Roots and Shoots makes school photos such a seamless process. They really know how to get kids to feel natural which shows up in the photo results. They capture each kid's personalities and joy despite having to take hundreds of kids photos back to back in 1-2 days! I love that our school uses them for school photos. It feels so much better to support a locally owned business rather than getting generic photos back from Jostens or LifeTouch. Roots and Shoots also has great customer service and has always responded to my email questions quickly! read more

These people are OUT OF THEIR MINDS. They did my kid's class photos and they want to charge $60 for A SINGLE digital photograph. Wtf? They don't even bring a backdrop or anything. I'm going to complain like h*ll to the school so these (see you next tuesdays) don't get hired again. read more

My kids school has been using Roots & Shoots for the past few years. I really want to like them but feel that the prices compared to quality is just not there. Customer service and communication needs major improvement. For example, they will send out an email to order pictures and give an email address to contact with any questions. When I contacted the email address for "Nikki" an automatic response comes back saying she is no longer in that role and to contact someone else. I also found the staff not to be very friendly with parents or the kids. Biggest issue is the cost, for example a sitting fee of $30. When we arrived the photographer and assistant were disorganized and flailing. I actually stood there and helped them by telling which student went next and calling the student over. Neither of the people acknowledged or thanked me or the other parents for the help. In fact, not even any eye contact. Weeks later I get an email to order the picture. There is a password to log on to a site to buy the photos. Logging on I'm able to select my child and also every other student in the grade including seeing their personal family and individual pictures. The pictures are good and I dont' want to waste the $30 sitting fee so I select a picture that they took and order it. Cost comes to $20 for on 4x6 (a grand total of $50 for one student headshot. I decide to order a photo of my child with two teachers (they did this photo for all students - no sitting fee). I add the picture to the cart only to find out that it needs to be cropped to fit a standard picture size. I rotate the picture and see that the teachers arms are going to be cropped off. The picture looks ridiciulous cropped as though a child took it. I did not order it because of the cropping. Wouldn't a photographer take a photo that is going to fit within those standard sizes? Every year I feel annoyed at picture time since the school changed to this group. Every I had high hopes for them but am consistently left disapointed. read more

Very pleased after receiving my daughter's preschool portraits. This school had previously used another vendor (Bev Wanlin) who had photographed my older son twice with excellent results. Quite honestly, I was a bit skeptical that they would be able to replicate the portraits to my satisfaction but in the end, I was pleasantly surprised. I am admittedly a bit picky about school portraits and have been known to return the ones I don't like. Nakita did a wonderful job with all the children and was able to get everyone looking AND smiling in the group shots. Not an easy task when dealing with squirmy toddlers! I know several parents (and teachers) who are also pleased with the results. Prices are a bit on the high side which is why I omitted a star. Quality of the portrait paper is decent but not bad (personally I've seen better). I did order the most expensive package which included the digital proof (letting me select the specific photo I wanted to keep). I see several reviews complaining about the high costs but to be frank, that is what you pay for: convenience. Communication was good; she is very easy to contact and responded promptly to all emails. Personally, I am hoping she sticks around for spring picture day next year. read more

Very unhappy with my child's class portraits. I think Cherri and Nikki have gotten complacent with their success. I know Cherri and Nikki are great with kids, but the quality of the photos do NOT match up with the price. $55 for a digital copy of a photo that isn't touched or cleaned up in any way is unacceptable. And for a digital copy, the compression is terrible. I would expect the lossless copy for $55. For $55 I get a less than 10MB JPEG complete with artifacts. My iPhone takes 20MB photos. You're telling me their professional grade equipment can only provide a less than 10MB photo complete with artifacts and blurriness? The response time is atrocious. It takes a couple days for the owners to approve an order. Several days to respond to a question. Cherri and Nikki are selling an extremely poor product. Like if Roots and Shoots was a restaurant, we'd all have food poisoning. If it was a tech company, it'd be Meta. That's the level of product they are selling. But parents have no choice because its basically a monopoly; there's only 1 photographer for class portraits. I'm going to be a Karen about it and complain to my school to find a new vendor. Its unacceptable. Cherri and Nikki probably started their photography careers with great intentions, following their passions and all that, but it'd clear the quality of their work has gone WAY downhill. read more

Roots and Shoots does school photography at our kids school and they are just beautiful. Children rarely smile because you want them to, and Roots and Shoots always brings out a grin on those little faces. They are kind, patient and understanding. They know parents want to see their little ones captured in all their wonderful selves (without the authentic everyday snot and tears). A great business to support, thank you for taking photos of both our kids and capturing their wonderful, vibrant spirits in a single frame! read more

