Tips for Taking Yearbook Photos

[photogrl2020]

I volunteered to take photos throughout the year at a local school (K-8) for their yearbook, in an effort to get more experience. I went in today, to shoot for the first time. I took just over 100 pics, and got a few really good ones, but I'm feeling like alot of them are coming out repetitive and boring (I tend to stand at the front of the class while the teacher is teaching or while they're doing an assignment, and try to take a shot of each kid at their desk). I'd like to add some variety and make more interesting photos. Does anyone have any tips for shooting kids AT school? I did a search online for tips, but all I got was tips on how to take your own school portraits, which isn't what I'm looking for. I don't want posed shots-I want candid, showing-what-"kids-in-school" looks like. Any ideas?? I'm very open. And I went to this school when I was younger so I have a pretty good relationship with most of the teachers and staff there so everyone's fairly comfortable (except maybe the kids, who're all different from when I was there and don't know me, and aren't used to a girl in a wheelchair-which I am...so they tend to stare...lol)

I can attach examples of the ones I took today, if that'd help.

[NicoleScraps]

Hey, I did the candid photos for my kids school last year (and will be again this year). I hit this thread in the morning and tell you all about it when I am more awake.

[KUlmer]

I would say first look for the details. Get pictures of the rows of backpacks, or lockers, or hallways lined with art. Those are the things that either won't change or change a ton over the years. The other advice would be to get shots of things that the kids are doing, like digging in their desk, or standing in the lunch line, or climbing on the playground. After that it would be pictures that show the passage of time, like changes in season, etc. Make sure you know when the special assemblies and events are. They are always something to record. Maybe you could go along on field trips, etc. Has the teacher in charge of yearbook made any requests? They may know better what they want/need too.

That would be where I would start. Good luck!

[NicoleScraps]

Alrighty, I am awake and ready to go with this one. Great advice given above. I made sure to get photos of the kids in their regular classrooms (seated and being taught by the teacher) only once. You're right, that does get repetitive. Then I moved onto to the other elective type classrooms, physical education, art, music, the computer lab, in the library, etc. I did a lot of playground shots. I had a bunch of kids who just loved having their photos taken, so I very quickly made it a rule that they must bring at least 2 friends if they wanted me to photograph them. No single child photos. There was just not room for that in the yearbook. I could cover more children in the yearbook if there were multiple kids in each photo.
I sent notes to each teacher with my name, phone number, and email asking them to let me know if their classes were doing something special, like a field trip, party, awards, experiments, presentations, etc etc. I make sure that I am there for all of that.
So yeah, the classroom setting only needs to be done once. There are lots of other happenings to record throughout the year. Just make it known to the staff that they need to inform you at least X amount of days in advance of any special school events. Keep in touch with them. Maybe tell them that you will stop in once a week to hear a "report" on activities for the following week and then you can decide what is yearbook worthy.
I found though, that the end of the school year is when it all happens. They give out honor roll stuff, everyone has a field trip, the oldest class graduates, they have science fairs and math field days, etc. You may need to get some help at that point. I know I had to. It was physically impossible for me to be at every different field trip and event. I had to start asking parents to help take photographs.
Good luck with it!

[photogrl2020]

Yeah, that's pretty much what I was thinking. I figure I'll go into each class once to just get the regular "in-class" photos (so far I got 4 of the 9 classes) I also went into the office and had them send out a note to each of the teachers with my email asking if/when they have specific dates they're doing something they would like me to photograph and then I'll try to fit in as many of those as I can.

As far as the actual shoot goes, I've sort of been following the "invisible" motto. But I think I might have to start being more actively involved, asking the kids to pose for me or whatever. Obviously not in the middle of class, but when I go on those days the teachers request.

Anyways, thanks for the help guys! :-)

[rdobney]

Make a special effort to catch the kids that hide in the back, not just the ones that are a ham for the camera. And particularly the ones that aren't the "pretty" kids.

[Walkere]

You must have a lot of free time on your hands... that's quite a job to volunteer for

I'm the yearbook advisor at my high school (which, admittedly, sounds much larger than your school; ~1600 kids). We don't use a ton of random candid shots (maybe ~6 pages worth). Most of our stuff revolves around events, sports, clubs, etc.

Besides just finding out what's going on, definitely ask the yearbook advisor what they want pictures of. I usually start out the year with a rough outline of what the book should look like. This way I know what events we have to be at, and I also know how many pages I have to work with for extra stuff.

Also definitely find out about the deadlines for publication. When we used a traditional publisher (which we don't anymore), I had to submit x number of pages by January. The final deadline was in April (my deadline is now April 30). That means that a lot of those end of the year activities in May/June won't make it into the yearbook. I still take pictures to share with the kids, and you might want to as well, but at point the book is going to be done and events are still going to be going on...

- Brian