We had an amazing experience! Our photographer was so fun and helpful to work with. She helped us come up with funny shots and let us lean into to awkward dog poses. She helped keep their attention with giving them treats and didn't even care with each treat her hand was covered in slobber LOL The whole team was so sweet and excited to be working with our pups. The photos speak for themselves how amazing our experience was! We will definitely be going back! read more

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It's our 2nd year and I know we won't be going back. We recently had a mini session at the JCPenney Portrait Studio, and unfortunately, the experience was very disappointing. The photographer (blonde hair in short sleeve in my pictures) was not patient with kids, spoke to them in a stern and monotone voice, and seemed visibly frustrated whenever the children didn't follow directions immediately. Instead of being encouraging or playful, she came across annoyed the entire time -- which really set a negative tone for the session. The photos themselves were also not great. Many came out blurry, the editing was poor, and the overall quality felt lower than what you could get from a phone camera. It didn't feel like we were working with a trained photographer, just someone clicking through the session as quickly as possible. We also witnessed another family complain about their experience, which made us realize it wasn't just us. We were told the photographer was actually the manager, which honestly makes the situation more concerning because who knows if these complaints are actually being heard. The only positive part of the visit was the staff member in the with the bun (in long sleeve jacket) -- she was incredibly kind, patient, and helpful. She explained everything clearly and made the checkout process pleasant. Because of her, we didn't complain on the spot. Unfortunately, the sessions are just not worth the price. We paid around $180 for 18 images, and 2-3 were simply black-and-white duplicates. For that cost, the quality and experience should be much better. We've had great seasonal sessions elsewhere (like Santa photos), but we won't be returning to this JCPenney studio again. read more

JCPenney Portraits - Friendly and nice "salesperson" - Session Photography Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Had an appointment with Pets for 4:15. It's 4:50 and still hasn't taken photos. Extremely disappointed in the unprofessional attitude and treatment and snake oil sales man behavior. My pups are irritated and this is so frustrating. So insane, don't come here. read more

JCPenney Portraits - Dogs trying to be calm - Session Photography Near Me - Santa Ana, California

DO NOT GO HERE! I had a disappointing experience with JCPenney Lifetouch that I feel compelled to share. We booked a session for my siblings and our dog, but the entire experience felt rushed from start to finish. There were no adjustments made for chins, hair, or posture, and we were only allowed one shot per pose, which left us feeling like we didn't have any room to get the best possible picture. To make matters worse, the pricing was outrageous. For 13 photos, a digital album, and a single print, we were charged nearly $200 (with a student discount)--far more than we expected considering the service we received. Last year, we had a much more pleasant experience with a different photographer who was kind, worked with us, and made us feel comfortable. We ended up with 21 photos, which felt much more worth the cost. Given the lackluster experience, next year we'll definitely be looking elsewhere. We're considering Photogram, where you can take as many photos as possible in 15 minutes, and they provide the photos immediately. Sadly, JCPenney Lifetouch just doesn't measure up anymore. read more

This was a great experience for our Christmas family portraits. Purchase the 2 year membership as there's a studio fee of $15 ea. Make sure to look for digital coupons and deals. Only advice is to really lead with what pictures you want, I came in thinking the photographer knew how to position us. read more

Marcela has been taking our family photos for the past three years, and she absolutely nails it every single time! We always show up looking ridiculous and ready for a goofy, awkward photoshoot, and she leans right into it, giving us the funniest poses and capturing exactly the vibe we're going for. She just gets us. I can't recommend her highly enough. See you again next time, Marcela! read more

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Loved the experience! All the employees were super friendly and experienced. Will definitely keep using them for my portraits

