Tempest Graduations Reviews 123

Well I think the same thing every year.. why don’t they just do standard sized photos to fit standard frames that you can buy from the shop??? I still have photos from two years ago that I haven’t been able to find a frame for.. other years I’ve had to crop the photos myself to fit in a frame. I’m more disappointed in the schools for using a company that rip you off with photos that don’t fit frames. But they know you are trapped into having to purchase from them if you want to buy a ‘milestone’ photo of your child each year of school. Not bothering this year. I’ll take my own.

Although the photography session was free, I was extremely disappointed with both the professional conduct during the session and the quality of the photographs produced.

Many of the printed images were poorly centred, and I was not offered the opportunity to reshoot despite these issues being visible at the time. I was also not informed that in several photographs I was not smiling, which I only realised after the images had already been printed. As I could not see my own facial expression, I would reasonably expect a professional photographer to check and advise before finalising the images.

In addition, I requested to take certain photographs without the flowers while standing with my mother and father. The photographer responded by stating that photographs without my parents had already been taken, which did not reflect my request. I found this dismissive and felt that my wishes were not being understood or accommodated during an important moment.

Graduation is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, and the experience left me feeling disappointed and uncomfortable.
Also I would like to add that I had emailed tempest my concerns two weeks ago yet no reply.

It is not their fault. Its those who still make any purchases from them as well as the institutions that choose them, possibly for a decent share of these insane prices and daylight robbery. Not sure what worse rating they can get.

Really unimpressed that I’m not able to buy different images within a package. Ultimately I have to buy multiple copies of the same image in a “value pack” for £80, or buy each image separately for a minimum of £20? So overall, to get the images I want and be able to share them with family I’d need to spend at least £60, what an awful con of a service, especially considering these are new graduates you’re scamming. If you’re graduating from King’s college, take your own picture !!!

Terrible timeline, overpriced packages. Cannot buy copies of images exclusively, have to buy a package to then get a digital copy of it, EACH digital image then costs £20. Half of the pictures from my graduation also have my family’s eyes closed. The staff were also very rude and condescending to a lot of families attending graduation, they were rude also to us until they heard our British accents…

Overall, incredibly dissatisfactory service (especially when accounting for the "premium" cost).

I have had multiple issues when ordering due to their systems being so dysfunctional. Even when I completed and paid for my order, they could not meet their 28 working day aim and instead tried to say that my order was placed the week after I had originally placed and paid for it.

The only decent part of the experience is that when I did finally get through to customer services (after 15 minutes), the people I spoke with were very apologetic, but that does not make up for the poor quality of service before I got to that point.

Absolutely everything everyone has said is completely true! You’re literally better off paying a private photographer for an hour to take all the pictures you need for your special day. The prices for just TWO pictures which is the max for all of the packages that go up to at least £255 is ridiculous! With no options of any digital copies for the price you’ve paid and even for add ons you have to choose from the same pictures in the package like why would I want just two pictures printed out 50 times in different sizes , plus a usb add on for £20 extra! I then had to pay £10 delivery after spending so much money on my pictures! Like someone already said it’s a big shame that universities have a contract with them when they’re literally ripping people off. It’s actually very sad.

Price was disgusting - horrible navigation of the website. Can only buy the same photo even in the packages, so if you want 2 different photos its an additional £40 per different photo. Disgusting

Daylight robbery, why on earth would I want the same photo of myself 3 times, I want one of myself, with my parents and one with the whole family.

Unbelievable pricing on the website! Parents / students please buy your photos on the day, these guys rob you blind on their website!
The universities should be ashamed of themselves for having a contract with them knowing how extortionate their pricing is!
It is no wonder their staff actively promotes using the website as the prices are much higher and there are very limited 'options' to choose which photos you want. Its all the more disgusting especially on such a special day!

I had an absolutely amazing experience especially thanks to Dawn. Couldn’t have asked for a smoother process and she ensured I had a brilliant end to the ceremony. Thankyou!

