It’s just about time to send your children back to school! And for a lot of parents, that means photos! Parents like to capture their kids on their first day of school, whether it’s the first day of kindergarten or preschool, or their senior year of high school. Because this is such a special occasion, we want to help you take the best photos of your children on these important milestone days.

Back to School Photos

The essential picture for the start of school, back to school photos capture your child as they get ready to leave or as they look ahead to a new year. While doorstep shots or photos in front of the school are classic, you have a few options for making the most out of your back to school photography.

Career Dress-Up

Let your kids show off what they want to be when they grow up! Here, you can get creative or cute as you have time and energy. Some parents dress up their kids in adorable career clothes, like the young graduate seen above. Others may dress as a teacher if desired. Either way, you can set up school supplies as props, or top off the image with a traditional apple. These make fun and memorable images and photo shoots.  They’re also often more fun-looking–and as a bonus, your kids get to play dress-up for a short time if they want!

It’s better to take these photos a day or two before, or a day after, rather than on the actual first day of school. First days can be hectic, and it can be hard to fit dress-up into a busy morning.

Doorstep Photos

Dress-up is fun, but as before, you might not be able to take those photos on the first day. Or some parents and kids just don’t want to dress up. But you can make doorstep photos look fantastic as well!

Gather your kids together if more than one child is starting school that day. You can dress them alike or just in coordinating clothes for a great picture. Have them show off their new clothes or backpacks, or hold up their favorite books. When taking photos of your kids, try to get a cute, candid moment with them playing or laughing together about their first day of school.

Another great shot? One that includes your child’s friends! Bring your kid’s best friends together if you can for a group shot, either on the way to school or in front of their building. This is a great memory–and it’s nice for the other parents to have, too!

Classroom Photos

If you get to join your child in meeting their teacher or principal for the first time, take a shot of that. This is especially great for little ones meeting their kindergarten or first grade teacher. Such a photo marks an important milestone in your child’s life.

Getting photos of your young scholar in their classroom also helps solidify the memory of their school and their classmates. You can pose them with their new supplies, or get a candid shot of new friends interacting for the first time.

Memories

Photos are just one part of an important first day. The meaning behind photos can fade, or there’ll be moments you can’t take pictures of.

Before your child starts their first day, take a few moments to write down what they think about the upcoming year. Some examples of questions to ask:

• What am I most excited for this year?
• When I grow up, I want to be ____.
• My favorite game to play is____.
• What is one thing I want to do this year?
• What am I afraid of about school?

When your child comes home from school, ask your child some more questions.

• How was my first day?
• What made me laugh today?
• What kinds of things did I learn?

And so on. Don’t be afraid to ask your child anything about their day. Just be sure to record what he or she tells you when they come home.

Remember: it’s not enough to take these pictures; these memories should be shared as well! How better than using MyCanvas to create a photo book? Watch your child grow from a young student to an aspiring graduate, or document that whole memorable first year of school. It’s entirely up to you! Contact us today or visit our main site to get started.