School is here or about to start!

Are you excited, or do you miss your kids when they're at school? Both?!

One thing I do enjoy about school days is routine, and I always miss it a bit during the summer. I'm always excited about the friendships that are made, too, and I love seeing what my kids learn every year.

Now, let's run through 5 creative photos you can take to capture those back to school memories!

1. Headshots are for kids, too.

I love taking more up-close images of my kids each year, as they begin a new school year. Children and teenagers change so much from school year to school year, and both you and they will treasure the portraits you accumulate over the years. If you aren't crazy about school pictures, this is a way you can accomplish that in a style that is more your own, too. Try to use a clean, neutral backdrop, and natural light for this more traditional type of photograph.

2. Signs!

Signs are great for milestone images, and there are myriad options out there to fit every decor or personality style! You can find a sign that you can write on, a custom sign made just for your child, or use Photoshop to create exactly the look you're going for on a blank sign. After a few years, it will be amazing to look back on the series and see if you want to make changes, or just how much your kids have grown. Have fun!

3. Family Traditions

Does your family have unique (or even not so unique) back to school traditions? Perhaps you take your kids out for ice cream on Friday, that first week back to school? Or maybe you make a special after-school snack or dinner? Maybe your child's school has a tradition, like posing for a photo in a certain location, or walking through a specific place on campus for good luck? Maybe this is the year you come up with a new family tradition! Click that shutter!

4. Photograph All the New Things

School supplies, fancy new shoes, their very first lunchbox or backpack ... take those pictures! Think about how much your child's tastes and interests are going to change during the school years. Think about your own special or favorite lunchbox that you still remember, or maybe even still have. If you don't have a picture of yourself holding it, don't you wish you did? Capture that joy for your kiddos.

5. How's Their Handwriting?

Especially for younger children, handwriting changes a ton during the first few years of school. Have your kiddo write or draw their name and find a special way to preserve it (what better way than through photos?).

All of these pictures would be amazing in a small album. Make a new one each school year!