School picture day is important! It’s a right of passage for all students as they move through their schooling careers, documenting their growth from year to year. It gives families a memory to hold onto for a lifetime and it can give students confidence in who they are.
Not all school portrait photographers are created equal. It’s best to pick a photographer that has experience and the best interest of your school and its students at heart. Look for these five things when picking the school photographer that’s right for you.
1. Experience
The first thing to look for when choosing a school photographer is experience. Ask the school photographer how many years of experience they have. Look at their local connections. They should confidently give you a list of references of other schools in your area that they work with. Once you receive their list of references, including contact information, be sure to reach out to one or two references to get their feedback.
2. Stress Free Logistics
The second thing to look for when choosing a school photographer is logistics. The photographer should have an easy to follow picture day workflow in place that will take the burden off of you, the admin. Make sure they are organized and flexible, ultimately tailoring the picture day experience to the needs of your school. They should be able to give you a big picture of how your picture day is going to look from start to finish.
3. Amazing Customer Service
The third thing to look for when choosing a school photographer is customer service. Good customer service starts at the first connection. Whether your school photographer is reaching out to you about their services, or you’re reaching out to them, you’ll likely be able to tell from that first interaction how things are going to go. They should be friendly and outgoing. They should have top notch communication skills. Those communication skills don’t just apply to the school admin, but with anyone they come into contact with on picture day at the school and with families that need help or have questions before or after picture day. They should be willing to take the burden of handling customer questions off of you, the school.
4. Quality Images
The fourth thing to look for when choosing a school photographer is quality images. A photographer with plenty of experience should have a high quality portfolio. Make sure their photography style is something that would work for your school, or ask if they would willing to work with you to achieve the kind of style you’re looking for. Look for images that are classic, yet creative and artful that families are sure to enjoy. The photographer should be encouraging to every subject in front of their camera in order to create a positive picture day experience. They should always be aware, looking for the little details to make sure everyone looks their best. Ask them how they interact with students to get authentic smiles and reactions. And most importantly, do they have a plan in place, such as a makeup or retake day, if someone was struggling on picture day.
5. Safety and Privacy
The fifth thing to look for when choosing a school photographer is safety. Your photographer should have guidelines in place to keep your school and your students safe. Before picture day they should ask about your school’s safety protocols for outside visitors. Your photographer should be background checked, as well as any assistants they bring into the school with them. When it comes to sharing student images, make sure they have private online galleries. They should also get written permission from student’s guardians before ever sharing images or videos of students online on their website, social media, or even in their marketing materials.
Real Life Photo Co., a Denver, Colorado school portrait company, has been serving the greater Denver metro area for over 10 years. We currently work with over 20 schools and desire to grow that number each year. We believe that every school is important. That every person we come into contact with is important. That picture day should be stress free for the school and fun for the students and staff. We are experts in making sure picture days go smoothly and that all logistics are taken care of.
