Why does everyone hate their child’s school photos?

Yes, it’s that time of year when we hear nothing but moans and groans about school photos.  Everybody wants them but at the same time, no one is ever (it would appear) happy with them, and we know why!

TIME – this is the issue.  Let’s just do a little calculation to see if we can work out how much time MOST school photographers are given – Many of our primary schools now have around 7-year groups with 60 children each year which is 420 children per school.  A school day runs from 9 am to 3 pm with a break for lunch.  Space is usually at a premium around any school and so the main hall is used for lunchtime as well, so this will have to be taken out of the equation for around an hour.

So, we now have a 6-hour day reduced to 5 hours.

5 hours x 60 mins – 300 minutes of working time or 18000 seconds.

18000 seconds divided by 420 children = 42 seconds per child.

Yes, just 42 seconds of time for the photographer to get a rapport with the child, give them instructions, and make them smile. In reality, it is probably more like 30 seconds per child, if you take playtime into consideration! So, you see it is not the photographer’s fault that the images are not as great as you would like / hope for.

Now more than ever, it is so important to have some form of connection with the child. All the Covid Lockdowns have made many children anxious about being in the presence of someone new, their confidence is not as it may have been and so therefore time is the key.

We are also not blaming schools as their jobs are incredibly difficult and challenging to get everything expected of them into the school day, but their job is to teach and help our children learn.  Yes, it is to give them new and different experiences within the school day, and school photos are part of that but if you want photos of your children in their school uniform, that you will be 100% happy with, find a local professional who can do this for you. Lots of professional photographers offer this service for a small fee of £15-£20 and often they will have packages that are just as good, if not better than the big commercial companies that get contracted by the school academies.

As ever, Timeless Images is here to help to offer 15-minute school photo sessions.  We charge £19.95 for the session and then we will offer you the images via our School Photography bespoke website.  It’s so easy to order either download which you can print or share with family and friends.  If you choose to order prints, they will be delivered to you at home.  No stress and little time but you achieve a School Portrait that will be the envy of the playground!

To make a booking simply click here to find a date and time to suit you and your child/children!