Today is 31st August. In my mind, this is what marks the last day of summer. I see it as a transition point - from tomorrow, we're entering Autumn, even if the temperatures remain high and the rain doesn't yet arrive.
Because my kids are school age, the biggest shift for us as a family is a transition back to school - the new school shoes are purchased, the uniform with room to grow hanging in the wardrobe and in a couple of days I'll be taking THAT doorstep photo. As I know, will many of you.
But let's face it, as much as that doorstep photo is a marker of time, it's a snap. It doesn't tell the full story - of the morning madness, the mix of excitement and apprehension, how it feels for YOU and everything in between. But if you approach it as a family documentarian, there is much more you could capture to really grab hold on to the reality of those back-to-school days.
We have a full ( free to download) guide with 10 different ideas on what you could be capturing and how - I linked it at the bottom of the page. But in the meantime, here are a few things that you can get started with:
Back to school
The night before:
If you remember to do it, take some photos the night before the madness begins. Maybe you're filling the lunchbox ready for the next day, maybe you've laid out the uniform, crisp and fresh, not yet marked by felt-tip pens and grass stains. If you can remember to capture that - it's storyteller's gold.
Photo by Melissa R
Photo by Beki Tideswell
The morning of:
I'll start by saying that you can absolutely take the pressure off by not doing this on the ACTUAL first morning, especially if your kids are anxious about going back. You'll be doing the same school morning madness ritual the day after and then again and again and again. And whenever you do choose to observe and capture it look for the 'normal stuff': getting into uniforms, getting their hair done, putting on their shoes, the walk / scoot / cycle / ride to school; the school gate. Use your documentarian gaze to pull that story out.
Photo by Claire Cullingford
Photo by Kate Biggin
Photo by Natasha Lloyd
Photo by Carol Bisley
The threshold:
The front door, the school gate. The perfect transition space - stepping out of one and into the other. This is the obvious shot of the week, and it's obvious for a reason, but I want to encourage you to push past the version where everyone lines up and smiles at the camera in their new uniform. Try capturing the one just before or just after that: the back of them walking away from you towards the entrance. Notice the hand that's still holding yours for one more second before it lets go. The face that's showing excitement and nerves at the same time, which is a much harder expression to fake than a smile and such a rare one to catch.
Rachel Szczepanski
David Wood
Milda Rose
After school:
I always regret not capturing the return from school, and I thought it's worth a shout-out - the beaming face bursting out of the classroom, happy to see you or the weary teen stumbling through the door, barely pausing to shrug off their backpack on the way to the fridge. The body language, the expressions, the fresh scuffs on the shoes - all valid and worthy of a photograph.
The details: The name label sewn or ironed in. The shoes that are still too clean. The bag that's slightly too big because it was bought to be grown into. These small, specific objects complete the storytelling - may even date it in your memory vault if they're specific to a year.
Sam Deakin
Natasha Lloyd
Helen Roberts
The documentary approach
Whatever you choose to capture, the documentary approach should apply : observe rather than direct. Resist asking anyone to do it again for the camera. Work from a little distance, let the actual moment happen, and photograph what's actually there rather than what would look nicest.
And let it be the 'real' truth - not the edited, tidied away or polished one. It's entirely fine, in fact it's the point, if some of this week's photographs are a bit flat, a bit tired, a bit anticlimactic. Not every "back to" morning is a triumphant one. Some of them are just grey and early and a bit much before anyone's had coffee. That's the real version; that's what's there to capture.
Documenting your kids childhoods is what we teach at Photoparents - if it's important to you, I think you may like us. If you want to learn more about Photoparents - click here
Photoparents Guide to Back To School Photos
And if you're in need of a bit more inspiration, download our Guide to Back to school photos. Think of it as your personal inspiration bank - inside you will find 10 different takes on capturing this milestone - easy to try by yourself - whether you're shooting with a camera-camera or your phone camera.
