Baffled that school continues to use this company. Poor experience year on year. Very difficult to choose from individual photo options as the photos are so blurred and you cannot select them to show... See more
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Founded by Horace Tempest over 80 years ago, Tempest Photography has been at the forefront of the photographic industry for nearly a century. As the first school photography company in the UK to move to full digital processing, with a digital laboratory that is the most state-of-the-art in Europe, you can be sure of first-class images, every time.
H TEMPEST LIMITED, TR26 3HU, ST IVES, CORNWALL , United Kingdom
Replied to 97% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 48 hours
I ordered the group photo specifically in the keepsake folder, as I didn’t want it rolled up in a tube. However, what I received was a tube containing the photo — with no folder — which completely defeats the purpose of my order.
When I contacted Tempest Photography, I was told that because the photo was over a certain size, it is automatically sent rolled up in a tube without the keepsake folder. This was never made clear on the product page, which is quite misleading. It does not state that the keepsake folder is only available for photos up to a certain size.
As a result, I’ve paid more for a format I didn’t want — a rolled-up photo that, over time, will inevitably crack and become damaged. I certainly won’t be ordering from Tempest again.
To make matters worse, they don’t offer a phone number for direct support — all communication has to go through email, which is slow and frustrating.
Reply from Tempest Photography
Sally Gamwell did an amazing job and was very welcoming when we arrived to take professional university graduate photos.
Thank you so much Sally! 🙂🙏🏽
Reply from Tempest Photography
Zero stars … Tempest have a monopoly on school photographs and offer ridiculous combinations of photographs and frames for inflated prices (as they have a captive market) … why can’t there be an option to either simply purchase the digital photograph for a reasonable price (between £5 and £10) or purchase 1 or 2 normal size photographs in a cardboard frame (again, priced between £5 and £10)??? School should stop using Tempest and switch to local photographers who could offer a service that parents actually want and can afford.
Reply from Tempest Photography
Reassuring that other people find the photographers abilities are in question... but its our childs school photos so this company has that to trade on too! If it wasnt a school photo/ memory for our child I would not buy this. The price for this class photo is also dubiously high considering the quality AND £5 'printing and postage'. Clearly they use printing and postage to boost their bottom line... THANKS!
Reply from Tempest Photography
My God, do they deliberately train their photographers to be rubbish? Year after year at our children's school we get sent their atrocious attempts to take photos of children. They are always garbage and after 4 years of having 3 children in primary school we have yet to order their photos.
It's as if the photographer just cannot be bothered to arrange them, tell them to smile, move their hair, fix their collar or, in the case of group photos, move the big kids to the back.
A mediocre company with mediocre photographers.
Reply from Tempest Photography
Contacted customer service regarding the poor quality and blurriness on my daughters class photo, to be responded with its passed its quality inspection and its been stitched together.
Was offered a return, I paid £20 for ONE photo, but when your daughter has asked for a photo, of her first year in school with her friends. You would of thought they could at least make it look okay. My daughters dress is even so blurry. I could take a better picture on my phone!
DAY LIGHT ROBBERY!
Reply from Tempest Photography
I've been trying to place my order for quite a while but I am getting nowhere. I have limited time off work in the week when I can phone my order in each time I call I'm on hold for a ridiculously long time. Each time I've been on the phone on hold so long that the phone cuts out, I call back and the line is closed! I simply want pictures of my children.
Reply from Tempest Photography
This is a ridicules service the schools are choosing to. There is no way to order a digital copy and nowadays digital copies are safer. Unfortunately schools choosing this and no other options, need to fight with the schools to change a provider who allow digital download. I was never asked consent to share hard copy or digital image of my child's photo to be used or distributed, but they says as they do not have consent to distribute digital images, then why can't they get that consent to use and distribute digital copy as well when they get consent for hard copy. Surprisingly, they ask permission to use the photos for promotion in the products when purchase hard copy, which is obviously going to be a digital copy. Also very very expensive. They are earning at least £300 for one photo from a class.
