Family shares hilarious results of $345 'professional' shoot

A Missouri family has shared the hilarious results from a 'professional' photo shoot that went horribly wrong. Photo / Facebook

This was one of Lifestyle's top stories in 2018

A Missouri family has shared the hilarious results from a "professional" photo shoot that went horribly wrong.

In May 2017, the Zaring family was contacted by a middle-aged woman who marketed herself as an experienced professional photographer, reported KCEN.

Dave and Pam Zaring, who married three years ago, decided it was time to get their first professional photos taken of their blended family, according to the Daily Mail.

The photos were forgotten until Thursday when a package arrived containing a disc. Photo / Facebook

The couple, their two sons - Cade, 12, and Connor, eight - and Dave's mother Sharon drove to Forest Park in St Louis and paid the photographer just under $250.

It wasn't until months later that the photographer reached out to Pam and said she was done editing the photos.

On Thursday, a package arrived containing a disc. The faces staring back at Pam were completely devoid of features with eyes and teeth that don't look human.

"I've never laughed this hard in my life," Pam told the station.

Pam and Dave Zaring (pictured, with their sons) were approached by a middle-aged woman who marketed herself as an experienced professional photographer. Photo / Facebook

The faces staring back at Pam were completely devoid of features with eyes and teeth that don't look human. Photo / Facebook

"My kids were so confused. They thought we were playing a joke on them. They just kept saying they looked like Lego people."

According to Pam, the photographer claimed her professor never taught her how to retouch photos and offered to re-shoot the images.

Pam shared the results on Facebook, where she wrote: "Ok. This is NOT a joke. We paid a photographer, who claimed to be a professional, $200-250 [NZ$275 to $345] for a family photo shoot.

"Please see these FOR REAL photos she delivered to us....She said the shadows were really bad on the beautiful, clear, sunny day and that her professor never taught her to retouch photos. Feel free to share. I literally have not laughed this hard in YEARS!!!!!"

Ok. This is NOT a joke. We paid a photographer, who claimed to be a professional, $2-250 for a family photo shoot. ...

Posted by Pam Dave Zaring on Friday, 12 January 2018

The photos have been shared on Facebook more than 306,000 times.

Pam said she has asked for the original photos, but she doesn't want a refund. In fact, she hopes the photos can be an icebreaker in the insurance office, where she and her husband both work.

'This has been worth every dime that we spent,' Pam said.