An actual studio located sort of in the back right of jc penny when you walk in from the parking lot. BE WARNED that coming to this location has lots of traffic so expect more than for transportation!! They have a m-th deal (before 6pm i think) no studio fees ( $15/ person) and 7.99 for prints and similar deal for student id! Just make sure to show the exact code on the website to the staff. When we arrived the staff was accommodating despite being late and rushed to get the set ready. You can pick two backdrops ( the family after me got the christmas backdrops which only one room had) and the photographer will pose you, just make sure to practice your facial expressions. They do a few group shots and single shots for family. Our photographer ( younger asian girl) was quite nice and efficient, patient with my family's indecisiveness. You keep a card on file for a cancellation fee, and need to make an account on a separate appointment website so be sure to call if there are any mishaps. They take around 15 minutes to quickly edit the brightness ( no photoshop/beauty corrections) and choose like 15? Shots. The only things to keep in mind is that for the digital its around $170 (or $120)! Otherwise you only have a printed ( like on photo paper) for 7.99 each sheet ( different sizes) and you also have to pay a 9.99 shipping fee ( no printing for any studio). Takes around 2 weeks. Again, you do not get to keep any photos outside the session unless you pay!! Overall, expect a simple basic shoot similar to school photos and time limited. They don't give much photos so you cant really be picky. But compared to other photo studios w/ the deals its a great value especially if you can remove the studio fees and good for families on a budget. read more

My first time using this location but I have been going to JCP Portraits for over 10 years. It's closer to my home so I gave it shot to get our Christmas pictures done early. They have the 2024 new holiday backgrounds available at this location. The studio is located on the 3rd floor of JC Penney. Once you get go up the 3rd escalator, the studio is straight ahead. They now use "Vagaro" to help schedule the appointments. You must register and also provide an email and credit card to hold the reservation. It seems much smoother and cuts down on the number of false reservations. This helps the studio maximize their time. We got to the studio about 15 minutes early for our appointment and checked in. A couple of minutes later, they were ready to shoot us. There are two rooms to take pictures. Our photographer did an amazing job with poses, incorporating two props we brought and also using some of their props with my kids. After the session, we were able to view our pictures and they turned out great. Better than I could have done with my camera + tripod + remote. They have different packages depending on what you want. We opted for the digital album + enhancements + 1 item which we choose a metal frame. (The canvas or metal ornament was also available as the item.) Shipping was $9.99 and they do a great job packing & shipping the item to your house. Well worth it and such a great value. Pro-tip: Know what you want before your photoshoot. Family? Just the kids? Adults only? Props? Background (two to pick from, holiday + non-holiday). You only have about 15 minutes to get about 15-25 shots in. They delete the ones that don't look great (eyes closed, bad angle, etc.) Don't stall them because there are other people waiting to get their pictures taken too. read more

Staff was extremely unfriendly, unhelpful, and rude We will not be coming back to this location again. After going to other locations and then dealing with the customer service of this location, it definitely needs some work otherwise they will be losing more and more business, like myself who will not be coming back to this location again read more

This review is long overdue. Marcela was so professional and awesome during multiple photo sessions and was prepared to do a variety of great poses. She is patient, experienced, and fair. Thank you for being so wonderful at what you do! read more

Great experience at the JC Penney Santa Ana. Marcela did a great job taking our Christmas pictures. My husband and I went with our dog and cat and I was worried that it would be stressful , but no. The whole session was fun and easy. Marcela and her team did a great job making us at ease and our pets comfortable. This was our 2nd year at the JC Penney portraits. We will definitely be back. read more

Thank you so much to our incredible photographer Anisah! She made our entire group feel so comfortable and welcome.....

I recently had my sons' graduation photo session @ Whitehall. I was 10 min late. I had 4 outfit changes and a bunch of photo props. I was greeted with a smile, the photographer, (named MOON) did not roll his eyes, but excited about the ideas. The images were amazing! 100 professional! read more

Had an amazing session with Victoria. She was very kind and helpful we haven't had pictures taken in years and she was very accommodating and made us feel very welcomed. Would definitely recommend asking for Victoria if you're looking to take pictures. Thank you again Victoria we appreciate all your help! read more

JCPenney Portraits - Session Photography Near Me - Santa Ana, California

WORST experience of my life. My poor kids were constantly getting yelled at and disrespected by the photographer Nancy. I'm not stupid, i know they have to look at the camera for a photo yet every time she was about to take one she pretty much would tell me to shut up. Not okay. She made my kids feel very uncomfortable. My baby didn't smile for any group photos so unfortunately none came out good. I'm so bummed. i dressed them up in christmas outfits and they were so excited. Never coming back. read more

