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Confidently prepare for a pre-school or school photoshoot: A step-by-step guide for photographers.

The unique challenges (and opportunities) of school and preschool photoshoots.

I once thought, “School or preschool photos are going to be too much for me to do alone.”  Without having gone through it before, I didn’t think I’d ever have the organization or capacity to handle such a large volume of clients in such a short amount of time. At least not well–that alone was enough to keep me from trying for a long time.

I had enough experiences with my own children’s school picture day to understand that there were several challenges to be expected. Expectations and communication with the school and parents would need to be rock solid. If they thought I was going to deliver one thing, and I delivered something completely different, it would be a professional loss of both reputation and money. 

On top of that, I had no idea how I could efficiently organize all that information while somehow being present enough to actually be a great photographer. And the amount of students? I’d delivered single galleries before, but never dozens or a hundred at once! It seemed like far too much for this one woman show. 

But, all hero stories begin with a challenge that calls them higher than they ever thought they could reach. And this “hero” heard a call one day when a local preschool desperately and directly asked if I would become their school photographer. 

For years they had used one of those big-box photo companies, only to have them continually fail to deliver on their promises. Hearing about my reputation and loving the quality of my work as a family documentary photographer, they were ready to try a smaller photography company, even if I had never worked in school photography before. 

My homepage (built on Zenfolio) for my regular photography niche–family documentary sessions.

Like many in this industry, I felt the pinch of our economy and was looking for new ways to help my business endure. I truly love being a photographer, and I wanted to continue to do it professionally. With opportunity knocking at my door, I was finally willing to see if school photography really was too much for one photographer. I knew one thing was for sure–if I was going to make this a professional and pleasant experience for everyone (myself included), I needed to lay a strong foundation before, during, and after the session.

This three part series is the guide I wish I’d had; it’s for fellow photographers looking to break into school and preschool photography who may feel too intimidated to begin. After reading it, I hope you’re ready to add another wing to your business that’s both fun and lucrative. I’m sharing the wisdom I’ve gleaned from my experiences–let’s begin with the planning!

Laying the foundation: How to plan school photoshoots with confidence.

In my opinion, the quickest way to create dissatisfaction between a photographer and their clients (in this case, the school and parents) is from a breakdown in expectations and communication. So, their importance cannot be emphasized enough. 

First thing, before you even agree to a contract, set up an initial meeting to establish both with the prospective school. Below is a list of questions that usually come up in the process; either from myself, the school, or parents. While it may seem like a lot, each one has helped me and my clients have a great experience–simply by having the same expectations.

What to know before saying “yes” to a school photoshoot.

Questions about the school’s photo needs:

• What specific kind of photos is the school looking for? For example: traditional portraits with studio lighting? Outdoor relaxed portraits that highlight personality? Event specific photos like graduation photos?
• From previous experiences, what did the school like about past photographers? What did they not like?
• Are there specific physical deliverables they are wanting and can you provide them? E.g. small photostickers set for each student for the teacher’s use. How much will you charge the school for them, if at all?
• Is there a specific pose or shot list needed?
• Are sibling or cousin photos something they did in the past? Will they be offered now?
• How much will you charge for your digitals and prints? 
• Do they need you to create, print, and deliver physical and/or digital flyers to announce and remind parents of the upcoming picture day?
• Do they expect you to deliver a digital or print copy of each student for the school use?
• Will this session be offered to staff members needing an updated photo for the school’s use?
• Is there an expectation of an employee discount if an employee’s student attends the school?
• The school will likely need to run a background check on you and anyone you bring to help. What is the timeline and next steps needed for that?

Question about shoot day logistics:

• Where will the session take place? For example: A spare classroom? The hall? Outside? 
• If shooting outdoors, is there a contingency plan for bad weather?
• How long will you be available for taking photos at the site? 
• How many minutes do you expect to spend with each student? What does that translate to in hours on campus?
• Will there need to be specific days so that all students may have the opportunity to sit for photos? For example, some students attend Tuesdays and Thursdays and others on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. 
• Factoring in the number of students and possible alternating attendance, how many days will be needed for the photoshoot to be completed?
• Will there be a make-up shoot day for absent students?
• Will a dedicated staff member be available to facilitate bringing students to the session site and/or helping with student needs or issues? 
• Are there any students who have special needs and may require additional considerations?

Determining the necessary equipment:

• If you are using a backdrop, do they have specific expectations on your choice of backdrop? Are you willing to purchase one they choose?
• Are they wanting multiple backdrop options? If so, how will you provide this (green screen, multiple physical backdrops, etc.)?
• Will props be wanted or needed? If so, who provides them?

What are the Parent expectations based on past school photos?

• In recent years, how many images are parents used to having delivered? Should a new or the same number be expected? How can this be communicated?
• Will there be packages where families can bundle and save?
• Does the school prefer to facilitate questions from parents or should they contact you directly?
• How can families contact you?

