Which is exactly why I asked an expert for a few tips when it comes to taking First Day of School photos!
- Leave extra time to get the photos. In my experience, rushed photos = no photos. Spare a few extra minutes in your morning to enjoy time with your child where you can take photos without feeling rushed. It's a memorable day and you don't want to miss it - so allow for it else your child will pick up on your anxiety and that will show in their photos.
- Morning and evening light are both great times of day to take photos eliminating harsh mid-day shadows. Don't stress the morning - if photos don't happen before school, plan on taking them in the afternoon.. it's still the first day after all.
- Don't fuss the frame. If you are dropping your child at school, It's perfectly alright to capture other children in your frame. The other new students could become your child's best friend and potentially share years of friendship ahead of them. Appreciate the photo-journalistic approach and don't worry if your photos are more candid. As the years go on, you might just be pleased that you caught your now-son-in-law's "first look" at your daughter in first grade.
- No one wants shiny faces. If you are being sun-safe and applying sunscreen to your child before heading them out the door, plan to take the photos first.
- Printable signs. There are so many back-to-school templates online that you can print and use in your photos - such as grade level (so you know what year the photo was taken), chalkboards (I personally love chalkboards and use them in photos often), apples, books, etc - let your child color their own and personalize with their style & skill from this year. It becomes a craft project and photo prop in one.
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Diedrika Burrington is the local mama and talented photographer behind Rustic Dreams Photography LLC. You can also find her on Facebook.