Went in on Dec 14 2021 to get photos for Holiday cards. Since it was last minute, we decided to buy the digital images and print out our own cards to send, much faster. Unfortunately, the system storing the digital images started having issues that day. So they said they will notify us when they will be ready. Now, 5 days later, still no word, so I call to see what's going on. They are still having the issue, their techs are still trying to figure out what's wrong, and they don't know when we'll receive the digital images. And they won't refund our money. Confirmed that this issue is affecting all JC Penney photo locations... Buyer beware.... JC Penney Photos just lost my business going forward... read more

We were told we had to wait for half hour and then waited for another half hour. It's bad choice to come here. The person is rude. We end up have to cancel it after waited for one hour. Our appointment is 12:00pm and we could not take our picture until one. read more

Not sure about the bad reviews but I can only speak for my experience which was just superb I wanted to get business profile pics taken in a dress jacket - had used our company photographer before but wasn't happy w the result so decided to use a Groupon deal which was very affordable. I called and made a same day appointment a they were quick to pick up the phone and very courteous The location is very convenient and parking is ample right at the store entrance I didn't have to wait more than a few mins before they were ready to take my pictures - I had options to select background, angles and even change outfits if I wanted to The result was better than anything I had seen before. The photographer worked w me to revise angles and retakes and the final result was A+. I was amazed at the quality of work which was on par w high end professional photographers that cost probably 8-10x as much as the Groupon price Highly recommend this place and the professionals here - in fact I picked up a few other things at that store since I was there already Store managers - if you are reading this - this gem of a studio made me visit jc Penney and spend money there. I am likely to visit the store again - pls keep it open read more

We had an amazing experience with Mexinne today! She was so patient and yet I've to our 3yr old and really helped us get awesome pictures! She got our daughter to smile and we are so happy with the results! She is very customer service oriented, friendly and professional, she was so kind! We truly loved coming here because of her and will look into future sessions because of her fantastic service we received today! read more

Our photo session was amazing. She was quick and accurate with what we needed. I wanted to leave her a great review because she helped our family with our newborn and our 14 month old as you can imagine it is difficult to take pictures as a family with two little ones. But she was very patient and understanding with us. We were able to achieve what we wanted and she was an excellent photographer I highly recommend you go to her as she is the best around, especially for the price that Jc Penny you cannot compare to private photographers. read more

Honestly not sure how this place has so many 1 star reviews. I mean, it's a portrait studio, not your own personal photographer... if you want things to go exactly your way, well then hire a photographer who will go to said location of your choice, and you call all the shots... but until then, you can't pay for a company's service & then turn around & say you didn't receive x y & z. Lynne did our sons 2 week old pictures, as well as his recent fall/ 9 month old pictures. We were pleased with both. Both times we used a Groupon-- the first time we stuck to just the Groupon, which was no issue whatsoever, but the second time around we agreed to the full package that Lynne was selling because we really did love ALL the pictures & choosing 3 would have just been too difficult. She's straight forward, yes, but that's just how I am as well so our energies definitely matched. She was great with our kiddos & we shared lots of laughs in the studio together. We look forward to being back in the future! read more

JCPenney Portraits - A pose I would have never thought of myself... so cute, shows just how small our little guy is. - Session Photography Near Me - Santa Ana, California

