Skip to main content

School Photos Are Not As Easy as You'd Think

Every year I do a load of school portraits and I rarely get the chance to share them as I never share anything without permission. Gaining permission is just that bit more difficult when you don't meet face to face with many parents. So I just don't bother. But this year I thought I'd give it a go and get some permissions as they are just too lovely not to share.

(You know you got it right when you show Mum and she gets tears in her eyes - this family has been coming to me for years now and I love watching them grow) 

School portraits give me a chance to work very differently than usual. In some ways its not how I like to work at all but in others its a chance for a little freedom. You see for me, I like to be a perfectionist with my work. And being such can be draining. This usually means creating just a few really great portraits for my studio clients and having all the time in the world in which to do so. With school portraits on the other hand, there is only so much I can do. So I have to let some of the perfectionist in me go. And that can actually be quite liberating at times.

(Sometimes kids pose themselves and get it so right)

My studio sessions regularly last as long as 4 hours, depending on the type of shoot. So that is 4 hours to maybe work with 2-5 people to get possibly 10-20 fantastic images. Schools on the other hand will be about 6 hours to photograph 200 people as both individuals and sibling groups to get roughly 500 acceptable photos (which I always still try my best to make perfect). So as you can imagine, it all works a little differently. And to be honest, I take longer than many other school photographers, from what I am told. I basically get no more than 60 seconds per child which can make it difficult to get that perfect smile every time no matter how hard I try. But when it doesn't happen, I've learned over time to let it go. This is where the feeling of freedom comes from and why schools can be a break for me just by being a change from what I am used to.


With the youngest of children they are often so shy and a little scared that we can't always get the best with them. And with the older children they can be a little self conscious or in need of looking cool in front of their peers. Either way, getting that quintessential smiling portrait isn't always possible. Not to mention that as soon as first break hits, there is little chance that the flawless hair styles will remain. The girls come back with their perfect pig tails springing leaks and the boys come in with red faces and damp sweaty hair. Not really the ideal scenario for perfect portraits.


However, for me the perfect school portrait is about capturing the child at school being themselves. I have many photos of my daughter at school looking less than pristine and one time as miserable as can be but every time they were still perfect to me because it was always as I would expect my daughter to be. Her miserable portrait was when she was 2 and painfully shy and I love that memory. And her slightly tatty hair was exactly how I saw her everyday when she came running out to me at the gates at the end of the day.


This is what school portraits are. There are other times and places to get photos with everything just so. At school the photos are whatever we manage to capture. But please know that I always try my absolute hardest in that short time I have to get something each parent will love. I know they aren't always perfect but I'm always still proud of what I create under those circumstances. I think if more parents could witness the process they'd appreciate just how difficult it really is.


In 2018 I will be offering 2 different types of sessions in our studio for people wanting school photos with a bit extra. As always I will be setting a couple of dates for basic school photos in a 10 minute session where my usual school print and digital prices apply. This is for standard straightforward school photos only.  In addition to this I will be offering extended sessions at my mini session price of £125 for 3 digital files. This session will differ in terms of the amount of time spent (45 minutes instead of 10), props used and an outfit change so not all photos need to look like school photos. This will be a great opportunity to get regular updated portraits of your child and at a reduced rate from my usual studio fees.


If you would like to be added to my mailing list for such school photos please get in contact using the links below and you'll be notified as soon as the dates are set. Please note that we will not bombard you with loads of emails (or share any of your details). This list is for school photos only and will be used for just a few emails per year.  

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

London in Spring, Whats Not to Love?

Well I know there is still a lot not to love but I'm choosing to see the great things about London at the moment. I am having a ball this year visiting London as often as I can. Which is unusual for me since I usually prefer the comfort of my own home, in rural old Leicestershire. Staying home and avoiding people has always been the easy option. But this year, possibly due to the wonderful weather we keep having, has me longing for venturing out. Again, just like my last trip, I headed out with my good friend Panikos Hajistilly . Living in North London he finds it easy to meet up for our shoots. This time though I had more of an idea of the sights I wanted to use as the backdrops for my portraits. With it being spring I was in search of colour, preferably flowers. Admittedly. I didn't quite get what I was looking for. The white fronted terraced houses with pink magnolia trees we did not find unfortunately. But I did make it to Peggy Porchen's which was a must see on m...

Family Photos with Flair - Vanity Fair Style Family Portraits

This style of portrait continues to be the eye catching success I had always hoped it would be. Once again I created a beautiful family portrait that I am really proud of and I know this family loves too. Over the years I have developed this style through influences such as Vanity Fair and the many photographers I follow, though I hope that there is something in here that is entirely my own. Having my work easily identified as my own was a goal of mine from the start. Getting to the point where people will want not just a portrait but a Christina Lauder portrait is where I've always wanted to be and I'm hoping I'm on way. These portraits were created for the family of two professional photographers who wanted some portraits of their own. Family portraits isn't really something one can do of oneself, at least not easily. So they needed the services of another and I was honoured to be chosen for the job. They chose me not just for my style but also for my ab...

Never Work With Children or Animals

Or so the saying goes. But I have to say that working with dogs has been so lovely. They have been almost entirely a dream to work with. I say almost entirely because we have had a few moments where a dog has needed to settle. And one moment where the dog had settled but one of my cats decided to have a look through the glass door which, as you can imagine, rather quickly unsettled the dog. Still, that didn't stop us from creating incredible work. In fact it was during that shoot with the cat instance when I created two of my favourite pieces, shown below. (It was while sitting on the couch here when he noticed the cat peering through the curtain) I don't know if I've just been lucky or all dogs are just easy to work with. I photographed a french bull dog puppy and I thought that would be tough as he hadn't had time to be properly trained yet. But he did everything we wanted in no time at all. And this included the props we used here (below), which to me...

Teen Portraits - Prom Season is Just Around the Corner

If your child is heading to prom in the next couple of months I'd say there is probably no better time than now to have portraits created of your growing teen. With the purchase of a new (and probably expensive) outfit wouldn't it be nice to capture this milestone with a portrait created by a professional. Across the pond this is a hugely popular time to create portraits, and although I am not American (I'm Canadian) I wholeheartedly agree that this is a special moment to record. My prom was a key memory in my teen years and in fact I myself had professional portraits created also. I think I'll go dig them up if I can, though admittedly I think my mother has them back in Canada. I wonder if I can get her to scan one for me. My daughter is currently making plans for college and in the running is one that will move her away from home, as many others are probably experiencing for themselves, particularly those who are 18. This makes it all the more important to ...

I Got Me a Gold

Nearly every month I enter an online competition with the SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers). Each month nearly 2000 images are entered in various categories from photographers all over the world. They are judged by a highly qualified professional and given a score of either Bronze, Silver or Gold. All Gold winners are put forward into the annual competition where they have the chance to win Photographer of the Year for its category. Well this month I was awarded a Gold in the Pet Category with the image below. This isn't the first gold I have been awarded, just the first since I started my blog. If you wish to see my other gold images please visit my website and check out our awards section. Click here to see my awards page Hopefully I will have many more of these to show you in the future.