Hanke Photography

Everything beforehand made us feel we would get good pictures and friendly service. Locally owned small business, other parents had nothing unusual to say, decent online reviews, and even the school even recommended them (PCHS). Picture day came and went, now it’s time to order…
We were shocked! I wish I had copies to illustrate, and if you knew our child you’d swear she had taken these pictures to «punk» us and the «real» pictures were somewhere waiting to be shown after the joke was over. Well, it wasn’t a joke so we asked what we could do about retaking them. Without hesitation, the lady (Jennifer, sorry to name names, but I want you to know this isn’t a fake review) starting pointing out how many things our daughter did wrong and that they would not take any responsibility regarding our daughter «looks». Blame bad photography on our daughter. Really?! At that point I honestly think this lady thought we were just going to hand over our checkbook and say «Oh yeah, our child is terribly un-​photogenic and we did this on purpose to trick an unsuspecting business owner into free retakes. Here’s twice as much money to do this all over again. In fact, thanks for pointing out all the things she did wrong, put some extra in for yourself as a tip!» She seemed surprised when we declined to pay for retakes — like there was nothing in the employee handbook for this type of situation. For what could have added up to be hundreds of dollars or more, we opted to talk about it more at home.
Afterwards, we found out they gave our daughter no thought or personal attention (she was there in plenty of time I assure you). I was not present, but the adult who accompanied her confirmed all of this and added he overheard the photographer tell her that she would be penalized if she «took too long». While she waited on them to get ready setting up lights and backgrounds they offered no place to touch up until just before they started, then rushed her through the photo session like the building was on fire.
I realize that even the best of the best can have a bad day or get behind. But to stubbornly refuse to live up to simple customer satisfaction is just sad. Even worse, hide from and ignore the customer when something goes wrong. This guy knew the pictures were awful and threw the saleslady under the bus. «Take ‘em or leave ‘em» was all we got.
So, keep the money we paid. This has been a big enough waste of our time already.

Best place for senior pictures! Since they have so many scenic options for backgrounds, let the experienced professional photographer choose for you and you will not be disappointed! We were a bit skeptical at first, but he really knows what will work best for you. All you have to tell them is preference for indoor, outdoor or both! (Of course if you prefer to choose, you can, but believe me, you can trust this photographer.) Relax and go with it! She had a few outfit changes and they are very accommodating! We had so many beautiful shots to choose from, it was hard to narrow it down. Prices comparable with most private studio’s of this caliber. At the end of her session, the photographer offered a free family photo session which we will be taking advantage of.

I took my daughter to Hanke in October for senior pictures, and I couldn’t be happier with the experience or results. The photographer was wonderful, immediately putting my daughter at ease and really capturing her personality in the pics. We took advantage of the the beautiful weather and had pics taken outside, where they have a small waterfall and many other nice spots for posing, and we loved the results. The only part of our experience that was difficult was narrowing down our selection from which to order from because we liked so many of them.
Everyone we worked with was friendly and professional. We never felt rushed or pressured, and appreciated the help in making some difficult decisions. We also felt appreciated as customers. Having compared many photography studios offering personalized photo sessions, I found there is no such thing as a cheap deal. However, I found Hanke’s prices to be competitive with similar private studios, and we found the entire experience to be worth it.

I thought I would get professional pictures done this year for my 2 year old instead of going the Flash/​Sears/​JCPenny route. I thought I would get superior quality and I like the idea of supporting a local photographer rather than a chain.
I looked at Hanke’s online portfolio. The pictures were beautiful so I gave them a call.
The woman I spoke with over the phone was very sweet and professional.
The photo session itself went fine although she seemed to struggle with getting good pics of a toddler.
My main issue is: I think this whole experience was kind of a rip off.
For $ 900 I received 1 8×10, 2 5×7, 3 4×6, and 8 wallets of 1 pose. A DVD labeled with a misspelled last name and 1 framed montage (?) of 6 poses in a cheap black frame. The pictures themselves were nothing special.
The staff was very nice and professional and I’m sure these prices are normal for the industry, I was just not impressed with what I got for the money I paid and would not do it again unless I had a lot of money to throw away.
If the pictures were spectacular I think I would have felt differently, but honestly I like the pics I had taken at Flash for his 18 month milestone way better than these… and I got twice the pictures at half the cost.