I really didn't have a good experience here. The blonde woman who I assume is is the manager, is very impatient, rough with my newborn and rude with her staff. My kids are young so obviously it's going to be a little hectic. After only 2 minutes she basically kicked my 2 year old out of the pictures and told us to carry on without him. As if he wasn't apart of our family. Right next to where you take pictures is a bunch of toys including a giant fire truck. He was immediately focused on that as any 2 year old boy would be. She was upset that he wanted to play with it. Mind you, it was just photos of my kids. I would of been happy to let him play with it and get cute pics of him playing. She wasn't having it. If you don't want children distracted by your toys, maybe you shouldn't have them in the room. Now as far as my newborn. Smh. I brought my own blanket for not only sanitary reasons but also to go with the theme of our pictures. She put him in a basket with this grey fuzzy thing. In almost all the pictures, the fuzz is in his mouth and eyes. That's just not acceptable for a newborn, especially when I had my own stuff. She was so rough with him and when she had him try to do tummy time pics in the basket, he was slipping and sliding everywhere. I finally stepped in to support him since she wasn't. During this time is when she snapped at the girl who was taking the photos. She left after that and was never seen again. They didn't accept my coupon that I called earlier in the day to confirm worked. She said she couldn't accept the coupon because it's weekday only... This was on Friday. Which if you know the days of the week, that is most definitely a weekday. I ended up paying $160 for digital copies. Once I got home I realized that the didn't send all the pictures. Only about half of them. My 2 year old is only in 2 of those pictures. I had 3 different coupon that are valid for weekdays all through December and she accepted none. I'm not sure if they were trying to make their quota for the month and scam people into paying more but it's unacceptable. I wish I could dispute these charges. I'm extremely disappointed in the price I paid for the service we got. Don't offer newborn/child photos if you're not equipped for it. I suggest anyone to go to someone who specializes in family/newborn pictures and not a big company like this. They do not care about your experience or the pictures you get. read more

The studio is very poor location and its employees are rude, they don't know how to treat children, and they said, "You're uncomfortable, go somewhere else, and I wasted my time. We were there for half an hour, and we couldn't find a picture of you." read more

Today, my sister took my nephews to get their photos taken for the first time together. She was so excited as we picked out their outfits and their 2nd outfit because she was told they can have an outfit change (which never ended up happening) When she arrived with my nephews at the Santa Ana, CA location the photographer seemed extremely annoyed and began taking their photos. My sister had an appointment and was ON TIME, so she wasn't sure why this woman.. Marcella was so frustrated. Anyways as she began taking their photos.. my 7 year old nephew (who has Autism) did something goofy because.. that's what kids do. Marcella raised her voice out of annoyance and says, "I don't have time for this! We have 15 minutes! We need to hurry up!" My sister instantly felt so uncomfortable there was no coming back. The vibe was horrible all because of the MANAGER Marcella. I understand there can be a time crunch (maybe You can expand the time limit so your employees aren't so rushed) but there is a certain way to treat your customers and children that come in to get their pictures taken. In this case my sister and my nephew, that is special needs was treated so poorly that my sister just wanted to leave. She didn't, she was respectful and paid for a couple of photos but the point is under any circumstance.. customers shouldn't be treated like they're a nuisance. Future reference we rather pay a private photographer from this day forward. It's worth the money and experience. read more

Horrible experience. I WILL NOT be coming here again. We were the only customers there and the photographer made us feel rushed. She had no patience for my 2 year old and and would take deep frustrated breaths every time he would move even slightly. It took about 40 minutes for someone to help us choose the pictures. Would not recommend for anyone especially with kids to come here. read more

Terrible service. Marcela totally ignored us. We had been waiting 30 minutes then she finished a session and didn't even ask who was next just decided to take the other couple after us. This is a terrible day. My daughter it's not in a good mood because of Marcela going to some one else. read more

It's a great option if you're limited in funds. The wait is long even with an appointment. Their customer service is not the best. The staff are not as experienced so it's expected that you won't receive quality service. I would only use them again with a Groupon deal because it's not worth paying full price. It was our first time taking pictures with JCP portraits and I'm not sure if I would return. The photographer wasn't creative with family poses and she didnt tell us if our eyes were closed. I used JCP because they allow dogs in the picture. I would highly recommend to go prepared with the poses you want the photographer to take. Don't hesitate to ask if your hair looks ok, or if you're uncomfortable with certain poses. read more

