7 Tips for great back to school photos • Maryland school photographer
Summer is winding down and we are all getting ready for school. to start again As many parents, taking a photo of my kids on their first day is a yearly tradition. This is something my dad used to do as well and I have all my school years documented up to high school!
I wanted to share a few tips for getting great back-to-school photos of your kids and telling the story of that special morning. It’s also a good time to dust off your big camera and snap a few pictures but these tips also work if you use your cell phone.
Make sure you allow enough time to take the photos. The first day is often a bit frantic as everyone is excited and/ or anxious to return to school. Kids might not want to cooperate for a long time either so be ready, you’ll only have a small window to get the shot.
Find the right light. Look for natural light in a shady area like a front porch. You can place your child at the edge of the shade so the light illuminates his/ her face evenly.
Move your kiddo away from the background, it usually doesn’t look good. Instead, move your student a couple of feet away to create depth between him/ her and the backdrop. If you use a DSLR in manual mode, you can use a large aperture (f/1.2 or f/1.6, f/1.8) to blur the background with a beautiful shallow focus effect.
If you have your phone only, use the portrait mode and adjust your distance to your subject to blur the background. Pay attention to colors and adjust depending on your kid’s clothes.Get some details. I like to photograph their backpacks and lunchboxes. You can photograph their chubby hands holding the bag, the new shoes, their uniform…
Individual and sibling portraits. I always take an individual shot of each of my kids and them together.
NO “cheese”, please! Instead, ask questions so they’ll be more relaxed and less stiff. Ask them: how do you feel (thumbs up or down?), show me how old you are with your fingers, jump and freeze, show me your backpack on your back, tilt your head on one side…
The poses will be more natural. Do not hesitate to take a bunch and keep only 1 or 2 from each series.Include a variety of shots. From details to head-to-toe portraits, take them all! Try to fill the frame with your subject (face or body). and have your child look up to you. It will create catch light in his eyes.
Other things you can photograph besides back-to-school days:
Your morning routine. Maybe wait a few days/ weeks until the routine is set. Things like waking up, brushing teeth, combing hair, lunchboxes on the counter, backpacks at the front door, walking to the bus stop, the car ride… There are lots of things to document and to remember.
After-school activities. Document what happens when the school day is done: you meet friends at the park, have a snack on your front porch, play in your backyard…