My love for capturing the whole “Back to School” saga started a few years ago. It was derived from a mixture of conflicting and bittersweet feelings. Firstly, a feeling of elation akin to that felt by a caged animal. I had managed to survive the (endless) summer break largely intact and relatively unscathed despite the constant arguments and whining demands of my feral children. I felt proud of my resilience and versatility. I’d spent my summer doing a myriad of service work for difficult task masters. I’d been a cook, cleaner, handyman, taxi driver, maid, referee, nurse, nail technician, boot polisher… ..all unpaid and for zero recognition. I felt like a celebration and tribute in epic proportions was definitely deserved!

That short lived feeling was followed by immediate guilt - I felt like such a bad mum! After all we are bombarded with messages about our kid’s childhood such as the old “blink and you’ll miss it” or “only 18 summers” - how could I be so savage?! As a matter of fact, I am a firm believer that this is not the case if you play your cards right (and that will look different for every family), but that’s a blog for another day!

Joking aside, as our family’s memory keeper I love to immortalise every detail of my children - I find this a way to celebrate rather than mourn each passing year. The journey through school life is no different. As a repetitive event (like birthdays and Christmas etc), “Back to School” each year is another milestone in their lives and starting a photo series is an amazing way to document growth - both theirs in the physical sense and mine in terms of “camera wrangling” skills.

So, armed with this plus the ever present frustration at the rubbish annual offering provided from the school portrait photographer let’s take matters into our own hands! Here are my top tips for documenting the start of the brand new school year:

Beat the Stress

Every year parents tell me they find it hard to capture even one decent phone snap on the morning their children go back to school. Most common reasons are that their kids are not in the mood, embarrassed in front of their friends, feeling anxious or running late. If it’s their VERY first day often there are tears and leg clinging to contend with too. I find it makes for much more settled children if I am present and engaged at that time to reassure them rather than with my face behind the lens, shouting directions and trying to battle my way through a crowd to get 3.5 seconds at the perfect red door as a queue forms behind me.

We now do our photoshoot before the big day and it’s been a game changer. It has the double advantage of also acting as a dress rehearsal to make sure everyone’s socks are comfortable, pants not itchy and the favourite keyring they cannot possibly live without is attached to their book bag. This saves time on the big day. I love having the images edited she ready to post on social media on the first day, shocking everyone with my fake efficiency! So this year, pop a date in your diary (I will also have a back up date this year as our photo were actually taken a week later since it rained on the day I originally had diarised) keep calm and keep reading!

Plan of Action

Even a loose plan is better than none at all. I don’t mind if my ideas evolve as the shoot progresses and I’m flexible enough even if they go completely “off piste” but a basic plan makes me feel more relaxed and prepared. I can think about my camera settings and what lenses I might need, ensure my battery is charged and that my SD card is actually in my camera (I’ve fallen foul to both of these things in the past). I consider what the light it likely to be like at my location. One year I was taken by surprise when I arrived to find the afternoon sun throwing dappled light directly on my chosen spot. Luckily by waiting half an hour it had gone behind thicker bushes and in the meantime I set up, took test shots and shouted like a banshee whenever a cloud came over “Quick…. Everyone in position while the sun’s asleep!!!”

Lastly I will have a shot list in mind (and sometimes written down or even sketched). I try to keep myself reined in but find it hard as inspiration pops into my head throughout the year and I can’t wait to try!!

Get Inspired

Take a few moments to think about your purpose for capturing this image or set. Do you want to recreate the exact same scene each year to see how much your child has grown? If that’s the case then your location needs to be available each year - don’t use your house if you plan on moving! It’s also useful to have a marker to compare them against, like a door handle or mantle piece. Is it their personality or the little details peculiar to them? I love including my child’s favourite hair scrunchie or bow and the pattern in their socks or the well deserved school award pin on their lapel. I combine these with wider angles and make collages.

Want some more Back-to-School Photo and Video Inspiration? Check out Back-to-School with Melissa Ortendahl!

It might be that you prefer to document the routine - the new uniform hanging in the closet or the struggle to tie the neck tie or fasten laces, the journey to school by whichever mode of transport, the way they say goodbye to their baby brother or toys that are left behind.

I personally like to take inspiration from books and nostalgia for my images all year round. I grew up reading Enid Blyton books like “The naughtiest girl in the school” and “Malory towers” and will use illustrations or my own interpretation of the scenes to influence my props and set choices. I scour thrift and antique shops for items befitting to my aesthetic and have them displayed all year round in my home. You might delve into other book series like “Harry Potter”, “The worst witch” or even “Wednesday” or find inspiration from paintings or poetry. Involving the kids in your planning is a great bonding opportunity and they might even cooperate if they’ve helped with the decisions - who am I kidding!! The only danger is once you start the process it is addictive! I often wake in the night having dreamt of an idea and have to jot in my phone notes! Be warned!

I hope you have found these tips useful. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me on Instagram @onthenaughtystep_photography. I can’t wait to see what you create this year!

Now the question I’m sure you are all wanting to know…. Did I choose their school because of the amazingly photogenic uniform, a subtle nod to my favourite book series about a certain wizarding gentleman and sporting my trademark pop of red? Or was it all a happy coincidence? My (cherry red) lips are sealed!