Did you just get your Picture Day school photos back?

Do you actually like them for the quality of the photo or do you like them for their entertainment value? For me, I like to compare them to the photos that I take to see the comedic differences in the kids I see in “big box” school photos versus the ones that I take. My son said “I was bleached in my picture.”

Do the school photos you have of your kids reflect who they really are?

No? I can help with that.

When was the last time you had a school photo embody ALL the aspects of your child?

What words would you use to describe your child? Fun, happy, silly, quiet, thoughtful, boisterous, introverted, talkative, animated… those are all adjectives that I hear people use when then talk about their kids. Sometimes all of those could be used to describe ONE child!

traditional school pictures vs. fine-art school portraits

Traditional school photos are taken very quickly, posed, and a smile is often called for by the photographer saying “Say cheese!” or some other silly phrase. I have received photos of my children that barely look like the kids I know. They look uncomfortable or stiff.

My fine-art school portraits are the opposite of traditional school pictures. My favorite thing is to ask a kid something about themselves to elicit a bit personality from them.

I’ll ask them to tell me about their favorite animal, subject, or sport. I’ve been known to crack some really bad knock-knock jokes, or tell the “what’s black and white and red all over?” joke. It works really well with preschoolers. Also a favorite for preschool pictures, “Does a chicken say woof-woof?” Sometimes I get a look of disbelief that I don’t know what sound a chicken makes, sometimes I get a huge giggle, and sometimes I get clucking or “cock a doodle doo!”. Teens are pretty fun too. I ask them about how their parents annoy them. Some gleefully answer so mom or dad can hear the answer, others will give me a knowing grin and plead the 5th.

My point is, through conversation or observation of the more quiet kids, I see who they are because I give them room to breathe and show me who they are.

If you are a school administrator and want “school pictures” like these, contact me here.  I’d love to talk to you about doing fine-art school portraits at your school!

If you are a parent and want these at your school, drop me a line and let me know your school info and a good contact to get in touch with there. Or if you want these just for you, ask me when my next in-studio school portrait event is at Saltwater Studio Seattle.