Take your own School Photos

Many schools aren’t doing picture day, and even if they are many parents don’t feel comfortable sending their kids in for that, especially if you’ve chosen virtual. But, we still want school pictures of our kids. Here is a guide to take them in the comfort of your own home! You don’t need a fancy camera; a cell phone will work great too!

You’ll need some sort of a camera, a background (wall, garden, bush, bedsheet, etc), a bench or chair for your child to sit on, and patience.

First, find a spot with a good, solid background, like an empty wall. Remove frames if you need to. Outside would be lovely too, if you have siding you like or a pretty bush. If it is a sunny day, look for somewhere shady; a cloudy day opens up more options as you can set up almost anywhere outside. Indoors, sunny days are better as you have more light, but it creates a few issues, such as harsh light. If the lighting is too harsh, hanging sheer curtains or thin white sheets over the window will help to soften the light. Try to set up close enough to a window to get light but out of the direct, harsh light.

A great way to find the great lighting, indoors or out, is to stand near where you hope to take the picture. Hold your arm out in front of you, your palm facing your face. Turn slowly in a circle, watching the shadows on your hand. When you get even lighting on your hand, so no shadows, you’ve found the spot you should position your child. Another way is to use your phone camera on selfie mode, and watch the shadows on your face as you turn. You want a soft, even light on your hand/face.

If you have nowhere with a background that you like, you can always hang a sheet or blanket. Painters tape works well to hold fabric to the wall. Try to get any wrinkles or folds out. Patterns or textures are fine, just try not to have one that is very small, loud, or bright.

Place your bench or chair about 2-3 feet away from the background you chose. If you want to practice a bit without your child losing interest, like mine would, putting a stuffed animal or pet on the seat would be a great way to make sure the spot you picked looks as good in pictures as it does in your imagination. 

Position yourself about a two feet in front of your child. Have your child sit facing you, legs slightly angled away from you and shoulder and face turned towards you. Get low, your camera or phone level with your child's face. Hold the camera straight up and down, not tipped forwards or backward. Frame your shot to be from the waist up. The closer you get to your child, the better the separation from the background will be. You could use Portrait Mode if you have an iPhone, but that can create weird jagged edges, especially around your child’s hair.

Make sure your child is looking at the camera and smiling, and take your picture! Crop or straighten the picture as needed!