JCPenney Portraits - Session Photography Near Me - Santa Ana, California

I went in to do my real estate portraits. Wasn't looking for anything too major than to just snap a photo and utilize it for my marketing. However the photographer could not stop talking about the bags under my eyes. This is something that doesn't bother me at all but she might have mentioned them 4 or 5 times and proceeded to eliminate photos because of my bags. I really wished she had just kept it simple and just had me decide without the comments. Now I can't stop noticing them everyday from waking up sense. My portraits came out great, but I'm not sure the photographer thinks so, because of my "Eye bags" I will say though, my picture came out great for my company. Don't comment on someone's eyebags so much, you might create a new negative self conscious trait. read more

Came is on a Saturday, waited 45-60 minutes with an appointment. The photographer was Christina. Our photos came out looking like selfies after an hour long session. We just wanted one particular pose, we showed her a picture as reference. Just too hard for an amateur. We left a baby toy, called in and the girl said it was in their lost and found. We came by the photo center and they said they did not have a lost and found. We then went to JC Penny's customer service they checked for us and nothing had been turned in. So the JCPennys portraits straight up lied about our missing baby toy. Watch out if they ask the parent to be in the photos it's just to get an extra $10 per person. read more

I've gone here a few times. With picture people gone,... my wife has this place as a cheap inexpensive place to take photos for the family. As other's have mentioned, the photographers and work staff.. maybe need to work on being a little more happy. I know they were borderline not friendly with my children (1, 3, 5). It's tough work I realize, and for the prices we are paying... it's not like we're paying an arm and a leg for their services. My wife usually brings a coupon or buys a groupon. It's tough... I think JC Penny is so going down the down hill and maybe it's causing the photo side to feel the pressure. I don't think my family will be coming back here again anymore. You get what you pay for. read more

I have never had an experience as poor as the one as today. NANCY took my daughters photos and once she was done the "customer service" button switched to off. She came out and rushed us through ordering to the point I had to tell her to give me a minute to look at the photos. She got irritated and left to help other customers because they had become busy and behind at this point. I had to waive her down and let her know we were ready to order, she rushed through and didn't even confirm the address where my pictures would be sent. Rushed me to the register I asked if I could confirm the address and her answer was" didn't you see it? You expect me to show you again?" I asked for her name and she very sarcastically said "NANCY" then proceeded to say "My God" out loud. This is unacceptable of an employee. She left me at the desk to figure out how to finish paying. She was rude and extremely unprofessional. read more

We took Christmas photos and they told us the photos would be uploaded in Shutterfly in 24 hrs, it's already been 6 DAYS and still NO photo. Lifetouch says they are working on the technical issue but so far they have done nothing !!! im very frustrated and don't think ill get my photos i. time for christmas read more

I had a great experience here, and wanted to get my review on Yelp ASAP! TIP: Check Groupon/Local Flavor, etc for a deal--if anything you will get a discount on prints, and usually your sitting fee is waived ( check the fine print of course). Another TIP: Get your sitting as early in the day as possible, especially if you have kids. Everyone (including the staff) is fresh and has energy and it shows in the pictures! It also avoids getting caught in that "on a break" trap. JCPenney Portrait was perfect for our needs. We wanted to get some basic family pics, and we DIDN'T need some extreme setting this time around. So if you are looking to get the pic of you on a couch in a poppy field, or on the edge of some cliff with the sun and moon aligned, this ISN'T your place! We worked with this awesome lady named Navely who was the best; she got a 1 and a 3 year old to sit STILL and SMILE!!!!!! That alone is 5 stars alone lol. After we took about 20-30 shots, she took them and created over 50 different displays and packages to look at with no pressure at all. We settled on 20 shots and just had everything put on a cd so we can take it to Shutterfly (TIP TIP). After the groupon discounts we got a $300 package for about $90, and we were more than pleased with the service. Again, if you need to have some basic pics made that you can send everywhere; this is your place--just ensure to look around to see how you can get the best price!!!! Thanks 56/2016 read more

Cassandra was great. Worked well with my grumpy baby and was super accommodating for my overheating boyfriend. We never felt rushed and she was extremely sweet. We will definitely be back. Previously we had tried the one in Westminster but the girl there was definitely tweaking and not very polite. read more

