Picture Day: The School Photo is NOT Your Only Option!

{Mount Pleasant, SC Children’s Photographer}

NOTE: The intent of this post is to illustrate the difference between the images taken by a boutique photography studio and your run-of-the-mill school photographer. However, being a stickler for Copyright Law AND not wanting to tick off Lifetouch (who probably has a slew of staff attorneys that deal with this stuff) I have chosen NOT to include my children’s yearbook photos.  If you’re interested in FaceTiming with me, I’d be more than happy to share them with you.  Otherwise, just imagine pretty crappy photos with messy-haired, smirking faces that don’t even resemble my own kids.

If your child attends school, it’s highly likely that once or twice a year the contracted photography studio makes a trip to the school for PICTURE DAY, sets up some lighting setup in the gym or library, and herds your children like cattle through their cloudy blue backdrops for the requisite yearbook photo.

My mom bought my brother’s and my school photo EVERY year.  There was no preview, she just had to take what they gave her.  She proudly cut up those sheets of photos and slipped them into the Christmas cards sent to family and friends afar.  They weren’t necessarily the best photos ever taken of her children, but she wanted to give the yearly update to loved ones so that they could see that we got taller, lost teeth, had braces, and went through “the bangs phase” . . .

I look back on those photos now with a mixture of amusement and distaste.  Not one after the age of five was ever flattering, but if I couldn’t look back on myself and laugh, I’d surely cry.  Why didn’t anyone ever tell me to comb my hair or straighten my collar?  Or wipe those crumbs from my face (obviously school pics were taken just after lunch that year)?

There was the year I’d decided to cut my own bangs.  No further explanation needed.

Then there was the year I thought I’d sneak makeup on after I’d left the house, only to realize that my mother would be the one actually getting the picture.  Of me.  WITH said makeup on.  Ooops.

And my favorite picture was my sophomore year of high school.  I spent hours setting my hair on those heated curling rods, sleeping on those lumps, just to get the PERFECT perm-like curls.  Then my ride to school drove on the highway in the 90-degree, 100% Florida humidity with the windows down the whole way . . . frizz city and melted makeup.

My mother loved those pictures because they were ME, and mothers love their children unconditionally, even if they look utterly awful in their school pictures.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t do BETTER than the school yearbook picture to capture your child at each age.

Many parents (especially those of high school seniors!) are opting out of purchasing the school photo.   They find that using a boutique photography studio offers overall increased value than the school photographer in the customer service, attention to detail, amount of time, and heirloom-quality products that they offer.  Here are some of the things they enjoy about using a professional photographer.

• Customized portrait sessions that incorporate the things your child LOVES to do.  Does your son like to climb trees?  Does your daughter love to have a tea party with her dolls?  Let’s do it!  Including a little of your child’s personality into their session is an amazing way to remember WHO they are (not just what they look like) at that age.
• Any background is better than a school photo background!   Why not get your child’s portrait taken in your home, their bedroom, or in the beautiful outdoors?
• More natural smiles.  Wouldn’t you rather have a picture of your child laughing than a forced smile?  My sessions include REAL FUN, and I never ask your child to say “cheese.”
• Props.  Many parents like to include some of the child’s “favorites” in their photos with them.
• Multiple poses and locations.  Get more than just one headshot and one pose.  Full length shots are great for a memory of their growth.  I also love to get the little details of your child, like their sweet little scraped knees and teeny tiny chipped fingernails.  These are such defining characteristics of their age.
• Custom designed packages for you.  Not many people use wallet sized photos anymore, so why would you need them in your school photo package?  Order just what you need and want with a professional studio.
• More product options.  Love canvas?  Ever seen a metal print?  Little accordion albums to share with the grandparents?  There are lots of unique and amazing products out there, and something you will love having as an option.
• Digital archives.  Who doesn’t need or want a digital copy of their keepsake pictures?  It also makes sharing on social media that much easier!
• Add a sibling… or two…  Doesn’t it make your heart swoon to see pictures of all the kids enjoying each other together?

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the big box studio photographers who (bless their patient little hearts) deal with hoards of schoolchildren day-in and day-out.  I purchase the class photo from school or the group photo from the dance studio every single time so that I can look back and remember who their friends were.  But if you are looking to capture your child and their true personality in a beautiful portrait commemorating this age, turn to a boutique professional photographer who can give you an exquisite experience from beginning to end!