Closed Yearbook Contracts - Illegal?

[maderemark]

Besides Wisconsin and New Jersey, what other states make it illegal to require high school seniors go to a specific studio for the yearbook photo?

Mark Madere

[LarryRyder]

I am not sure what the law is in Ohio but in my district you need to go to one studio. There is no cost to the student for the yearbook picture but I am sure there is a hard sell involved.

This is a hassle for the students to schedule so my son did not bother with it as he did not care about the yearbook.

Six years ago for my daughter they supplied a spec for the picture, size, background etc and you could go anywhere.

[Mike Keller]

I'm not sure that here in WV you are required to go to a studio for a senior yearbook portrait. The yearbook photographers come out and do the seniors along with all the other yearbook portraits at the school. Kids who want their own senior portraits go to the studio of their choice. I don't think those portraits go in the yearbook, though.

IOW the senior portrait session is not the same as the senior yearbook photo.

[DragonflyDM]

If there is a closed contract, then you have to go to that studio for the yearbook photos, but you don't have to buy any photos for yourself. That photographer has to eat your photo for the hopes that others will pay.

Just sell to the rest of the kids that they can "give out" your personalized photos. Sell to parent that they want art on the mantle, not Sears.

[ChrisPerry]

Florida is a closed state and I believe there was a lawsuit over it and the 'status quo' won.
Around here there are some schools that will only put the pic from the official school photog in the year book, but most are open and most have rules and some even specs on head size.

[Ed Gerson]

WV in some places seems to have as many backyard senior yearbook portraits as the official or non-official studio senior portraits - odd thing is, the non-official professionals are confined to lighting ratio, vignetting, and background tone, posing rules - the monopoly by official school photographers was successfully overturned by one of the better and perhaps the most controversial WV professional photographers a quarter century ago: Greg Adams of Morgantown, WV

[Ed Gerson]

Around here the headsize, the graduated tone of the background, the pose and lighting are specified in writing to non-contract photographers. Violate one spec, the pro's photo isn't in the yearbook. The cowlick, as well as the cow, may be included in the non-professional's senior portrait and will probably be included in the yearbook