Isn't this how you really want to remember your child? Forget about the traditional mottled backdrops and staid, forced smiles. A Brooklyn photography company is reinventing, revamping and renvisioning the school portrait and we're definitely inspired.
Stomping Ground is after your authentic child and they're able to capture this spirit on film by making kids comfortable, making it fun, asking them to bring a favorite toy or outfit, letting them play and be silly. Whether or not you have any influence on your school's portraits or not, why not try this with your own kids at home? It's a great idea for a rainy day - hang a sheet, round up their favorite toys, put on some music and go for it!
You can see more of Stomping Grounds' work here. If you're NYC-based, you can contact them about your school's portraits or to photography your family.
(All photos by Stomping Ground) (Via The Crafts Dept)
© 2010 Apartment Therapy
I absolutely love these. Sadly my parents are so old school and are firmly in the Olan Mills generation of professional portraits. They don't want fancy grandchild shots, they want the ugly background and the frozen smile.
view jensational's profile
There's a photography studio near me that has been doing this type of action portrait for several years.
view stickyricemama's profile
Love this idea. Needs to happen.
view paperdollsforboys's profile
The Picture People do this in their studios all the time, and a few of the studios have started doing school pictures in this same fun/real smiles way.
view Mrs.Mack's profile
...as in they go to schools and do their picture day in this style.
view Mrs.Mack's profile
@jensational- so what? it's your kid! tell your parents to suck it up.
view Shannon Ashley's profile
jeez..isn't it good enough that kids today get "sheltered" to the point of now..they don't have to endure the crappy school photos?? whats next? cell phones for eight year olds? nose jobs for twelve year olds?
oh wait...
view prettyinperiwinkle's profile
I don't think it has anything to do with sheltering kids. I'm pretty sure this trend started because parents want good photos : ) I never thought school photos were attractive/natural/realistic and personally I would much prefer attractive/natural/realistic photos of my kids.
view ammanda's profile
The photos are---of course---utterly charming. But schools are so highly scheduled, I can see where they might pass on this somewhat disruptive technique, which would probably take twice as long to obtain.
view SunnyBlue's profile
SunnyBlue--twice as long? Maybe if they're incredibly quick and the kids are abnormally easy to herd. I can easily see it taking three to four times as long. School photo people spend no more than a few minutes on each kid. The kids sit, maybe get their hair combed into place, and the shutter is snapped. Imagine if they were encouraged to change into a costume, play with a toy, jump up and down---it could take a couple of class periods to do one roomful of kids. And the price has got to be significantly higher when the photographers spend that much more time.
These photos are what regular photo studios do. Why do school photos have to be as involved as a sitting (or jumping) in a professional studio in order to be good? You can get nice photos without the standard backgrounds.
We rarely bought the school photo packages for our three kids. That said, there were a few that were adorable, partly because they WERE school photos. They're very evocative once the kids are grown.
view spanky's profile
I like these as portraits, but I think much of the charm of school photos is that they are boring and kinda bad. I love how they never change much through the decades. I made an album of just school photos that my mom had from everyone in our family.
view Newsie's profile
I think these are adorable and I love the colored backgrounds. Since I have no kids, though, can I sign my four dogs up?
http://tearinguphouses.blogspot.com
view k51279's profile