Total Rip off. They do the pictures for our kids preschool. Their prices are ridiculous! First of all you HAVE to purchase the proofs for $8 if you're ordering any pics. What are you going to do? Say no after seeing the proofs? Obviously if I'm ordering the pics, I want them! Class photo was $18. but just one photo of my kid was $24. And that's for a print! If you want digital you'll spend $50 PER PHOTO!! Completely a rip off and totally taking advantage of you when you have no choice. I would avoid them except I don't have a choice. read more

Roots & Shoots Photography - photo pricing as of Feb 2019 - Session Photography Near Me

I am very pleased with my son's portrait this year. I was actually present when they were taking the pictures and can tell that they do their best to make it an enjoyable experience for all the children whilst moving quickly. Thank you Roots & Shoots :) read more

5/5 I worked at a school that sure Roots and Shoots for picture day. They would always be willing to work with the teachers and families to create a special shot for each student. read more

Prices are way too high for the quality of photos from Roots & Shoots. We have two kiddos, one goes to SFUSD, and they have a national photography provider come in with studio lighting and gear and a changeable backdrop. I.e., you can choose from many different backgrounds after the pictures are taken. Looks very pro/sharp and prices are reasonable. Digital download is $12, 2 5x7's for $15, etc. The other kid goes to a school serviced by Roots & Shoots. They took the class photo outdoors in front of a fence at a park with the sun massively overexposed shining through the top of the frame. It looks like a nuke has just gone off in the city behind the class, but at least the​ kids are smiling away despite the thermonuclear carnage. As mentioned above, the prices are nuts, like $50 for one digital copy and $26 for two 5x7 prints, etc. And you get just one option because that's all they took and no way to change in post. They won't even release your photos immediately after you pay via credit card because "download pending approval." Doesn't feel like a great deal and I hope our school chooses a different photography supplier next year. read more

They went to my daughter's school to take the school photos. The photographer forgot to even take her friend's photo and gave me one with one eye closed. She then retook the photo, but I never received the new photos. They require an extra $10 to look at a digital draft. It's too pricey. The volunteer dad that took photos for our school had better quality than this place. Very disappointing. read more

These are the best school pictures I have ever seen!!!! They captured my son beautifully, naturally and so non typically. These are the kind of pictures that make people you show them to genuinely respond ohhhhhhhhhh what a great picture! Seriously....I am more than satisfied with my purchase. read more

Roots handled the pics at my daughter's pre-school. The picture (singular) came out well although the cost is way too high. $80 for 1 picture. Unfortunately, I also misread the order form (totally my fault) and thought I was ordering an 8x10 of my daughter but instead received a class pic. Not really sure the purpose of that... do people really hang 8x10 pics of their kid's whole class on the wall? When I mentioned that to Roots, their reply was: "Attached is a copy of the order form. The $80 package clearly states what is included, so it was a decision you made while ordering. If you had contacted us with this concern prior to ordering, we could have certainly swapped the class photo for an 8x10 of your daughter." Yes, it does clearly state that... but as I said I misread it. I just paid you $80 to take a picture... do you think you can offer a bit of customer service and print one more? Sheesh... Might want to look elsewhere for kid photos... read more

These guys really do raise the bar in school pics! I am an advertising art director and serious (albeit!) amateur photographer and am very impressed with my daughter's school pics, 2nd year in a row. Far superior than the usual, retro studio shots! They shoot outdoors, using natural light and a shallow depth of field (blurred background) to give their shots a natural, un-posed feel. Ordering is a breeze and plenty of options at different price points. Delivery of photos is through MPix, a trusted printing source which many professional photographers use. Ordering online to delivery was fast and very efficient. I have no idea how these guys got our public school account, but I am beyond happy that they did--we are the envy of other schools! Thank you R&S! read more

I have now had two wonderful experiences with Roots and Shoots, and I would absolutely recommend them for those who want to get affordable and beautiful pictures of their kids! These school pictures are definitely not the ones we experienced when we were growing up - there ones are gorgeous, they get the kids to look like themselves, but better! I purchased a package last year at my younger son's preschool and was elated to receive the images. My son, who usually has a very goofy "camera" smile, had the most natural laugh-smile on his face and looked precious. I was excited to see that Roots & Shoots was going to partner with my older son's school for picture day this year! However, when he got home that day, he admitted that he didn't get a chance to smile for the camera. I immediately emailed the company and within the day got amazing customer service and the problem was resolved! Not only does this locally-owned business take amazing, high-quality photos of our little ones, they are kind, generous and truly easy to work with. I look forward to getting this year's photos back of my kids again! read more

