There’s a Web site called Awkward Family Photos that I think it’s hilarious! As the name clearly mentions, it’s a website that’s all about showing some extremely awkward family photographs, whether the awkwardness stems from families wearing scary matching outfits, posing in cheesy or odd positions, or includes some obvious (and awkward) digital bloopers.
I love this Web site, and I can definitely relate, especially when I think back to some of my old middle and high school photos. In my experience, it seemed as though the entire “Picture Day” process always ended up being an enormous disaster!
I remember, what seems like so long ago, standing in a ridiculously huge line, outside in the summer heat waiting to get inside the auditorium (yeah … pretty much any makeup I had on had melted away, and my hair had gone flat too), only to finally reach the camera, and only get one shot to get a picture-perfect smile for that year’s school photo.
“Tilt your head, hunny. Lift your chin. Smile big, hold it … hold it … one, two … ” Snap!
Frantically, I’d say, “Wait! I think I closed my eyes. Maybe we can try it again?”
But it was always the same response, “No, hunny. You looked fine. …NEXT!!!”
Of course, you had to buy the picture packages in advance, before ever seeing the final photo … I’d beg my mom to get the largest package (who knows, maybe this was my year?), and she’d talk me down to something much smaller. Each photo practically cost several dollars each, and it was incredibly expensive to buy any of these pictures at all!
And, like every year before it, when the photos had been developed and finally arrived, I was always absolutely horrified by the results. Whether I was giving a half smile or the fact that you could see every single blemish on my face, I always hated my school pictures. I wasn’t the only one either. I kid you not, there was always some poor child who happily picked up their photo package only to realize that their one and only shot for the yearbook had caught them with their eyes closed. Now, that was awful. I would always wonder if these unfortunate kids with closed eyed pics also asked for a second shot, just to be told, “No, hunny. You looked great.” Liar.
With today’s high-end digital cameras, I doubt that school photos are ever taken and printed with closed eyes, but these school photo packages are never really ideal for many reasons: They’re usually very expensive, you only get one or two chances for taking your photo (instead of taking the time to take the best shot possible), and the photos are never edited (and show every last pimple, blemish, etc). So, why do we keep investing in these overpriced pics?
I say, don’t! This year, don’t buy the unnecessary school photos, or at the very least, just buy less! Instead, take your own school photos—photos that your child will be proud to hand out to their friends. It’s not very difficult to take good pics, just follow the six school photo tips below and your child may be very pleased with the results—and not traumatized—like I was!
1. All About Hair, Makeup, and Clothes. Visit the Awkward Family Photos Web site I mentioned and you will get a very good idea as to why hair, makeup, and clothing is so very important. Your best bet is to choose items or products that won’t lock your child into an era. Try to go for pretty, classic hairstyles, and always make makeup look natural. If your child is young, they obviously won’t need any makeup, but if you have an older daughter, keep in mind that for photos, you typically have to apply more than you would wear on a regular day (to cover blemishes), but you always want the skin and makeup to appear pretty, simple, and natural-looking.
