The perfect first day of school photos: 3 tips to consider

The first day of school is on the horizon, and before you know it you’ll be posing those kiddos with their little first day outfits and snapping that classic first day photo to share with family and friends. And yes, I know sometimes (all the time) just getting out of the house on time is chaotic enough without adding photos to the mix. But if you are like me and you enjoy seeing how your kids change from year to year via first day of school photos, I’ve put together a list of some of the things I like to consider when taking photos at the beginning of a new school year.

Tips for the perfect first day of school photos

1. Capture your surroundings

Photograph your student in a spot that shows his/her home. I personally like to get the front door in the shot or part of our front porch, depending on the light I’m working with. You could also try to get your address numbers in the shot if it works out.

The photo is of course, about the kid, but I think being intentional about where you’re photographing that kid adds an additional layer that will add to the nostalgia of the photo in the years to come.

2. Today’s “normal” is tomorrow’s “awww remember that?”

I love to capture noteworthy aspects that make my kids who they are in this moment in time. Of course one easy way to do this is to photograph them with a little sign that shows the details of their teacher for that year, what they want to be when they get older, their favorite things, etc.

But I also want to document that cute little gap in their smile where their tooth hasn’t grown in yet, or, in the case of my oldest, those big teeth that are growing in behind her wiggly teeth. We call it shark mouth.

Remember, these are first day of school photos so capture their backpack on them – is it huge on them still? As they get older you’ll see it become more proportional. Capture that haircut they gave themselves with those scissors that were left unattended or that “broccoli cut” your 12-year-old son insisted on getting this year.

Capture their sneakers, their giant water bottle covered in stickers. All of these are things that seem normal and everyday right now but one day you’ll wake up and your son will say, “mom, I don’t want these poop stickers on my water bottle anymore.” Speaking from experience here.

3. Get siblings in the shot together

If you only get one shot, try to make it one where all the siblings are together with their backpacks on. And don’t zoom in too far. Try to frame it where you can see their height next to each other, a “full body shot” as Kip would say from Napoleon Dynamite. Very specific reference there, but if you get it you get it.

Bonus: If you have pets, include them! One day years from now your kid will look back at that photo and say “oh yeah, I remember that hamster. Buffy! She was mean.” Or “Aw look at little Archie. He was such a good dog. I miss that boy.”

And don’t forget: the best camera is the one you have

The busier life gets, the more I’ve accepted that using my “big fancy” camera is not always the most practical option.

This is probably just me having to encourage myself, but for the other person reading this let me just tell you: your phone takes good photos. Use it if you need to for your first day of school photos. And you can edit them as needed using the editing program that is already on your phone, print them, and they’ll be great. Just don’t leave out that last step. You don’t want these photos lost in the cloud forever.

Now go snap those first day of school photos

Or second day, or third, or first weekend. Listen, nobody will know (and you won’t even remember) if it is actually the first day of school when you take these photos. If you want to really focus and get some good documentation, but you know that’s not in the cards on a weekday morning, take your time and do it on the weekend.

The point is to get these keepsake images for the future. So go forth and photograph those kids, tweens or teens of yours. You’ll be glad you did.

3 tips for taking the perfect first day of school photos

Erica Hurlburt is an award winning Ventura County Photographer & Santa Barbara Family Photographer who specializes in newborn, family and school photography. Her style tends toward cleaner, classic images, both in how they’re composed and edited. Her goal in every session is to keep things relaxed and fun and to create images that are both meaningful and unique.

Erica serves clients in Camarillo, Ventura County, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Westlake,
Malibu, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Ojai and beyond.