Anyone else still have their school photos from when they were a kid? I do. And every time I look at those pictures with the marbled backdrops and unfortunate choices of props, I think, why is this the standard way school photos are done?
And the craziest thing to me, is that it hasn’t changed much since I was a kid. Can’t these be better? Shouldn’t we have school pictures that we actually want to hang up and display of our children?
Then one day I saw a school photo in one of the online photography groups I am in that was unlike any I have ever seen. It was beautiful and classic looking: plain backdrop, no props, natural light. I had to learn more! So I took the online course of Elena S Blair “SCHOOLED” and fell completely in love with the idea of taking not just good, but GREAT school photos.
I was the school photos photographer for Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool, a loving and supportive co-op preschool in Oakhurst neighborhood in Decatur, GA. At this preschool the age range is from two to five year olds.
I am going to be honest: I had SO MUCH FUN taking school photos!
Kids are amazing. It is one of the reasons I love being a mom and a family photographer. Children have so much personality that they can’t help but let shine through. I think these simple, classic set up for a school photo allows for me to capture the genuine expressions and attitudes of the children.
Probably one of my favorite parts from this school photo shoot was when one of the little girls did not want her picture taken. It is important to me to never force a child to do something, so instead, I made a game out of it. I had a little monkey finger puppet that I brought with me that day. I asked my photo assistant to hide the monkey behind me and then I said loudly, “Has anyone seen my monkey? I think he is hiding from me AGAIN?” Then I asked the little girl, “Have you seen my silly monkey? He likes to play hide and seek, and I can’t find him!” I had my camera primed and ready. Then, on cue, my assistant had the monkey pop up over my shoulder. The little girl squealed, “THERE HE IS!!” and got super giggly.
The other kids in the class that were waiting for the school photos joined it too. The monkey continue to pop up “surprising” me and being silly. I had him sit on top of my camera claiming it was his favorite spot to hang out. This goofy game allowed the kids to relax and have fun and I got some great pictures of them.
I love the challenge of trying to get genuine smiles and giggles from the kids and make sure it is a good experience for everyone. In fact, I had a parent let me know a couple days later that his son kept talking about how much fun school photos were. That, to me, is one of the best compliments I could think of as a school photographer.
Monica Conlin is a natural light family and newborn lifestyle photographer that specializes in newborn photography, Fresh 48 photography, smash cake photography, school photography, maternity photography, and family photography. Monica is based in Decatur, GA and services Decatur and the Atlanta metro area.
