August 26th, 2009
In Part 1, we covered suggestions for hair and touch-up. Today we’ll look at 3 more key aspects of the annual school photo experience.
The clothes. Remember — you want the picture to reflect the way your child actually looked during this school year. Refrain from purchasing a photo-day frilly dress for your tomboy, or an ultra-preppy shirt for your casual son. If you’re feeling particularly brave, you could let your child choose his or her outfit for picture day…or if the thought of that gives you the shivers, try selecting 3 appropriate outfits and letting your child make the final pick. Having some say-so in the choice of clothes may make him or her more likely to smile while in front of the camera.
The pose. Any time you grab your camera to snap a candid pic is a great time to help your child learn to smile naturally in photos. Nobody likes the look of forced smiles and “fake” expressions, and the best photographers know how to coax natural smiles from kids….but school photographers who are shooting portraits en masse may not represent the creme de la creme in the world of child photographers. Remind your child to think about something they love to do, a favorite memory or a cherished pet (one that’s still alive, preferably!) to prompt a more natural smile during photo time.
The order form. Nowadays, the number of options available are somewhat mind-boggling, and it’s easy to go overboard. Remember that most photographers and studios keep digital files on year for a year (or longer) and you can always re-order if it turns out you need more copies. Don’t believe us? How many copies of last year’s school photo do you still have on hand? And the year before. That should give you a good idea of whether or not you tend to order too few, too many, or just right.
Enjoy this year’s school photos and remember…if they don’t come out the way you want, there’s always ‘retake day.’
Leave a Reply