Yay! These folks are a powerhouse. The smiles they get from the kids - especially in the group photos - are amazing! (imagine getting 20 3-5 year olds to smile for the camera... all together? no way.) Solo shots are great too. From what I've seen, they're pretty darn consistent in their quality, attention to detail, and professionalism. Check out their website - our shots looked like those, and I'm guessing your's will too. (*and* they get the kids to smile naturally?! whoa there) Also didn't get my digital photo on the first try, but when I followed up, received a response with photo attached within something like 10 minutes! Thanks for the beautiful work! read more

My son's school has used them in the past and again now. It so expensive for very little pictures. Life touch gives you so much for $50.00. V.S. $89.00 for a cd and a few wallets. Just way too expensive. read more

School pictures are not like they used to be! This photography company does the best photos. I absolutely love my son's pics every year. Family and friends are always impressed with the quality too. Thank you roots and shoots! read more

Roots & Shoots Photography - Session Photography Near Me

Roots and Shoots photography is a wonderful service for a reasonable price. They handled the pictures at my daughter's school this fall. Their crow was talented, professional, and set you completely at ease. The result of their shoots was a few beautiful pictures of my daughter with a delightful smile! It was a surprising moment when I saw her smile! She never smiles at photographers! I asked her how come you smiled. She said the photographer asked her a funny question and before she knows the picture was taken. From initial email to finished product - the whole process was a pleasure. Their setup is great, and it's quite obvious they are very responsible. They almost immediately answer your email and question with helpful comment. Their website is very informative and their online ordering process is easy and fast. read more

My husband and I were very impressed with the quality of this company's work. Our 3 year old son's preschool hired Roots & Shoots for the class photos and individual photos. We didn't have high expectations, but once we saw the proofs, we were amazed. They were able to capture natural smiles from ALL of the kids in the class, with good lightning and a normal background -- no cheesy chairs or fake landscapes. The prices might be a little higher when compared to less experienced photographers, but given the quality of the photos, I think it's 100% worth the price. I would much rather pay a little more for good photos vs. half the cost for photos I could have taken with my iPhone. I hope our school continues to use this company. Their photos rock! read more

I was sort of waffling about rating Roots and Shoots because of a problem getting our order for my kid's photos. However, when I contacted the owner about it, not only were our photos in our hands in 2 days, but the owner made it a point to alter her procedures about getting pictures out to people in a big way so that the problem would not happen again. The owner fully intends the best of service, and went to some effort to sort out and take care of me. My mother lives a ways off, and she practically lives for pictures from her grandchildren, so this service really does mean a lot to some people. Mac read more

This is our second year using Roots and Shoots Photography for our school photos. WE LOVE THEM! The staff is prompt, professional and OUTSTANDING! The photos are so amazing. Each child is photographed in such a natural light, not too posey or cheesy. We even order the "out-takes" because they are all SO great. We use a great deal of the photos for our school marketing material and photo displays in the main office. The prices are slightly higher than the average school photo companies, but the service, quality photos and experience is way more than average and worth the investment. We love Roots and Shoots Photography and look forward to our spring photo shoot with them. read more

Every school should be so lucky to have R&S nearby. When our friends and family see the wallets we share with them, everyone always raves about how much nicer these portraits are than the usual school portraits. We LOVE Roots & Shoots. Not only are the pictures so beautiful, always capturing so well our kids' personalities, but the staff is really helpful, kind, and responsive whenever we have reached out to ask them about reprints and stuff like that. How do the photographers get such nice smiles out of my kids? I wish we could have them come along on our family vacations to get such good expressions. You can practically hear them laughing, and somehow their eyes aren't all squinty, even so! I especially appreciate how even though one of my kid has a quite pale complexion, they have such extraordinary skill in getting him just right in the printing. read more

Highly recommend Roots to Shoots. Pleasure working with Austin. He is a very likable person, Their team is efficient and they do a professional job. read more

Roots & Shoots did an amazing job with my son's Senior Portraits. In a year when nothing is routine it was so nice to have this process go so smoothly. Cheri definitely made us feel comfortable and welcome. read more

I can't say enough about the quality of the pictures that Cheri is able to get at Roots & Shoots. She captures the essence of our kids like no other and each picture is a real gift. We also got her to do a family photo and again, she captured magic. The quality and ease of getting these photos are treasures year after year and she makes the process fun even for the kids. Genuine laughter! read more

I cannot recommend Roots & Shoots highly enough. Our school recently switched over to them and after years of awkward and horrible school photos, I was beyond delighted to see the pictures Roots & Shoots took of my children. The photos are beautiful and natural and really capture my kids' sweet smiles and joy. The photos are amazing and I am so happy that Roots & Shoots is working with my school now! read more

We enjoyed Roots and Shoots Photography when they came to HG Learning Academy. Everyone was professional, super nice, and they made the children so comfortable. We can't wait to use them again. Thank you so much from all of us at HG LEARNING ACADEMY! read more

