9 Tips for a Great First Day of School Photo You’ll Love to Share

It's the first day of school...

Your kids have a lot to look forward to going back to school: new friends, old friends, new places and classes. For Mom and Dad, your focus is getting your family dressed and the backpacks ready. In recent years there's a new tradition to your first day routine. Social media has started the practice of taking a great photo to document the day and share with your friends and family on Facebook, Instagram, email or wherever you like to share family pictures.

We’ve got 9 tips for your first day of school photos.

The first three you can do well in advance. The rest are tips for that busy first morning.

1. Pick out a location and a backup location ahead of time. Know where you want to take the picture. Whether it’s at the bus stop, on your front lawn or in your garden, have a backup location for bad weather. Involve your kids in the decision and ask them where they’d like pictures taken. If you’re really organized, you can check this spot at the same time a day or two ahead to make sure the lighting is good for photos at the time you’ll be taking photos.
2. Decide if you want any props and if so make them ahead of time. You’ve probably seen these in other photos. We’re talking about anything from a sheet of paper that says your child’s name and grade to an elaborate chalkboard with all kinds of stats about their first day.
3. Get everything else for the first day of school ready ahead of time. Backpacks, lunches, clothing school supplies. Have everything laid out the night before, giving you more time to take pictures.
4. When you line up your photos, be sure your kids are not facing the sun. Sunrise in anyone’s eyes leads to squinty photos.
5. Look at what is behind your children when you take the photo. If there are straight lines directly behind the kids, you should move over a few feet. For example, let’s say a stop sign is in the distance behind your child’s backpack. Most people won’t think twice about that when taking a picture. But photos are two-dimensional. That sign post may be 30 feet away, but it will look like it’s sticking right out of the backpack in a photo.
6. Have a list prepared of the shots you want to take. This will help you make sure you don't miss anything you wanted to document. If you’re getting more than one child ready for school take individual photos with each child, then take group photos. And take a selfie with you in there as well!
7. Take some candids you didn’t put on your list. Some of the best photos are  snapped when people weren’t expecting a picture. Catch your kids laughing, or helping one another get ready for the picture. You just might capture a moment you’ll cherish.
8. Set a second alarm. This alarm is not for waking up in the morning. It is for making sure you stop taking picture in time to catch the bus. Believe it or not, students miss the bus every year because they are busy posing for their parent's photos.
9. Keep it fun. The first day of school can be stressful for everyone, but doesn't have to be. Taking a picture to capture the day should be a good experience for everyone. It’s not a professional photo shoot, so don’t be too serious and laugh a little.

With these tips in mind, you can help plan for a more successful and organized morning and some pictures you’ll be happy to share and treasure for years to come.

U-Lace is happy to be a part of helping lots of kids get off to the right start on their first day of school with no time spent tying sneakers, the safety of sneakers that don’t come united and plenty of great colors to choose from to express your personal style. Wishing everyone a great year ahead!