It’s that time again, time to put away the pool floaties and bring out the backpacks and binders. The first day of school is an exciting time for both the parent and child, so why not capture that moment in a creative and fun way? Here are some creative ideas to make the first day of school even more special.

1) Traditional Chalkboard Sign

If you really want to look back and remember the special details of this day, you can create a sign for your child to hold that lists their some special things about them like: 

• Age
• Grade They Are Going Into, 
• What They Want to be When They Grow Up, 
• Favorite Color
• Best Friend
• Favorite Activity
• Favorite Subject

A small chalkboard or poster will work great. This is fun to do every year to look back and compare how things have changed. 

2) Using Props

If you want something a little more topical to the school theme, you can have your child pose with a stack of books and use cut out letters to spell out things like:

• "Back to School" 
• "First Day of School"
• The Grade They Are Going Into
• Graduating Year

3) Imagination Creation with Photoshop

If you are super tech-savvy you can always use Photoshop to turn your child's imagination into a reality. The sky is the limit with this idea, and it will be sure to get your child excited for their first day of school. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Floating Books and Pencils
• Floating Apples and Chalkboards
• Superhero Theme w/ First Day Of School Cape
• First Day Of School Princess Theme with Magical Glitter

4) Photo Inception

The last idea can be continued throughout the years. Start by taking a photo of your child on the first day of school, the next year print that photo out, frame it, and have the child pose with the previous years photo. This will cause a "photo inception" and by the end you will have one photo with all of your child first day of school photos inside. 

Products We Recommend

The best part about back to school photos is you don't have to be a professional photographer to capture them, but if you are looking for a few tools to take your photos to the next level here are some products we recommend. 

1) Reflector:

A good reflector can drastically change the quality of your photos by reflecting or diffusing light. This  Westcott Basics Reflector 30in 5-in-1 Sunlight has everything you need to get the perfect lighting in your shot. 

2) Lume Cube:

The Lume Cube is a small portable light that is controlled by bluetooth so you can light your subject in any situation, there is even a cellphone mount for those doing mobile photography. 

3) iPhone Tripod:

Make life a little easier by setting your mobile device on a tripod to stay steady to get a nice crisp, in focus shot, the  DLC Photographers Field Kit is a great and affordable option. 

First Day of School Sign Template