School Picture Day Tips

When preparing your child for picture day, check with the school office for their dressing guidelines. Some schools will suspend dress codes so that children can be photographed in the outfit they choose, however certain requirements (such as no spaghetti straps or make-up for girls, or that boys must wear shirts with collars) may still be in play.

Some schools insist that children being photographed adhere to dress codes because the pictures will be published in a yearbook and the school wants the children to look uniform- especially days on which group class pictures are being taken. If your school specifies on the picture day advertisement that uniforms must be worn, or if you contact the office and they insist on uniforms, you should comply. Many schools with strict dress codes will require children who come dressed in street clothing to change into an old extra shirt (often not kept in the best condition) that the office keeps for such occasion.

Remember, the school's dress code for picture day is not up to the photographer. The photographer will be given guidelines to follow, and any children who don't comply with the guidelines the school has set will have to be sent for the office to have the matter straightened out.

When choosing clothes, try to choose clothes with solid colors, or subtle patterns or prints. When the final picture comes out, a bold printed shirt will attract the eye more than the child's face. If you are given a choice of background colors, try to choose one that is complimentary to your child's clothes and coloring. Don't dress your child in the same color as the background you choose- use some contrast. A blue sweater can blend in with a blue background, and in the final picture your child will appear to be a floating head in a field of blue.

Obviously you will want to ensure your child's face and hair are clean, but also remember to make sure their hands and nails are clean, with no ink stains or halfway chipped off nail polish.

Make sure that your child's hair is neat and well-styled. Be careful not to choose too complicated a style- if any hair falls out of place you'll want a style that will be easy for the child, or for people assisting young children, to fix. Remember especially in the case of girls with long hair that complicated twists and braids done on the back of her head will not show up in pictures of her facing forward- it is a waste of time, and in the case of salon visits, a waste of money. Concern yourself more with how her hair looks from the front than from the back.

Be careful in practicing expressions and smiles with your child ahead of time, especially for younger children. Sometimes the nervousness of being in front of a camera can show up in the child's face, causing smiles to look more like grimaces, and eyes look like they've been caught in headlights, but the child is unwilling to change their expression because they've "rehearsed" it, and it's hard to convince them that it is not coming out as they had planned. Instead, help show your child things they can do to relax- tell them to make sure to keep their shoulders down and arms loose, to relax their lips and eyes and lower their eyebrows. If your child knows what to do to relax and focuses on that, it will help the photographer ease them into a more natural expression.

Above all, remember that if you are unhappy with your child's photographs, most photography companies will offer you a reshoot or a refund. Don't hesitate to contact the company if your are not satisfied.