How to Take Great 1st Day of School Photos in New Orleans
Starting the morning schedule in the Fall can be a overwhelming for kids and parents, but if you want some help on how to take great 1st day of school photos, here are 5 Photographer Tips to make it a great photo. It’s that time of year again, the day when all you moms and dads become the documentarian of your family and take those back to school photos in New Orleans. In just a few weeks, all these littles will be starting a new year. They are probably excited and maybe just a little scared. I know my two kids, now going into 5th and 11th grade, are feeling all the feels. These emotions are great memories to be recorded.
5 Photographer Tips for How to Take Great 1st Day of School Photos
- Find a good location outside and in the shade. The shade helps with squinting eyes and blowing out the details on lighter clothing. Keep the background as simple as possible, a front or back door can work great. Beautiful even lighting is what you are lookin for most, and as children are not always the best at standing still, finding a big patch of shade will help.
- Tap your iPhone screen at the brightest part of the screen and if needed slide toggle bar that appears down so you are not over-exposing the highlights. You can also toggle up if you feel your child’s face is too dark.
- Try using portrait mode on your iPhone to change the depth of field to a ‘blurry” backdrop for a couple of photos. This can help a lot when you have a busier background. You might be prompted to move closer or farther away so your iPhone camera can focus on your child’s face best.
- Take more than one photo. In fact take 10. Have your kids look at their hands and then back up at you for a natural look. Instead of saying “cheese” tell them to repeat a silly word really fast like “chunky monkey.” And if you are fast with that shutter, you can ask them to jump in place, starting slow and getting faster. More than likely, this will make them giggle for a natural smile.
- Practice the day before. Pick a spot, you can even put a little “X” on the ground with chalk so they know where to stand. Talk about how they will get to look back at this on their last day of school and see how much they have grown. Whatever it takes to get them excited and help you with capturing 1st day of school pictures of your little ones
Three years of back to school pictures of my daughter- 3rd, 4th and 5th grade.
If you feel like adding a sign or chalkboard to your back to school photos in New Orleans, there are some fun ideas here! And some free printable here! It’s best to keep your back to school pictures easy and quick, so make sure you have all the signs printed out or made by the night before. And if possible, build in 5-10 minutes extra time (not easy to do, I know!). That way you aren’t stressed about being late. And if you have multiple kids starting their new year, make sure to take one group photo. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and to get them to cooperate, you can ask your kids who is tallest this year. That usually gets them shoulder to shoulder.
And if you just don’t have the energy to get your kids to cooperate, here’s a good alternative photo that one mom took back in 2020 that still works today!
Good luck with these new routines and busy mornings, finding a moment for a photo can be difficult but well worth it. I hope these 5 photographer tips for how to take great 1st Day of School photos helps! Back to school time is one of my favorite times to scroll Facebook or Instagram (Halloween being a close second). I love seeing all those little faces with their brand new backpacks and missing teeth. Please keep sharing!
And when you are ready to start thinking about those Fall family photos where you can hand the reins over to a professional, make sure to reach out! Find out more about the best locations for family photos in New Orleans HERE! And reach out to Jennifer HERE!
Jennifer Zdon is an award-winning photographer based in New Orleans, LA, and specializes in capturing the beauty of maternity, newborn and family moments. With a focus on lifestyle photography, she creates relaxed, natural and joyful images that resonate with her clients. Clients invest in digital images and beautiful artwork for their home to showcase these cherished memories.
