I've also used Contempo Portraits a lot in the past. I haven't really gone anywhere else to compare it to (except once at the mall and it was my whole family--kind of a big group--and it turned out HORRIBLE. They didn't have a clue of what they were doing), but I've been pleased with the results. My sister is more artistic than I am and doesn't like the posed portraits Contempo does. She prefers a more natural setting, like outdoors, where a photographer takes pictures as your kids play or something. But that costs a lot more money probably, so I just stick with Contempo. It can get expensive if you order a ton of stuff, but that's up to you. It's a free sitting and I just go in and buy the 8x10 I want and that's it. Sometimes I get wallets or some 5x7s for grandparents, but I usually spend $50-$75 or less. I'm a professional organizer and I know from experience that less is more, so I usually keep it simple. If you pay tons of money and buy all of the proofs, years down the road it won't be any more meaningful than if you just have your one pose. It's actually usually less overwhelming and more likely to be looked at if you purchase fewer pictures.