Reply from Tempest Photography
Rating for the app to order pictures only… It is horrible, took an hour to order 3 pictures. I had to re-enter the same information multiple times, it is freezes all the time. Probably the worst shopping app I used for a long time
Reply from Tempest Photography
For some reason, I didn't have my children's reference number and so I contacted Tempest direct and the lady couldn't have been more helpful. She was patient and took the time to check I had received the ref number correctly. Easy online process to order and very happy with the result. My children both looked lovely in their group photo with their friends. Just a point I perhaps feel I do need to make and why I haven't given 5 stars, is that some of the children looked a little unhappy in their class photos, so perhaps it might be worth the photographer just trying to capture a few more smiles and checking the photos before calling it a wrap! Otherwise, thank you Tempest!
Reply from Tempest Photography
These photos are, without exception, the worst photos ever taken of our children. Every year the parents at our school share the horror show that is their child's photo, and every year we ask the same question "are these people really photographers?". Honestly, we would get better quality photos if the kids were just allowed to take pictures of each other. Then to rub salt in the wound they attempt to charge an extortionate amount of money for these disasters. The only reason they are still in business is because school administrators are too busy / lazy to switch companies and the prices are so high that they can cover the cost of the "photographer" (random person they pulled off the street with a camera) with the couple of overpriced sales they make. Seriously Tempest, sort yourselves out or exit the market. You're a disgrace to the world of photography.
Reply from Tempest Photography
Tempest photography very expensive as the rest of the reviews say. Downloads are not available, as printing them myself would be much cheaper. Again like others have commented its nice to have a keepsake but I have 2 children who have had their class photos taken that has cost me £52! I understand there is cost involved with professional photography but why cannot there be other gift options which would be cheaper?!
Reply from Tempest Photography
Reply from Tempest Photography
So expensive and we have only few options and seems like they have monopoly in School protograpgy
Reply from Tempest Photography
As many others have stated, the prices charged by Tempest are extortionate, to say the least. £20 per photo at a minimum cannot be reflective of the labour and overhead incurred. Taking one primary school with seven classes of approximately 30 children. If only half the parents could afford to purchase a keepsake of their child's school years, that's over £2000 revenue for one day!! And this is done several times each school year!! It's no wonder they reported profits of 4.5 million and 1.3 million in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Why not give parents a fair opportunity to maintain the precious memories of their children growing up? The schools also have a lot to answer for by repeatedly contracting Tempest at these prices; the only answer is to boycott purchasing their photos.
Reply from Tempest Photography
Unreasonably expensive. Tempest have monopoly on school photography. It means it is not parents choice to select them, instead schools work with them and we have no choice but to buy from them.
I'm sure that they are many different local better photographers, much cheaper that schools can work with after properly wetting them.
Reply from Tempest Photography
I recently reached out to Tempest Photography with what I thought was a long shot – trying to recover my old school photos from nearly 10 to 15 years ago to purchase. To my absolute delight, I was put in touch with Paula, who went above and beyond to help me.
From the very first interaction, Paula was incredibly communicative. She kept me updated every step of the way, and what seemed like a daunting request turned into a smooth and surprisingly quick process. To my amazement, she was able to locate my photos, and I couldn’t be happier.
I’m so grateful for her help and thrilled to have these memories back after all these years.
Thank you so much, Paula – you’re an absolute star!
Reply from Tempest Photography
Extortionate!!!! We have 2 daughters of our own and also have 2 boys we care for long term. The cost to just have 1 photo each is eye watering. Discounts should be made available to children in care. Saying that, prices should be much lower. TYou are just taking advantage of an exclusive opportunity and ripping parents off. I would have bought so much more if the prices were reasonable.
Reply from Tempest Photography
The proof never came home and the link wouldn't open without the special code. Part of the blame obviously lies with school as I didn't get through ordering information and by the time I realised I'd missed something, I'd missed the free delivery to school window. Not a very reliable system!
Reply from Tempest Photography
Rip off. What on earth cost £22.50 just for a single digital copy? Very expensive and poor choice of bundles to purchase.
Reply from Tempest Photography
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