Want to become a school photographer? Keep this in mind…
Have you considered becoming a school photographer? Parents place great value in school photos and you can help create lasting memories for them. With the right skills and photo equipment, you can get your career off to a great start. While photographing school children can be a challenging job, you can ensure that your photo day runs smoothly with the right preparation.
Take a look at the five things you need to keep in mind if you want to become a school photographer.
1. Be organised, you don’t want to forget anything
Photographing school children can be overwhelming to some professionals since you’ll need to work quickly and efficiently to make sure that everyone receives a top quality photo. You’ll also have to deal with parents, teachers and other school staff members. If you want to succeed at school photography, you’ll need to be properly organised right from the start. Making a workflow plan is an excellent way to ensure maximum efficiency. Next, make sure you have all the photography equipment that you need to take awesome portrait shots.
2. Don’t be afraid to interact with the children
When you’re taking school photos, make sure that you give each child in front of you your full attention. Interact with the children and make them feel comfortable to ensure that you capture the best images. Get creative and you’ll see the results by increasing your number of satisfied parents and boosting sales. A professional and friendly attitude goes a long way towards making parents, teachers, and children feel comfortable. Talking with the children while you’re setting up can help to put them at ease before you take their photo. A short conversation and a few kind words go a long way towards ensuring that the children feel relaxed in front of the camera. You can also get some of the children waiting in the line involved by showing them some of the photos that you’ve already taken.
3. Arrive with enough time to comfortably set up
Make sure that you get to the school early so that you can set up your equipment before photo day starts. With hundreds of children to photograph, it’s important to stay on schedule. Selecting a location is an important part of the preparation process. You can opt for a studio photo or you can choose to capture images in the classroom or on the sport’s field.
4. A pamphlet with helpful tips for parents and children before the day of photoshoot
Create and distribute an informative pamphlet that lets children and their parents know what to expect from photo day. The process will help to ensure that you get the best school photos and that the day runs smoothly. Advise parents to provide a clean school uniform for their children to wear on the day. You can suggest that they help to ensure that their children arrive at school looking neat and tidy. It’s a great idea to include a few suggestions for poses so that the children know what to expect when they step in front of the camera. You can also advise parents to send their children to school with a neat hairstyle. Ask parents to help prepare their children for the photo by explaining the process to them so they feel comfortable and relaxed when their photo is taken
5. Pack extras, you never know what could happen
When it comes to choosing the right photo equipment, make sure that you pack your favourite lens. A telephoto lens is also a great piece of equipment to take along as it offers you a powerful zoom. You’ll need a tripod to take great portrait shots. The tripod keeps your camera steady and allows you to focus all of your attention on the child that you are photographing. Studio lighting helps to improve the quality of the images that you take. Other photography equipment to consider packing includes remote flash triggers, a light meter and lighting. Don’t forget to pack extra memory cards and batteries which are fully charged.
If this sounds like the kind of job you’d be good at, find school photography jobs on Job Mail.
