School photo day doesn't have to be stressful for kids, parents or teachers.
School photo day is a time honored tradition. Just because parents and teachers may remember our own school photo day, kids are experiencing many things for the first time. I wanted to give parents some tips and tricks to get your kid ready for school photo day. I have been a school photographer in DFW, based in Grapevine, officially for 4 years, but I have been a mom for 10 and have plenty of experience working with kids of all ages to create timeless images of what makes them unique at this moment in time at their school photo day.
Prepare them for what to expect
Try your best the night before to chat with your kid about school photos the next day. Kids thrive on routine. When they know what to expect, their bodies can relax and be free to be themselves. Think about how you feel at work when you think you know what your day is going to look like but then your boss throws 6 meetings on your calendar that could have been an email. It’s frustrating to be taken out of what you expect to happen.
What will happen at school photo day?
Depending on the school, things may look a little different, but typically, your child will go to school as they normally do. At some point during the day, their whole class will walk down to a different room in the school where I will be set up. If you have a super anxious kiddo please reach out to me and I will try to give them an approximate time that we’ll be taking photos so they know what part of the day will be different.
When they walk in my space, they’ll see a gray backdrop. If they are at a preschool, it will be a big blanket up on a stand. There will be a sticker on the floor where I ask them to stand on that blanket. If they are in an elementary school, it will be an oval gray backdrop that is standing up with probably a piece of tape on the floor where they stand.
There will be a big umbrella that is black on one side and white on the other. This is my umbrella where my light is. It’s on a light stand (a big pole to the side) This is how I bring the sunshine inside. There will be a quick blinking light when I press my camera button. That’s just letting my pretend sun fall on their face to create a beautiful image.
I’ll have them do different silly things like put their hands in their pockets or on their hips. I might make them swish back in forth or spin. I will have them cross their arms and for girls I will have them put one fist under their chin. I’ll tell some jokes and ask some questions. They don’t have to smile if they don’t want to. But we’re going to have fun, so I hope they do laugh with me. I also have a friend, Mr. Froggy, that helps to take photos. He loves it when people tell him loudly what color he is.
If your school is doing sibling photos, you can tell your younger child that big brother or sister will be coming to see them during school photos. For older kids, they’ll come separately to their younger siblings’ class. They’ll take pictures by themselves and then I’ll have them take photos together. This may involve hugging a sibling if they like each other in this moment or it may involve standing back-to-back. Then they’ll say goodbye to each other and big sibling will go back to class.
But what if I have a shy kid?
Fantastic. I normally can read the different energy levels of kids quickly and adjust my energy to meet what they need. Some kids react well to super silly and loud and weird noises. Others are more reserved and, honestly, so am I. It is a nice recovery for me when a quieter kid comes up because I can chat with them about their favorite animal, dinosaurs, books, etc. We will work together to create beautiful images.
What next?
After your child is done taking their photo, they get to go back and sit with their friends in their class until everyone has gone. If we are doing a class photo, then we’ll get all the friends together to take a smiling photo and then probably a silly one too! If we aren’t, they’ll go back to class and go about their day.
I hope giving your kid a rundown of what to expect will help relieve any worries they may have. If you don’t want to give them a play by play of the day, at least please tell them that a friend will be taking some photos at school tomorrow!
I cannot wait for you to see your child’s personality bottled up in a photo for their Modern School Photo Day. Please reach out if you have any questions!