What to wear at Picture Day

Next week my daughter has her Picture Day at school. What to wear? is always the question, right?!

Despite the fact that I’m a photographer, I always like to buy school photos cause I think it’s fun to look back on the changes from year to year.

Plus, the photos tend to be hilarious, which I figure will come in handy for future laughs.

Wondering what your child should wear on their photo/picture day?

I’ve put together a couple quick tips for you below.

Let the kid(s) pick!

• Kids tend to be more confident and excited on Picture Day when they have a choice in what they’re wearing.
• When children help pick their outfits, it ensures that images are a true reflection of their unique personality. 

Go for comfort!

• Everyone smiles more when they’re comfortable, which results in better photos!
• If kids are wearing stiff or scratchy clothes, they’ll likely spend their photo day thinking about getting out of them.

Avoid logos & cartoons

• Keep it simple with a plain colour or simple pattern. Logos and/or cartoons on shirts can distract us from focusing on the star of Photo Day – your child!
• Keep in mind that school photos are typically cropped in to focus on faces – so images on tops tend to get cut off anyway (unless it’s a pattern.)

I hope these quick tips have helped you and your kid(s) to make their Picture Day choice! Now have fun with the hair!

Want to save this image for quick & easy reference? Here you go!

Kate Daniel is a Calgary, Alberta based natural light, lifestyle photographer focusing on family, children and baby photos.

Simple, real, natural – your life, my lens.

Contact me to book a session or sign up for the newsletter for special offers! 

The school year is coming to a close here in Calgary. Who’s feeling a bit nostalgic?

Or maybe you’re just overcome with a sense of relief…a much needed break from the virtual classroom?

Chances are this year didn’t end as you imagined it would. Nobody could have predicted the pandemic, that’s for sure.

Whatever the case. We are here. It’s time to celebrate. It’s time to mark this occasion!

So I’ve put together 5 photos to take at the end of the school year.

1. Same pose, Same place

• Did you take a First Day of School pic?
• Go back to that spot and take another
• It’s fun to see the changes that kids go through over the year (clothing style, hair, growth spurts, etc.)
• A couple of great places to do this are in front of your front door or in front of their school (which might be the same thing for you this year end!)

2. A sample of your child’s handwriting

• This one might be more relevant for younger kids. (Chances are your teenager will give you the eye roll if you try this one on them!)
• There’s often a huge difference from year to year in printing/writing skills – especially when they are in Grade 1, like our little!
• If your child doesn’t want to write for the sake of writing, give them a prompt. Ask them to write about what they learned this year or how they feel about going into the next grade.
• Photo tip: try to get their hands in the shot. This simple detail might seem insignificant today, but years from now you will look back and remember how tiny they once were.

3. A shot of their room

• So many stories live inside one photo when it comes to a child’s bedroom
• I could tell you about this housecoat that is worn nonstop as soon as our daughter gets in the house…
• or the uniform from her first year in Sparks which was full of adventures!
• or the dress, that we paid way too much money for…that was never worn! The dance recital was cancelled due to Covid-19 but the dress is not actually comfortable enough to wear anyway – go figure! But hey – it looks good, right?! (kidding)
• or I could tell you about this blue paint that she painstakenly picked out…
• Anyway, you get the point! Pick a section of their room and take the shot!
• Note: Don’t believe everything you see online. A very large mess of toys is perfectly placed outside of this frame.

4. What makes this year unique?

• My focus is on the school year, not the pandemic, but I’d be living under a rock if I didn’t address the elephant in the room!
• One thing that made the school year unique is the fact that it ended with online learning (in Alberta anyway).
• So, this year, perhaps take a picture of your child’s school setup at home. Was it at the kitchen table? A desk in their room? Or in the living room, like us here?
• I decided to take 2 pics for this one…to show the dichotomy of the situation. On one hand, who wouldn’t want to do school work in their pjs from the comfort of their home? And on the other hand, there comes a point when online learning is….well…not a girls’ best friend?!

5. An end of school year tradition

• Traditions are just plain fun! And nothing says summer like ice cream.
• We have a favourite spot near us called Annie’s Cafe. It’s the perfect place to celebrate the last day of classes.
• Coincidentally, check out my daughter’s “sweet summer” shirt with an ice cream cone on it. I swear I didn’t plan it! But maybe she did, lol!
• So what are your end of school year traditions?
• Enjoy! Have fun! and don’t forget to take a photo to mark the occasion!

Kate Daniel is a Calgary, Alberta based natural light, lifestyle photographer focusing on family, children and baby photos.

Simple, real, natural – your life, my lens.

Contact me to book a session or sign up for the newsletter for special offers! 

Father’s Day is coming up! Need a last minute crafty gift idea?

There’s nothing better than a homemade gift for Dad, no matter what age you are!

I’ve put together 3 quick and easy Do It Yourself photo crafts for you and/or your kid(s) to try.

Scroll through them to check them out!

I’d love to see your creations too – message me on my Instagram @katedanielphotography and show me your photo gifts!

Father’s Day Gift #1 – Painted Rock Photo Holder

Supplies

• photo

• rock(s)

• paint (acrylic will adhere to the rock)

• paint brushes

• floral wire (can be found at Michael’s)

• needle nose pliers

• Sharpie/marker

Make your own painted rock photo holder! Start by washing a rock, then decorate it with acrylic paint. Secure floral wire around the rock. Finish it with a triple loop at the top to hold the photo.

He are a couple quick tips for the wire! To make the perfect circles at the top (that the photo sits in), wrap the wire around a Sharpie a few times. After you’ve finished wrapping the rock, make a little twist at the bottom so that the wire is nice and secure around the rock. See images for examples.

Father’s Day Gift #2 – Painted Photo Frame

Supplies

• photo

• wooden frame (available at Michael’s or dollar stores)

• paint

• paint brushes

• knickknacks/buttons

• tacky glue

Paint a wooden photo frame! There are plenty of ready-made options these days at most dollar stores. Use your creativity and personalize the frame by gluing any sort of knickknacks or buttons on it. Finish it off with a photo of your child.

Father’s Day Gift #3 – Personalized Bookmark

Supplies

• photo

• packing tape

• hole puncher

• yarn

• scissors

Create a personalized bookmark! Simply print a photo, cut around the image you want and punch a hole in the top. You can laminate the image or improvise by covering it with packing tape. Create a tassel using yarn. Not sure how? Check out these photos.

Have fun & Happy Father’s Day!

Kate Daniel is a Calgary, Alberta based natural light, lifestyle photographer focusing on family, children and baby photos.

Simple, real, natural – your life, my lens.

Contact me to book a session or sign up for the newsletter for special offers! 

When shooting with little kids, getting everyone to look and smile at the camera at the same time is pretty challenging. But I think we got one here!⁠⠀
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I actually love the “imperfect” shots just as much. And the outtakes with little kids crack me up.

⁠Thanks for joining me for Mom & Me’s at cSPACE King Edward last year for my Mom & Me photos! I had so much fun trying to make you guys laugh!⁠ I hope you will treasure the photos for years to come.

⁠One of the reasons I love doing these type of photos with little kids is it allows moms to remember all the little things. ⁠⠀
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When we are in the throws of motherhood – especially when kids are young – we often don’t notice all the little changes and stages until we look back. ⁠⠀
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Photos are a way of bringing us back to those little things….so that we can treasure them always. ⁠⠀

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever. It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” – Aaron Siskind⁠⠀

Kate Daniel is a Calgary, Alberta based natural light, lifestyle photographer focusing on family, children and photos for little kids.

Simple, real, natural – your life, my lens.

Contact me to book a session or sign up for the newsletter for special offers!