It's that time of year!


Parent's everywhere, rejoice! These teacher's are taking their kids back after making you watch them all summer. Now you want to take that first day back to school photo but you know they are going to gripe (especially the teenagers). So what exactly should you do to capture that perfect back to school photo? I'm glad you asked.


Prepare

You only get one first impression; Make it count. Prepare their outfit the night prior and have it set aside for the morning. Make sure backpacks are ready, lunch is prepared, and everything is grab and go. Let's face it... You are excited they are going back to school, them, well they forgot what alarms sound like at 630am. Plus we all know mom will have to do hair in the morning, kiss their baby 700 times, and go over all their tips for the new year. Feel free to accessorize and rock that cute new Jo-Jo bow or even that hat that you know has to come off when they walk in the front door. Have any props prepared prior to that day. The chalk boards and signs are very popular but nobody wants to be writing favorite food at 7am.


Location

Choose an area with a backdrop that is not distracting. A wall, in front of a special tree, or even in front of the sign at school are all great locations. Backdrops like the school parking lot have millions of distracting things in the background which take away from the subject. Nobody wants to see the massive traffic jam in the background. The area should be well lit. A dark living room is not going to show all the finer details of that awesome outfit they picked out. Natural lighting is always best especially in the early morning hours right after sunrise. Put the sun to their back so they are not squinting staring directly at it.


Relax

Easier said than done, I know. Everyone's tensions are naturally higher, kids are nervous, parent's are nervous/excited/scared/happy/sad... Get them excited for the first day. Don't make it an embarrassing show for them. Instead tell them "Yo, that outfit looks awesome. You should let me take a picture for you to put on your Instagram. What teenager doesn't want to have that fresh new profile picture. For the younger ones, give them the baby blanket to hold onto or some other props and explain to them how they will get to play with legos to help them learn counting, math, etc.


Zoom in

Yes take that full body photo to show how big they are and what their outfit looks like. Also zoom in on their smile, their missing teeth, their freckles. These are memories that you will cherish forever. Take the close up of their shoes and tell them how awesome they look (Best part about this is in 20 years they will say, "mom, you let me where this").


Involvement

Get Grandpa in the picture or even siblings. Tomorrow is never promised and these images can last a lifetime and mean so much more than you will ever know. If all else fails and you feel that you just can't get the perfect shot, Contact me and schedule a back to school session. Always remember that moments like these pass quick and do not return.


Have a Happy and SAFE new school year and be sure to tag Bearded Image Photography in all those shots you capture.