Now that school is in full swing for the year, it’s time to start thinking about school pictures! I know a lot of parents don’t think much about preparing for school pictures, but I thought it might be helpful to post a few of my best tips to make school picture day a success. There are a few simple things you can do the morning of your child’s school picture day that can help you get the best school pictures possible.

What to wear – this is the number one question I get asked a school photographer. The quickest way for me to answer this is to actually suggest what NOT to wear, since that list is much shorter and easier to follow. For all of my schools I suggest avoiding solid black/dark t-shirts (so they don’t blend into the black background). If your school uses a lighter background you don’t need to worry about this. Graphic tees and anything with a large logo on it are also big no-no’s. Other than that, it’s up to you! If your child has a favorite color or shirt or dress that they want to wear, go for it! Generally photos are taken from the waist up, so bottoms and shoes don’t matter as much.

Clean face for pictures – if you can, give your child’s face a good wipe with a wash cloth or baby wipe before you get in the car to go to school that day. This will help clean off any breakfast crumbs, dirty noses and sleepys from their eyes. I always carry a package of wipes with me to school picture day, but cleaning them off as much as you can beforehand really helps – especially if they hate having their face touched! As a school photographer, there’s nothing worse than going to wipe a yogurt covered mouth and have the child break down in tears right before their picture is being taken *insert red nose and watery eyes*. You can easily wipe their face down after they are buckled into their carseat. A quick swipe without a way to escape usually does the trick!

Talk to them about picture day – it’s an excellent idea to prepare your child in the days leading up to picture day. You can say something like, “Tomorrow your school is going to have a photographer take your picture so we can see how big you are this year. I heard she’s really funny and SO nice! You’ll have to tell me all about it when I pick you up from school!” Preparing your child ahead of time can be key in making them comfortable in this new situation. My oldest daughter benefitted tremendously when we would talk her through new experiences in the days and weeks leading up to the event. That way she knew what to expect on the day of. This may sound like overkill for just a school picture day, but it can really help kids go from scared to prepared very easily.

And that’s it! These three easy things will help you and your child prepare for school picture day. You can leave the rest up to your school photographer. If that’s me, I promise I will try and capture your child’s true personality on picture day. Here’s to a fabulous school year!

Tracy Lynn Photography is a Jacksonville School Photographer. School Photography is available for preschools and private schools in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, St. Johns, Duval County, Clay County and St. Johns County. If you would like to book a school photographer, please reach out to me for more information and availability. You can also visit my School Portrait page for additional information.