Here at ABC School Photography, we understand that the tradition of school portraits has changed considerably for students and their families over the course of the last two decades, as cell phones and affordable professional-grade cameras have made it possible for families to store literally thousands of family photos on their devices and hard drives, to be retrieved at a moment’s notice.
This has changed the way that some parents perceive the value of school portraits. They might think, “Why should we spend all that money on just one photograph when we could just snap some photos of our kids right here at home for free?” Despite all of this, there are a number of great reasons to invest in school portraits for your children every year, even if you do already have a considerable cache of digital photos somewhere else in your home. To be frank, nothing replaces the quality and tradition of a school portrait.
Here are five advantages to collecting school photos for your child every year:
It is Tradition
School photos have been a tradition in America for as long as there have been cameras. We love looking at old portraits because they are time capsules from a bygone era. Your own children’s photos will be no less precious (and perhaps entertaining) once they have become adults.
Professional Editors Can Eliminate Blemishes
One of the biggest benefits of professional school photographs is that editors can go in after the fact and remove blemishes, acne and even cowlicks after the photo has been taken. This means customers get a perfect, blemish-free photo of their child to cherish for eternity. The photos taken with cell phones and digital cameras don’t offer these same types of services.
Printed Formal Photos Are a Different Breed of Photography
Digital photos saved in archives on a hard drive are great, but having a child sit down, well-dressed, for an official portrait is a level of professional photograph that doesn’t happen for most families outside of the school setting. Professional photos also are expensive, especially when compared to affordable school photography, so being able to take home a photo this nice at a price this affordable truly is a rarity.
Family and Friends Appreciate Tangible Photographs
Letting school photos sit in an envelope is a waste. When your school portrait package arrives at home, clip up the different sizes you ordered and pop them into envelopes to send to friends and family. There still are plenty of refrigerators and grandparents’ walls that need school photos on them, and people are happy to receive them when they do finally arrive in the mail.
They Look Great on a Wall
One fun option is to keep all the photos in one frame, either tucking only 8×10 photos behind the new ones in the same frame, or getting one of those “Through the Years” frames that highlights how much a student has changed in their lives. More than anything, this method of collecting your child’s school photos is a great way to celebrate them in a very public way in your home. Your walls need pictures of your family, and why shouldn’t those pictures be done professionally and affordably at school?