Details about Student data and photo delivery:

• Does your preferred workflow involve using student and parent data prior to the photo session to generate QR Codes for easier student and photo matching–and parent communication–or do you want to try that flow? If your answer is a resounding YES, ask the school if they will provide or create a spreadsheet of student info and corresponding parent emails they can share with you.
• If the student/parent info spreadsheet is not already organized by grade > teacher, or could not be shared with you, can they share class lists or names of classes in each grade level to help you stay organized? (If not, don’t stress! I’ll walk through how to use folder registration in the next section.)
• What is an acceptable timeline from the day of the session to photo delivery? Is the final delivery date the same for digital files and physical products, or can physical products have a longer timeline?
• Will there be a print release involved? If so, will it be for school and staff only, or do parents expect a print release option?

Last of all, the very important question: Do the answers to all these questions align with what you can or want to deliver? If your answer is “No,” or you’re still not sure, consider where you can be flexible and whether it makes sense to move forward in working with this school.

We have an agreed contract, now what?

Now that you’ve had a chance to communicate expectations with the school, and hopefully have them signed on as a client, it’s time to think about how you want this process to proceed. Especially if you are a one-person show, your process needs to save you time, energy, and become a model you can repeat as often as you need to.

First things first: Student data collection. 

At the bare minimum, you will need: 

• Students’ names
• Grade level
• Teacher name (some schools may refer to this as the “classroom”)
• Parents’ names
• Parents’ emails 
• If sibling or cousin photos are offered, that information will be needed as well

If the school is unable to provide you with a list of student and parent information, you can manually input it after creating each gallery inside the school folder…or you could save days of your life and use Zenfolio’s Folder Registration tool. Pre-registration makes it easier for parents to sign up for school photo day and provides the information you need–a win-win.

Pro tip: Create a new folder for each school and shoot day. For example, if you do a fall shoot for Happy Days Preschool in 2024 and then again in 2025, create a folder for each and include the preschool name and the year in the folder name.

Here is an example of how you might set up and use pre-registration, to use it as part of your workflows later on shoot day and gallery delivery:

1. Using the Folder Registration tool, create a custom form for the school that will collect the parent’s name, email, and any additional info I may want such as student name, teacher (to double check the parents have the right teacher), siblings/cousin names, an offer to join my email list, etc. 
2. Share the URL for this registration form as a QR code I can display on my digital and print flyers that I send to the school to post on the front door or near the entrance for parents to sign up. They can also hand them out or email them to the parents with their announcements and reminders. 
3. Export the contact as a CSV to use as part of a QR Code Workflow that can simplify keeping track of students and their data on shoot day and when uploading the final images for delivery. 
4. OR; If you prefer to set everything up without the QR code workflow, you can customize the form to automatically create a gallery for the registrant under their first name. Their contact information will be saved, and you have the option to change the gallery name later. 
5. With either flow, any missing students’ information can be requested from the school and manually added later, if it is needed. 
6. This contact information will all be saved to your account for working with these same parents in the future. (For example, if they hire you for family portraits!) 

Creating and communicating the school photo day schedule.

The last step for a good foundation is communicating with the school to establish a reasonable schedule for the day. Here’s what to decide ahead of time:

• When exactly you’ll arrive 
• How long you’ll need to set up
• When you’ll be available to begin photos
• When you’ll take a break, and for how long (trust me, you need snacks to get through the day as much as the kids do.)
• Where you want some flex time in case you get behind
• When you’ll pack up
• When you’ll be leaving

Allot yourself plenty of time to set up and get settled, so you can avoid starting off behind schedule. If you end up having more time than you need, use it to talk with the office staff or teachers so they can ask questions or get to know you and your company. I’ve actually had some staff members take that time to ask if I do family photos (which is my main niche) so that may turn into an unexpected way to reach future clients. 

Ideally, in combination with communicating your schedule, ask if the school is able to provide you with an itinerary for which class/grade level comes when. This way you’ll be able to know how flexible you can be and if you’re behind or ahead of schedule. It leads to greater teacher and student happiness if they can mentally plan and prepare for being away from their routine for picture time. 

For me, I was able to plan for about 2-3 minutes per student and got about 3-5 poses during that time. 

Delays always happen, but you can plan some flex time in your schedule especially if you’ve communicated that need to the school.  Sometimes a child is upset and needs some time to adjust or despite your best efforts, there is a schedule mix up. If you have some flex time, you can take these in stride. 

However, more often than not, I found myself in a groove and getting ahead of schedule. So, I could either take a break or offer that extra time to the next class as a chance to come sooner. The babies class can also be invited to request to jump into some of this open time. This was most utilized when one of more easily upset students were in a great enough mood to where they’d be accepting of this new and strange thing called a photo shoot. 

With your strong foundation in place, the next step in the process of preparing for your school photoshoot is, well, all the actual prep work. From the timeline for double checking and gathering all your gear to creating an info page on your website to making a flyer–look out for part two in our series for photographers who want to learn more about preschool and school photoshoots.  

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