Your back-to-school photos present opportunities to let creativity help mark the occasion by adding fun touches and, with a bit of planning, celebrate the moments you want to hold onto forever. Here are five tips to spark ideas for memorable back-to-school photos.
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Use school and favorite locations. Situate your back-to-school photos in locations and next to landmarks that have a special meaning. You could select spots at the school entrance, in school hallways, and even sitting at a new desk in a classroom. Taking pictures at home can add familiarity in comfortable settings and give you control over lighting and background colors. Outdoor photos can capture the time of year with a change in the season that represents the turning of a calendar page.
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Keep your back-to-school photos natural. There’ll be plenty of time throughout the year for standard class or yearbook style photos. This is an opportunity to have fun and let the excitement of the day bubble to the surface. Let personalities shine through with the joy of the moment. Include other family member to show the passage of time and changes that you all went through over the years. It can fun to look back on the day and laugh at hair styles and fashion choices.
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Add props to help tell the story visually. Props can add a personal touch to your back-to-school photos and can bring interesting elements like favorite books or toys into the frame. You can find or create fun ways to indicate new grade levels with numbered signs or decorations. New clothing with school mascots or boasting school colors can indicate advances through grades, and photos of new backpacks and supplies indicate fresh beginnings. Props can also break up space and create layers and depth to make your photos more appealing and artistic.
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Change Levels of Perspective. Show the impact of the day through different camera perspectives that result in memorable and unique back-to-school photos. Get down and see what the front doors to the school or a room full of desks look like from a small child’s viewpoint. Get back-to-school photos from a bird’s eye view to create more artistic and dynamic shots and experiment with photos from different angles for unique pictures.
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Keep it candid. It’s okay to pose your children for more traditional back-to-school photos, but sometimes it can be those candid, unscripted moments you capture that turn out being the most memorable. Follow your children as they prepare for their big day and are collecting school supplies and packing backpacks and getting ready to board the bus. Take photos of your children on the move to add action and excitement to your shots and capture genuine moments of happiness.
Bonus Tip. The first day of school can be stressful enough without the added pressure of hurrying through the morning trying to capture great photos. If possible, take location photos a day or two before the big day so you have time to set up shots or account for weather or other distractions. You should start the new school day early and prepare your children as much as possible for the disruptions that may be part of the process.
Taking terrific back-to-school photos can capture your child’s personality at a key moment in their lives, and bring years of smiles and warm memories when you view them again in photo albums or journals. These five tips will help you make them even better.
