How to get amazing back to school photos of your kids- 8 Tips for parents

In 2021, if you don’t take a bunch of pictures of your kids on their first day of school, are you even a parent?? Seriously though, first days are big! And we modern parents (or is it ‘us parents’? hmm maybe I need to go back to school) are all about recording all the moments, big and small, that make up our lives. So why not learn a few tips and make those photos you’re snapping even better? Read on!

Schedule more time than you think you need – if you want to get a genuine first day of school photo taken on the first day of school, and you want to get a shot you’ll love, make sure to schedule in enough time so that you can get the photos without the stress of the bus coming any second. Wake up extra early and plan to spend about 5-15 minutes per child (depending on age and level of cooperation you’re working with). A calm parent equals a calm child equals a happy, natural first day of school photo!
Go outside! There’s nothing nicer than natural light- so get out of the house, even if it’s just right by your front door, and take the photos outside.
Think about the lighting– the general rule for outdoor photos is to avoid putting your subject in direct sunlight. They’ll be squinting and their skin can end up having bright spots or dark, shadowy patches. Try to find a spot with nice, even lighting, such as the open shade of your house or nearby trees etc.
Choose a simple, non distracting background – when choosing a spot to use for photos, choose a background that won’t compete with your subject. Before you snap, look at what’s in the frame- if there are random toys, a chain link fence, street signs, other people, etc, move to another location where the focus will stay on your child. Some greenery, a neutral wall, the side of your house, or even just your front door can work great.
Consider using the same exact spot every year– I photograph my own kids in the same spot in front of my house every year. I love seeing exactly how they’ve grown and changed as compared to the background! (In the photo collage below you can see my oldest and youngest in the exact same spot on our front path for multiple years (besides the last images- we moved to a new house recently- but the greenery at our current house sort of looks similar anyway).
Get down on their level – When you’re shooting the photo, bend down as needed so that your phone or camera is eye level with your child. This creates a much more engaging and true to life portrait than if you take it from your standing adult height.
Compose properly– For a full length shot, make sure to include their whole body, and leave just a little space above their heads and below their feet. But don’t take it from so far away that they’re lost in the scene. Take a close up as well- you’ll capture the details of their faces better, and since you’ll be doing this every year it’s a great way to capture their growth.
Don’t tell them to smile-make them smile! Instead of just saying “ok, smile”, talk to your kids as you snap. Tell them how big and mature they look, and really mean it- you’ll get a natural smile. To loosen up an older child, ask them questions to get them talking, for example, “What are you most excited for today?” or “How does it feel to be a ___ grader?” To get a bigger smile and some laughs, quickly switch gears and say ok, on the count of three yell poop (feel free to substitute for any silly word of your choosing) as loud as you can!” Then snap a bunch of pictures as they process what you just said and actually yell it (sorry, neighbors!)

I hope these tips make it easier for you to capture amazing back to school photos of your kids! If you want to learn some more phone photography tips that will teach you to take gorgeous photos of your kids anytime, anywhere, including a whole section on getting great expressions- click here to join my FREE online mini course!