15/10/2026
When I saw that my friends had picked two of my favorite backdrops for their son's school photos, I had to ask permission to share these images because I love them.
I've always been obsessed with mural art, so that's a given. The lasers, though? Oh, those were added as a fun throwback. It's very niche and it's not for everyone, but for the handful out there with my sense of humor? This one is for you. 😂
And oddly enough, it actually works really well with the sporty look of a jersey!
Permission had to come from two places:
First, from his parents, because on school photo days, there's really no efficient way to ask every family for permission to share their child's photographs.
Second, from Kate Swartz because she was the photographer who actually took his images that day. ❤️ Even when another photographer is working with me, it's important to me that they are credited if I'm not the one physically holding the camera.
One thing I've always insisted on is that school photography, for me, was never going to be a simple "click and go."
Anyone I bring on to photograph students alongside me has to be not only technically competent, but an experienced photographer in their own right. Someone who is kind, easy to work with, and genuinely wonderful to have around.
Because regardless of which photography station a student ends up at, I want them to have the same level of care, professionalism, and experience on their photo day.
And guess what!?
All three school photo galleries are officially up!
Nearly 1,500 students and staff photographed over the course of three weeks.
More than 20,000 RAW images processed, edited, categorized, and uploaded, with approximately a two-week turnaround.
And I absolutely could not have done this without some pretty incredible people.
To my fellow photographers: Real Joy Photography, Lindsey Picker, and Kate Swartz Photography. Thank you for photographing our students and teachers alongside me. More importantly your friendship, professionalism, and support. I'm so thankful for each of you.
To my editing team: Including Adam, who got pulled in at the eleventh hour one evening. Vel, who stayed on schedule despite oral surgery and an illness. And Melissa, who tamed those background edits like a boss while an illness was making its way through her household.
To my admin team: Tamatha and Kristin. My herders of ducks. 😂 Thank you for keeping the communications, questions, and countless moving pieces under control.
And finally, to our parent volunteers, teachers, and administrators at SHS, PES, and RBES: Thank you for your support before, during, and after photo days. From organizing students to helping with logistics and answering questions, you make an enormous difference. Most importantly, thank you for trusting me.
Around twenty thousand images taken. Three schools. Hundreds of moving pieces. And a whole lot of people working together to make it happen.
I'm proud of what we've accomplished, and even more grateful for the people who helped make it possible. ❤️
