the Angie’s List Blue House Blog

It’s rare that I miss my private Catholic high school. The cafeteria food was always bad, the bathrooms were always filled with fifty smoking “rebels” sharing three cigarettes, and the teachers always seemed to single me out, saying “Pull your pants up,” or “Tuck your shirt in.” I hated uniforms.

But there were good things about it — few responsibilities and fun Friday football games come to mind. One thing lost in my memory until recently, however, was picture day. I loved it. It was the one chance to wear something different than the blue-shirt and khaki-pants uniforms we were required to wear each day. It also gave me the opportunity to get out of a classroom and harass a working professional: the cameraman.

Every “Say cheese!” received cross-eyes (see my example at right). Every “Smile!” received a tongue. Every “Stop doing that and look at the camera!” received both. I loved manipulating adults into hating me.

So what happened when we had picture day here at the Angie’s List Blue House? The complete opposite. Missed class? No — just work that needed to be done RIGHT AWAY! Cross-eyes? Brandon, our staff photographer, encouraged it. Harassment? Brandon harassed me.

So this time around, some of the excitement was lost, but I still had fun. What if you’re a parent sending your child off to picture day for the first time? A few tips from the List:

Make sure to avoid bold stripes or patterns in their clothing. They draw the focus away from your child’s features.

If your child wears glasses, consider taking out the lenses temporarily to avoid a glare.

And remember that ultimately, you want your child’s personality to show through in her or his photo. So if your son wants to bite his favorite glasses, or wink at the camera like Popey, relax. You’re capturing who they are at that moment. Check out Angie’s List Tips for other helpful tips regarding school picture day.