The last three years my children have come home with the most beautiful school photos I have ever seen. In fact, the portraits don't look anything like, "school photos"...they are beautiful images of our children that we proudly share with our family and friends and save as keepsakes. I hired Roots and Shoots recently, as an independent business person to shoot a portrait of me. I just love the work they do. Cheri is charming and a wonderful photographer. I'm thrilled with my portraits as well and can't wait until we will be ready to hire them for a family session. If you are looking for quality portraiture, I definitely recommend Roots and Shoots, whether for children or adults! read more

Suzanne and Nikki from Roots & Shoots Photography are such a fun team to work with! They always have the kids laughing and having a good time with taking our pictures, and the pictures are really amazing! As a staff member the quality of the pictures are fantastic, and I couldn't be happier to see all the kids smile when they see all their beautiful pictures. We are so fortunate to have them come take our pictures every year at our school! read more

We have been fortunate enough for them to be the photographers at both our daughter's preschool and now elementary school as well. The photographs are timeless and of excellent quality. Be sure to purchase a digital copy as well. read more

Wow. I have never seen school photos like these before. We just received the photos from my son's kindergarten class and I am blown away. The photo is gorgeous and it really looks like him. The photos from his preschool were cute, but they were really stiff and clearly posed. The photo by Roots & Shoots is in another league - beautiful and natural-looking. We also received a group class picture that includes photos of everyone in his class and all of the photos are equally lovely. Very impressed. I also appreciated that I had the option of purchasing a digital image. I really hope they do the photos at Chabot every year! read more

They're amazing, they worked at my kids' school this year and pictures are great! Very pleased with the portraits!

I had never heard of roots & shoots but my sons preschool used them for class pics. I was so bummed when I got the pics as my little guy looked startled and not his usual happy self. I emailed Nikki from R & S and she promptly replied apologizing they didn't catch it and offered me either a new session or my money back. Being that I wanted the pictures I opted for the photo shoot retake. We arrived at their studio- and Cheri greeted us and took us outside to snap some shots. We were done in less than 10 minutes which those of you with 4 year old boys can attest timing is everything. We took the pictures on a Tuesday and today in the mail came new amazing happy smiley awesome pictures! So easy- so wonderful. I even went online and ordered more prints for family members. The quality, color and sparkle in my guys eye could not have been more perfect. These gals are true professionals and very great at what they do! Thank you thank you Nikki & Cheri read more

Roots and Shoots is amazing. Best class picture my daughter has ever had. And I loved the costumer service. $80 for a high resolution copy of your pic that you can then take anywhere and print as many copies as you like is not a bad price at all. Roots and Shoots rocks! Thanks guys for capturing my daughter's real smile and her personality. read more

I have been working with Roots & Shoots for over six years at two different schools. Cheri and the Roots & Shoots team take great care to find a space for each child to share their true essence in a natural setting. Their photos are personal with amazing emotional quality. They hardly resemble the stock school photos we had as kids or that too many schools settle for today. Recently, I had my own head shot taken for work and their personal touch came out again. Thanks, Roots & Shoots! read more

Last year, our school had a paper based order form. They dropped my order and I did not get school photos and portraits in time. This year, they changed to a web-based ordering system. The website was very unfriendly to use and I obviously made some errors on ordering as they say "after the cut-off date", it will be higher price. After I placed an order, they had some questions on my order and I gave my explanation, and they came back to me and said, "we cannot make any changes as they already placed an order". I am very frustrated and I do hope that the school will change the vendor with a better service. Thanks but no thanks. read more

We couldn't be happier with our photos from Roots and Shoots, and their customer service is outstanding. This is our 2nd time using them and I can't say enough good things about them. The photo quality is excellent and they do a fantastic job of capturing personality in the photos. They even replaced, at no charge to me, a set of photos that went missing in transit. I highly recommend Roots and Shoots! read more

We have had our daughter's annual school picture taken by Roots & Shoots for the past few years, and have really appreciated how natural and relaxed and beautiful the portraits are (light-years better than the stilted, blue-background standards from older times). I have found them to be very prompt and helpful in their e-mail responses to any questions. Highly recommend them. read more

I've taught Kindergarten for 23 years, and picture day USED to be a dreaded experience. It was no fun for the kids, and when the pictures came back, it was worse for the parents. Fake smiles, weird expressions, blurry focus, and cheesy, phony backdrops. "Roots and Shoots" has changed all of that. For the last several years, my school has used them, and I have been stunned every time at how good the pictures are. Every kid looks great, and like themself. Every shot is in focus. The natural outdoor light makes it look like heaven on earth. I can't speak to the price, but the portraits are always top-notch. I have had to call them only once, about a misplaced class picture, and they took care of it courteously and professionally. read more