Back to School Photography Tips

Preserving first day of school memories

As our children gear up to go back to school, we will soon be pulling out our cameras for the traditional first-day-of-school photo session. Don’t give in to the standard  "stand-still-and-say-cheese" shots – be creative! Whether it is your child’s first day of kindergarten or a teen heading off to university, there are ways to capture truly special images and then print and share them in creative, innovative ways.
   
"The secret to great photography is to relax and have fun," said Wendy Rombough, a professional photographer based in Toronto. "Talk and play with your kids, and then capture the moments that occur in between. Your pictures will glow with real moments and everyone will enjoy the process so much more."
 
Wendy Rombough has teamed up with HP Canada to offer some tips for amateur photographers who want to print and share back-to-school moments.

• Use the light: Turn off your flash whenever possible and work with the existing light. Your images will be more meaningful when the light is natural, and your children will be more relaxed without the flash going off.
• Zoom with your body: Don't just rely on your zoom camera features. You can move yourself around and closer, much faster. Get close and capture special moments, such as when your kids reunite with last year's friends on the first day of school.
• Measure the years: Pick a special place at home or at school and photograph your child in the same spot every year to show how much they are growing.
• Think symbolic: For a young child, this might mean photographing them walking away from you with a huge backpack trailing behind them, or carrying a favourite book.
• Don't forget your almost-grown kids: Teens can be hard to photograph but try candid moments, such as your son saying goodbye to his dog before leaving for the first year of university.
• Go on location: Environment photos can bring back all kinds of memories so try taking pictures of the school, playground, or a university student's new room in residence.

Photo tips courtesy HP Canada.