Homeschooling is something near and dear to my heart. My mom homeschooled me for all of my pre-college education and for almost all of my brothers' education! In all that time we went through many methods and curriculums. Reflecting on all of my past and current homeschool friends, I don't think I've seen any family do it the same way as another. I've also seen any kind of school photos be lax to non-existent. My heart with homeschool photography is to join my loves for lifestyle photography, homeschooling, and capturing memories help families record their students in a beautiful and lasting way!

In-Home Sessions

I offer two kinds of homeschool photo sessions. The first of these are in-home sessions! These are designed to record how each family does school as authentically as possible. What does that look like? First, as the name suggests, the shoot takes place in your home (or wherever you regularly do school). I'll photograph each of your students in their individual or collective learning environment. I've known families whose students worked all over the house, in their kitchen, or even at the local library!

Second, because homeschooling looks so different for each family, I usually suggest having a few learning activities in mind for your session. This way we can record what your whole school year looks like. For example, in school I primarily used a curriculum with workbooks. My mom supplemented this by giving us outdoor activities or following experiment instructions from the workbooks. For a schooling situation like this I'd recommend having your students spend some time in their workbooks then having a few planned activities to photograph as well!

Finally, you can expect your session to last at least an hour. This is the baseline I work with and it's usually the perfect amount of time to capture everything! However, if you have an extra large family (at one time my family had 10 students learning at once!) you may need a longer session to capture each student.

A Couple of Tips...

Embrace the Mess. These sessions are meant to capture what homeschooling is really like for you. If this means your house looks a little (or a lot) messy, don't clean it up! As tempting as it may be to clean your house for a "nice" picture, doing so removes some of that natural element. Your photos will turn out beautifully either way! Embrace the mess and preserve the memory of this part of your life!

Let Kids be Kids. Often times when I'm shooting for a family, well meaning parents will direct their kids to be still and pose for the camera. In both lifestyle and homeschool photography the more casual the better! I love candid photos because they really capture the essence of a moment. Posed photos are beautiful but not the goal for these sessions. By letting your students be themselves, you'll get more natural photos! Like looking through a window into the past!

Homeschool Picture Day

Homeschool Picture Day is the second kind of homeschool photo that I offer. These are an opportunity for you to get posed "school photos" of your students. If you like posed photos more than casual then these are for you! They're designed to give you the school portrait feel with a little more personality.

I offer these twice a year in the spring and the fall. Each session is half an hour. I'll take pictures of each of your students individually, in pairs, and all together. I love these because they're an opportunity for a quick session with long lasting memories! Through these sessions, you can document your students as they grow. Individually and with their siblings!

Something unique to Homeschool Picture Day is my print package option. For all my other photo sessions I only include a digital gallery with the session. With these I offer the option for a digital or print package! The print option gets you 13 prints in various sizes so you automatically have prints to frame or give to family and friends! You also have the option to purchase addition prints for either package.

As someone who loves printed photos I always recommend the print package. Printing and framing your photos puts them in front of you every day! You can enjoy them and look back on them through the years. Prints make the memory that much more tangible!

Why Should You Hire a Photographer?

The obvious question is why should you hire a photographer when you can take pictures like these on your phone? While it's true that you can do this (keep an eye out for a post later this year about taking awesome phone pictures), hiring a professional ensures that you'll get high quality photos. It also allows you to be in the moment with your kids! For in-home sessions especially, you'll want to be in the photos as well. You are an integral part of their education and deserve to be recorded too!

Hiring a professional is also a good idea because they're trained to "get" the picture. Making kids or photo-shy teens to look good on camera can be a challenge. Professional photographers know how to bring the best out of any subject! I've worked with a variety of ages in a variety of situations. Bringing out individual personalities is what I do best!

Homeschooling is a beautiful, challenging, and worthwhile endeavor. Preserving memories of this time in your lives is just as worthwhile! After your photoshoot, you'll be able to look back on your photos for years to come and remember all the time spent learning and growing with your students.

If you're interested in one or both of these homeschool session or are struggling to think of what you'd want pictures of, I can help! Hit the "Contact Me" button below to get started.

Ready for Your Session?

Whether you're ready to book or still have questions I'd love to chat with you! Reach out through the "Contact Me" button below to start the conversation.