We all know that a picture paints a thousand words. But capturing them in a busy school environment can be a real headache even if you do have the right kit.

We’ve asked pro photographer, Andy Catterall, who helps schools across the world capture quality, engaging images, to share some top tips about planning a school marketing photoshoot and how to get the most from it.

Let’s dive in.

Planning the day

Check what time your need to start and schedule your day to cover the subjects you want to capture. Writing a quick shot list will help you here. I tend to start with nursery/early years as they tend to look more pristine first thing!

Don’t forget to think about before or after school clubs, or the arrival of pupils at school if this is important.

Depending on the photographer, you should only need around 10 to 15 mins per scenario. Setting up a different experiment in the same science lab would count as another scenario. This will be smoother if each teacher has been prepped in advance.

Photographers are used to working fast but do remember that it can take additional time to get to each location, especially for PE.

Any photographer worth their salt will also be looking out for spontaneous moments that cannot be planned for during the day. These moments can often yield some of the best photos so expect them to suddenly stop mid-stride as they seek out potential images.

Take the opportunity to get some shots of the Principal/SLT team. This could be a simple headshot or in a classroom with the children.

What shots work?

Showcase anything special about your school. Think about your school facility and any activities that will promote your offering, such as forest school, school pets, before/after school clubs, themed classrooms and more.

In Early Years it’s all about getting them comfortable and laughing while you work. I find it’s quite easy to do simply by putting a soft toy on my head!

MY TOP TIP

Placing a small sticker on any children (especially in primary or prep schools) who do not have permission to be photographed will save a lot of time.

Academic shots with happy children engaged in their work within the classroom can often look cluttered, so I tend to use shallow focus to blur the background.

Showcase any tech you might use in the classroom and don’t be afraid to set this up. Images with students using tablets, Beebots, robots etc., will be powerful and show parents the exciting learning experience at your school.

During the day gather together a mix of students (keep in mind diversity to reflect your school) to shoot around the grounds, walking/chatting/running. This approach will give you good control of the backgrounds in your photos.

Lighting and composition

Classroom lighting can be problematic, with unflattering results or coloured casts on your photos. Turning the lights off when appropriate and using a mixture of bounced flash lighting and natural light can be a good solution. If this is not possible, digital editing can help correct colours, although it is always better to get the shot right in-camera.

It’s also a good idea to keep in mind the crop factor when framing your images. If you crop too closely during the shoot, it can restrict how and where your image can be used (school media, web, print, social, wall art, local press etc.). For example, website headers tend to be letterbox so you will usually lose a third of the image at the top when you crop it so leave plenty of space to make sure you are not cutting off heads etc.

Spring/Autumn colours can look lovely when used out of focus in the background of your photos. This could be a good time to plan your shoot or take the time to get some supplementary images. If you do this and the sun is out, make sure it’s behind your subject; direct sunlight does not look great.