As a parent I understand the importance of capturing as many moments of their childhood as you can during their school years. I know that some of my first memories are of my time spent at a local nursery and I can just about remember the room that we used to paint and draw in and the room we used to have a sleep in after lunch! But I do wish that I had some photos of my time at that nursery. The place where the foundations of my learning and life experience began as well as some less formal photos. And now as a mother of two, I’m going through the annual event of school photographs. Not only am I disappointed by how little atmosphere they capture but one of the first things parents say to me once they’ve got the pictures back of their children, is that they’re disappointed by how bland they are and that they don’t show their child’s personality.

That oh so familiar white backdrop!

Yes, my parents did get a couple of the ‘official’ shots that both my nursery and schools had done. I think more out of duty and an ‘official’ record of my time there. You’ll know  what I’m talking about if your child’s school offers to organise photographs. The photographer sets up a rather uninteresting backdrop in one of a few shades of grey to white then with lights shining into the children’s faces, they pose them and get them to put on their best smile.  The results? Some rather awkward poses, with fixed smiles and a photograph that barely shows the unique personality of your child and certainly doesn’t include any of their surroundings. The photograph could’ve been taken anywhere!

Using the School to set the Scene

So I wanted to offer something different as a photographer to the nurseries and schools in my area. Working closely with the wonderful team at The Barn School in Essex https://www.thebarnnurseryschool.com/, I started to develop a unique way of capturing the school years for the children.  No paper backdrops and creating connections with each and every one of the children so that I could capture their amazing personalities.

Yes, I make sure that I have a photo of each child with the nursery or school as a backdrop but also I take the time to be around the children to capture them ‘in the moment’. Just being themselves. This produces some of my favourite school photos.

Making it Different

Children change massively year on year especially in the school years. So to avoid offering the parents the same style of photograph each year, I make sure that I come up with a different style of photograph each year. For example, this year when I visited a nursery school to discuss how we would get the photographs of the children, I spotted an amazing field of buttercups right next door to the school. Even though I wasn’t due to take the photos for a couple of weeks, I couldn’t miss the opportunity of using the buttercups for the shoot. So with a bit of juggling with the diary, we managed to bring the shoot forwards and got some amazing shots.

I also provide head shots for staff at nurseries and schools. These can provide a fabulous display so that both children and parents can recognise all members of staff. And if you’re in need of new photographs or a promotional video for your website then I am happy to discuss your needs and we can work together to give you the photographs you need.

Just to show you the response I’ve had, here is a testimonial of how happy a nursery manager was with how I worked with them:

Belinda captured the inner spirit and sheer beauty of each and every little soul – the photos speak for themselves. What the pictures don’t tell you is that her manner with the children was truly beautiful. The children felt at ease in her presence so the magic flowed.

A huge thank you to all the gorgeous children in these pictures. You never fail to bring a smile to my face!

To see more of my school images, go to my website and check out the nursery and schools page.

So if you’re a parent and fed up with the same old posed shots or a school manager looking to offer truly beautiful and unique photographs of your children then I’d love to hear from you:

Contact me:

Here is a short video of the wonderful children and staff at The Barn Nursery School: