School Photos

For some of us school photos were a breeze, short and sweet. Sit down facing the side, twist to the front, look at the camera…..”CHEEEEEESE”! Done. For others the experience meant feeling anxious, awkward and embarrassed, many children end up in tears because they get told to smile properly over and over.

My photos were never TOO bad (I had that cheese smile down to a fine art) but they all look the same, year after year the exact same fake smile. My photos look exactly like my friends photos and now my sons photos look exactly the same as well. 30 years on and nothing much has changed.

When my son Hugo started school last July he had his first school photos and I was a little bit disappointed. To anyone else he looks fine, he’s looking at the camera and smiling but its not his real smile, its that forced fake smile we have all been conditioned to do when someone turns a camera on us, you know the one! The same smile you are forcing in your school photos and your children are now wearing in theirs.

When the photos came home many of my friends were disappointed with the photo of their kiddo but felt that they had to buy it anyway. I know I have so many lovely photos of Hugo that I have taken at home but I still forked out the cash for this photo I didn’t love…..why? Because its tradition! But traditions evolve all the time so why can’t this one? Well I think it can and it should so I have decided to offer an alternative experience.

My Fine Art School Portraits are a relaxed and fun portrait session with laughter, singing, jokes and weird noises. A school photo experience that delivers genuine smiles and shows each child’s personality. No child will be forced to smile. No “CHEEEEEESE” ever! If the child doesn’t want to smile, no worries I can still make a beautiful portrait.

Each family will have 3-5 images of their child to choose from with colour and black and white options, they can choose the size prints and quantities. Digitals are also available and its all done with easy online ordering.

I think its great to have a portrait for each year to look back on, I just believe it can be better. Something families will want to put on their walls.

Fine Art School Portraits, the future of school photos? I hope so!