our focus has always been on creating custom artwork that reflects each senior's personality—not moving hundreds of students through the same process.

Our recommendation is simple: complete the required yearbook photo through your school's provider, then choose the photographer you trust to create the portraits you'll actually display in your home and remember for years to come.

Here's samples of just a few review on trustpilot.com and Yelp, among others.

REVIEWS

Trustpilot 1.5 out of 5 Stars

Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 87 reviews, most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. Many customers found the pricing to be excessively high, especially for individual images or digital files, often feeling pressured into expensive packages that did not meet their needs. People frequently reported issues with the quality of the photos and the overall service, describing it as unprofessional and disappointing, particularly concerning once-in-a-lifetime memories. There were also complaints about policies, such as unexpected charges, difficulty in returning portfolios, and a lack of transparency regarding what was included in initial payments.

"If I could rate them negative stars I would. The photo sitting experience for my daughter's Senior Pictures was a loud, cluttered trash experience. Kids were herded around to different stations...ugh. The final deal breaker is I had my daughter's pictures retouched in early January. Now it is April and still no pictures, I was told it could take a few more weeks. This is a crazy stupid customer service experience! I have not even talked about the prices yet but just know it is all overpriced and very underwhelming."

This company has been a huge disappointment. Switching to them for our school was a major mistake. The quality is poor, the prices are far too high, and their website is confusing and unclear about what you’re actually purchasing.

The graduation photos were especially upsetting. My daughter’s pictures were overexposed with harsh shadows and looked completely unprofessional. These are once-in-a-lifetime memories that we can never recreate, and it’s heartbreaking that such an important moment was handled so poorly.

For the prices they charge, families deserve much better quality and service.

"Walking into a CADY studio (and I’m told all are similar across locations – FL, TX, GA, and NC) is like walking onto a movie set.

A small entry way greets you, followed by public and vanity-mirrored (accessible for the upgraded packages) changing rooms, culminating with a series of eight to ten staged rooms with backdrops spanning the entire open space.

While the space is amazing, there is no privacy. Every senior taking photos is visible to all. For my son, the lack of privacy was no big deal. I did detect that the female participants felt a bit self-conscious of the random other kids and parents walking by during their time to shine behind the lens. It did feel a bit awkward to have access to all of the other simultaneous sessions.

The dressing rooms were semi-private – basically closets with a curtain to pull before use. I thought this could have been better done with actual doors as it was difficult to know if fitting rooms were occupied without peaking in. Thankfully, there were plenty of dressing rooms available so we never had to wait and avoided any “I’m so sorry” intrusions. Again, this was a much bigger deal to female seniors from my view.

The paper-based clipboard process that passed students from scene-to-scene randomly did seem a bit inefficient. There was a lot of waiting around. For example, female students took longer to get ready so the photographer would wait rather than knockout a quick shoot for a male students who was scheduled next and ready to go.

Overall, I’d say the one downfall was how chaotic the whole place felt – like a busy-but-backed-up assembly line operation.

The CADY experience was generally impersonal – lacking the intimacy of a one-on-one photo shoot with a photographer you might contract.

I’d say that if you want a more personal feel to your senior’s session, CADY is not the spot."

Here is the truth and the ultimate "Yearbook Loophole" that will save your wallet and your sanity:

1️⃣ BOOK THE BARE MINIMUM: You only need to use the school's official photographer for the formal yearbook photo. Ask for or look online for their "Yearbook-Only" or "Basic Formal" session. It usually costs $30. However, they don't let you select the photo to send to the yearbook. 😱 I believe you have to "upgrade" to a higher package in order to select your own yearbook photo.

2️⃣ SAY NO TO THE UPSELL: You are NOT required to buy their lifestyle portraits, casual photos, or cap-and-gown packages. You don't have to sit through high-pressure sales presentations just to see your photos.

3️⃣ CHOOSE A LOCAL PRO FOR THE MEMORIES: Book your actual senior milestone portraits with a local independent photographer (Hi, I'm Casey! 👋).

Why choose a local photographer instead?

✨ Zero Assembly Lines: We don’t rush your teen through a 15-minute corporate studio backdrop. We choose beautiful, meaningful sets and locations that reflect who they actually are. We offer professional hair and makeup and the Storybook Closet has incredible, one-of-a-kind dresses.

Let the big studio handle the tiny yearbook square. Let’s work together to create senior portraits you actually want to hang on your wall. ❤️

🗓️ Senior slots for Summer//Fall 2026 are officially open and fill up fast! Click below to set up your senior consultation.

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