Better School Photos
Better School Photos start here. Creating better school photos is not something I’d given a ton of thought to in the past. School photos have always seemed a little redundant. I’ve watched as my children have been paraded into lines and taught to sit in front of the lights and smile. I have never bought any school photo of them, but I would guess that most photographers don’t. Their smiles aren’t genuine, and so my kids don’t look like or feel like themselves. I don’t care for artificial backdrops or fake props and my son has never once pulled a red wagon down a pretend tree lined path. My son also does not sit for photos, not for me and not for any photographer. He will however dance, spin, jump, scream, and get silly, if you pump up some music and give him a minute or two to warm up. He is more than capable of smiling his sweet smile when he is happy and comfortable and in his own element.
I started experimenting with a giant white backdrop, in the hopes that I could get some new photos on our living room wall. Something sleek and modern and not fussy- just like my kids. And just like that, Little School Stories was born. Here my kids were enjoying themselves in my studio, when there wasn’t pressure to do anything but have a good time. I thought in that moment, what if I could get every parent better school photos of their kids? What if I could start Little School Stories small and grow it bigger? What if I streamline school photos, take the whole process online, and give parents portraits of their kids that they’ll actually want to hang up in their homes?
Growth
You’ve watched enough episodes of Shark Tank to know that from a single moment, a brilliant idea can grow. It took a new way of working with my own kids, to recognize an opportunity to expand my Little Love Stories brand.
Getting Personal
I am a portrait photographer, I work for myself , and I run a small business. I have watched my business pick up and my confidence soar. However, I will be the first to say that as a woman whose also a mother, wife, sister, daughter, and friend, I have often doubted that I deserved more success. I spend so much of my day praising my children and telling them that they can be anyone, try everything, and do whatever they want in this giant world- but it occurred to me that I haven’t practiced that motto fully. The expansion of the Little Love Stories brand is something that I’ve dreamed of for a long time. I’m really excited to have perfected the process enough, to offer school photo services to more schools. Of course challenging institutions is not easy. Convincing folks to try something new and more modern is hard. Many schools are under contract with the photo company that they have always been with and so when I show up it can be hard to make that change. I know in my heart that with your help we can revolutionize school photos! And then, maybe this fall instead of sharing the most awkward of images on FB and laughing, we’ll share beautiful portraits of the kids we love so deeply! If you have a school that could use a reboot, I hope that you’ll reach out to me. I am more than happy to chat with, meet with, and work with your schools!
We’re growing and that’s a really great thing. We can do hard things. We already have.