Technology has forever changed the way school photographers work, but some school photographers are still stuck in the stone ages. Here is an overview of our approach to professional school photography. If you look on the wall of any mothers home you will find cherished memories framed for every year. No matter how silly the photo, school photographs are remembered for a lifetime.
Like most things that have a deep rooted tradition, technology has made school portraits much more exciting. Many schools go with the traditional school pose for their fall program. But did you know a lot of schools use spring pictures as a fundraiser and have fun doing it?
There are so many school photographers available today that the decision to choose a school photographer can be a difficult one. A school photographer in San Diego is going to have a different program than a local company in a small town. For school photographers in San Diego, most decisions are made by the administrative staff, while others are left to the PTO or PTA. However, with school staffs being spread so thin these days, many schools are leaving the decision to the PTO.
Listen to word of mouth. Good school photographers will have people talking about them. They will also have a good selection of experienced, professional school photographers to run your school picture day. It is always good to take a look at the company’s website to see their overall philosophy.
Something else to consider when choosing a photographer is who is actually taking the school pictures. You might want to ask for sample pictures taken by the actual photographers who will be at your school picture day. Many schools ask to meet the photographers who will be working at their school, which isn’t a bad idea. You want a photographer who will allow the kids to relax, because when kids are relaxed they take better pictures. This in turn leads to parents who are satisfied with their school pictures.
Another consideration when selecting a photography company is how much work will be required of the school. Many companies, like MVP Studios, a San Diego photographer, provide all the staff needed for picture day and require no volunteers from the school. When a company takes most of the work off of the school they are well valued.
Other photographers prefer teacher and parent volunteer involvement on picture day. There is a rational explanation for this, that the parents and staff know the students better. However, if your photographer is experienced in taking school photos, the kids will warm up to them very quickly. Plus, parents are not experienced in running a school picture day, that should be the job of the school photographer.
Most fall pictures are done through a pre pay program, meaning order forms are sent home in advance and parents choose the photo package they want and send it back with the money before the pictures are taken. This is the most efficient way to handle the process and reduces waste from photo packages that are sent home never to be purchased.
Many school photographers offer a proof program, which allows the parents to see the photos before placing an order. However, most photographers and schools find that proof programs for fall school pictures are not worth the hassle. Some schools run special family photo day sessions as fundraisers, typically held in the spring. With these programs, families pay a sitting fee that usually goes to the school. After the family pictures are taken the families preview their photos and choose what to purchase.
Most spring photo programs will be tailored to meet the needs of the school and can be a great school fundraising idea. That said, they can be time consuming and as with any school fundraiser, schools need to weigh the time and effort against the amount of money that can be raised.
The beauty of digital photography is the ability to decrease the need for retakes. Now, a school photographer can snap a picture and look on a screen to see if the child’s eyes are closed or if it is a bad picture.
The other great thing about digital is the amount of custom products that are available. Nowadays, a photographer can take one image and crop it multiple ways so it looks like different poses were taken. If you combine that with green screen technology, the possibilities are endless.
Many companies make the digital images available on the web for download or to reorder additional products. MVP Studios actually gives the original image with a copyright release for free with every package that is purchased. This is something that you will see more of in the years to come. The days of holding negatives hostage are soon to be over.
I have seen some pretty poor school picture programs over the years, which leads me to the most important factor when choosing your school photographer, quality.
School portraits are a time honored tradition and they are part of growing up. You need to make sure the photos that are taken are worthy of hanging on a parents wall for the next 30 years or more. If there is one thing that every principal I have ever met states is most important, it is quality school pictures.
There are many good school photographers in San Diego and across the country. You do not have to settle for low quality school pictures in front of a grey background.