Ever wondered what goes into a school photo day? The short answer is a lot. Capturing the images of a thousand students or more is a complex process with a long list of variables. If mismanaged, school photo day can result in unnecessary stresses and disappointment for administrators, teachers, students and parents.
Whether you’re a school administrator or a photographer, enjoy these 5 key insights from our Photographic Manager Mark Bloothoofd on what goes into the making of a successful school photo day.
Do Your Homework
We put a lot of time and effort into the planning of our school photo days with all of our schools. This gives us an understanding of what schools are hoping to achieve with their school photos and the day of photography. Knowing the school’s best features helps us produce the most complementary group photographs. Also, determining the various location options can help with a well-run and efficient school photo day. Even though we have existing relationships with schools throughout Victoria, we always do site visits or have in-depth discussions with our schools to ensure we have the right and most up-to-date information.
Train for the Event
Good school photography requires a very specific skill set. That’s why we never leave school photo days to inexperienced photographers. To ensure the process of capturing staff, students and classes is streamlined and successful, every member of our photography team undergoes a comprehensive training program. Careful preparation and extensive school photo knowledge are vital to the success of a school photo day.
Keep Communicating
School photo day starts long before the scheduled calendar event. In order to co-ordinate the day, we work closely with our schools to develop a customised plan. By having a schedule that is widely circulated well in advance and closer to the event, we hope that there is minimal disruption and a smooth operation. It’s important that everyone knows their roles and responsibilities including staff, students and parents. We have plenty of helpful information available for our clients that can be circulated prior to the event. This helps everyone enjoy an outcome of great quality photos that last a lifetime.
Know your Location
This is of course a major consideration for both the school and the photographer. To show the school in the best light, you want to choose an optimum location for your class photographs. While many clients assume the light needs to be facing your group, it is actually technically preferable to have the sun behind the subjects. Just this one small fact can determine where your group photos are positioned and at what time of day. Arthur Reed Photos has worked with thousands of schools for many decades, so we can help you determine the best locations within your school grounds.
Stay Flexible
While we do our best to work to a tight schedule and detailed plan, hiccups can be unavoidable. Working outside can be unpredictable, as can technology and many other factors. A specialist and experienced school photographer from Arthur Reed Photos can navigate these challenges. Our photographers can work to a sudden change of plans and have done so many times. We also understand that every subject is different. We take a personable approach to make sure each student and staff member feels completely comfortable while they are having their school photos taken.