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I read the reviews before I got there, so my husband and I wanted to check it out ourselves since we need pictures of my son and we got coupons. As we where walking in it was empty there was only 1 lady sitting behind the register using her cell phone. As we started walking towards her and asked her if we can make an appointment she seemed like we interrupted her since she was on her cell. No friendly smile, we didn't feel welcomed she seemed a little rude as we talked. I was starting to get a little upset but kept my cool. We are going back next week so we will see how that goes. Hopefully we don't have to deal with her again. read more

We got there 5 minutes before our appointment. 10 minutes later the actual session started. The session went well for our 1 month old. We were able to review all the pictures right after the session. The photographer Sharyn (spelling ??) was very good with our grandson. For reasonable set of newborn pictures I have no complaints. As some others had mentioned they did not push unwanted packages. Once we selected what we wanted that was end of any sales pitch. Made the whole session more enjoyable. read more

We have been coming to Jcpenney Portraits for a few years now. We always leave satisfied with our photographer and photos. My daughter is 4 years old and often gets shy depending on the photographer but works very well with Cassandra. We often request her because she is always willing to work with what we want and takes great photos! We just recently took our engagement photos and we're in love with what she captured. I reccomend jcpenney portraits to all my family and friends whenever they ask where we get our pictures done. read more

JCPenney Portraits - Beautiful family engagement photo! - Session Photography Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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I'm do surprised with the reviews here! I've been going to JCP portrait for 7 months now and ever since I came across Cassandra, I've had AMAZING pictures! She has been my go to for pictures. My son hates being still and to get good pictures used to be a challenge but Cassandra has a way with kids! I only make my appointments with her and trust her completely. Every month she has a theme idea for my baby. People complain about her attitude? I've been there when she has a full house and her being scheduled with a new kid. I blame management for shitty schedule making. But even during worst circumstances, shes been professional and amazing at what she does. Highly recommend her. My stars solely go towards her. read more

JCPenney Portraits - Session Photography Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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We've come here once every year the last few years for a fun themed holiday portrait session, and today we got stuck in really bad traffic due to an accident on the freeway and were running a little late. They say they have a 10 minute grace period, which we were aware of and still showed up within, but when we showed up at 7:10pm after calling 4 times both the main number (which doesn't actually connect I found out upon arrival) and the number that called to confirm my appointment AND we even left a message, we were turned away by the assistant manager who said their name was "Mex". I suffer from severe anxiety and ADHD which can affect my ability to talk and communicate sometimes, and I did have quite a hard time, which I apologized for since I do know the stress of a customer service job around the holidays. However, Mex was super rude when we tried to check in within their grace period, saying we were 20 minutes late instead of 10 because we didn't show up 10 minutes before our appointment, (as we tried to call and let them know about several times) and hadn't been checked in yet. However, there was no signage telling you where to check in since previously COVID had made more safety restrictions, so we weren't sure of protocols, there was a stanchion in front of the entrance which implied not to pass it unless asked/greeted, and there was no one up front or at the desk to check anyone in, so we had been waiting in the waiting room for 10 additional minutes, now it was 7:20pm. She had the worst attitude and told us our session was canceled and refused to check the phone messages to show we had called and denied the fact that we had by saying "we've been answering the phones but you haven't called", but I have the proof that we did! I ended up following up with the manager, who we have worked with previously our first year, and she said she would maybe be able to do a quick shoot at the end, which was totally fine with me. I had actually told Mex that it was okay if we could even just do a shorter session to just take like 5 pictures since we were still within the waiting period, but she refused to help us and told us that's not possible. The manager (whose name I wasn't able to get) did end up helping us do a quick shoot of a few photos at the very end after finishing up the other families, which I did appreciate very much, and she is the only reason I'm giving stars at all. I used to enjoy this tradition, but I probably will never go back to this location because of Mex alone. Horrible attitude and customer service, would not recommend at all. Everyone else here has been decently pleasant, but you guys need to find a new assistant manager because Mex is incredibly rude and would rather accuse us of lying than to actually listen to us and figure out a working solution to the issue that JCP caused with their lack of organization. read more

JCPenney Portraits - called both numbers prior to 10 minute grace period, no answer - Session Photography Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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