Absolutely ridiculous. This was the service used at Loughborough graduation 2025. The actual process was quick and professional however I wanted 3 separate photos- one of myself, with parents and with my partner. In order to have separate photos I had to pay £30 for 2xmeduim prints and £33 for one large print- a total of £99 with shipping ( yes shipping not included). Really shocking pricing considering the volume and the approximate 4 minutes we spent with the photographer. Yes we are a captive audience but that is pushing it too far. £100 for photos of a once in a lifetime event is ridiculous. Haven’t even received them and I am really upset

The price they charge is criminal. Had to use these as they were part of the Lincoln Graduation. Not sure who got a pay off or has retired from this event but someone must be sitting pretty. Absolutely disgusting

Company charges extortionate amounts for graduation photos and doesn't provide access to the digital copies. The only way to get digital copies is to buy individual USB sticks of each photo at £18 each. Photographer service, print quality and website quality are all poor and genuinely disgusted by the feeling that I'm being scammed by both this company and my own university. Ruined the whole graduation experience.

I had issues with logging in, check out, my account and the cost! Logged into the website, which was meaningless despite putting in the p/w etc. On the website I selected the graduation image I wanted. At checkout was told I already had an account (I knew that because I had just logged in) and yet I was told to log in (again) which I couldn't do because the system kept telling me I already had an account (round and round we go....). So I created a new email account, logged into that and paid. And then: the cost!!!!!! Tempest Photography must have a monopoly on institutional photography and they are raking in the cash by over-charging proud parents who want a good photo of their child. I can not believe that the costs of taking a photograph, the frame, the photographers' time and equipment necessitate in these prices for thousands of photos at every graduation or school. It is shameful.

The graduation photograph mounts which include the university name and logo do not fit any standard frame size. It would appear this has been done to force you to buy their (average and over priced) frames. If you're thinking of buying a silver or silver plated frame (from John Lewis, Carrs, or any such retailer), for what is a particularly special photograph, forget it! It appears to be a case of profit, over service!

Their service is so far behind the times. After my graduation ceremony in 2022 the only purchase options were an expensive print, which didn't include a digital copy, with the option to add a CD (!) with an image on. I didn't bother buying them because I had no way of accessing the images. Who has a disk drive in this day and age?

They have slightly updated this in 2025 by providing a USB stick, which takes up to 28 days to arrive and costs £6 for delivery. You still have to purchase an extortionate print AND pay for a digital version of the same photo on USB stick. You can't just buy a digital copy.

I would happily have paid 50% more for the digital version of the photo with an instant download and foregone their printing service. Tempest would have made almost the same revenue from the sale and wouldn't have to pay for printing and USB sticks. Everyone wins. But this monopolistic company clearly doesn't care about keeping up with the modern world and providing consumers with products in the way they actually consume them. They control every official school and university photo so why would they want to innovate?

Photos are okay, the photographers don't generally do a good job at getting a genuinely nice photo.
The best cheapest package consists of three photos at £40 (yes £40 for cheap to produce photos).
You can't get a usb option separately and is only an add on at an extra over priced cost.
Graduates pay for graduations (which are expensive enough as it is), but the package prices are out of control. The most expensive package for some photos (which are cheap to print) are nearly £100!!!! (Currently set at £93 specifically).

Bad service, they charge extortionate prices for photos as you are a captured audience. They charge additional postage £7.50 for one photo on top but dispatch photos on second class delivery with Royal Mail!!! Also takes them 28 days to process one photo before posting! Universities should use their own in house talent to keep costs low and any money made to be put back to the university and not use companies that rip off students and parents for 2nd class service.

Absolutely terrible. Extremely expensive and ridiculously long delivery. 28 working days to despatch 3 photos from Cornwall to London? Without this stupid monopoly given by universities, the company would crash within a week. Please avoid.