How to make simple photo gifts

Start your child’s school memory book on the first day of Kindergarten

If you’ve got a youngster starting Kindergarten or first grade, you’ll want to capture that first day in photos. With a little forethought and planning, you can get the photos that will tell a terrific story about your child’s first day of school. Here are a few tips to help you get the best shots and give you plenty to work with when you put together that memory book or booklet:

Start Photos at Home

• Get up earlier than normal. Allow plenty of time for photos.
• Lay out the child’s clothes. Snap a photo of the outfit or as the child chooses his/her clothing item.
• Try a Mirror Shot. Position the child in front of a full-length mirror. Stand behind the child, but out of the mirror’s view. Snap a picture of your child looking into the mirror.
• Got a stairway? Stand at the bottom of the stairs and shoot a few pictures of your child coming down the steps. Perhaps have him/her put one hand on the railing.
• Breakfast. Every kid has to start the first day of school with a good breakfast! Snap a few shots around the table. Be sure to include some closeups — maybe some humorous shots as the child “stuffs” some Cheerios into his mouth or some other silly thing that happens.
• Packing the Backpack. Maybe grab a couple of shots as your child checks his/her backback and adds a few last items. A vertical closeup is good.
• Got a Dog or Cat? How cute would a photo be of your child kissing or hugging the dog good-bye?
• Ready to Leave. When your child is all set, backpack and all, have him/her stand on the front porch or next to the car for one last shot before leaving for school.

Photos at School

When you shoot these photos depends on your school’s first-day procedure. If your school offers a pre-first-day visit at which the children meet the teacher, sit in a desk and generally get familiar with the classroom environment, you might prefer to get a lot of photos there.  Then capture what you can on the actual first day of school. Here are some  ideas:

• Get a shot of the front of the school. You can take this one after you’ve gotten your child settled in the classroom.
• Walking up to the door. Grab a shot or two of your child alone or with other children. Call to him/her to shoot you a quick wave and grab that shot.
• Your Child’s Teacher. Be sure to snap a photo of the teacher on the first day of school. If possible, as she greets your child.
• The Classroom. Take a few photos around the classroom. Maybe the desk in which your child will sit.
• The Chalkboard. Any notes on the chalkboard for the first day of school? Grabg a photo of that.
• The Bulletin Board. Teachers usually have these spiffed up for the first day of school. Snap a couple of photos.
• The Coatroom. If there’s a coatroom, check it out to see if there are coats/backpacks hanging on hooks — might be a cool shot.
• Go home.
• School Pick-up. Try to capture your child as he/she walks out the door from school on that first day.
• New Friends. How about a shot of your child with his/her new friends as they come out of school?
• After-School Snack. Taking your child for an ice cream cone or snack?Grab a photo to help wrap up the day in photos. Or if you go straight home, snap a shot of after-school snacktime at home.

Back Home. Try to catch a cute shot of your child walking up to the door at home — maybe the shirttails are hangout or the backback is dragging. Maybe your child is warmly greeting the dog after a long first day at school. Watch for cool photo opps that wrap up that first day!

Then What?

Upload your photos to lifephoto.com and start working on a memory book or booklet.  Once your photos are uploaded, you can work on the project at your leisure, saving drafts online as you go. When your project is complete — and even before you have it printed — you can see an online flipping-page version of it. Better yet, you can e-mail that version to all your friends and relatives right from the lifephoto.com site — at no charge to you! How cool is that?!!

Post Back-to-School Photos Directly to Facebook, Twitter or your Blog

Lifephoto also gives you a lot of options for sharing those precious photos. Check it out now!