School Picture Day: Behind the camera

By COVIE STOCKTON

The Blue & Gold Staff Reporter

A LifeTouch photographer preps his equipment during Bartlett's picture day September 10. Photo taken by: Covie Stockton

Bartlett High School’s Theater saw an excessive amount of cheese on September 10. With six LifeTouch photographers working from the start of the school day to the end, picture day was a success for both the photographers and students.

“I can change someone’s day in thirty seconds,” photographer Megan Young said. “Once they smile, any negative energy changes to positive.”

Most students don’t realize how much work the photographers put into picture days. On top of other events, photographers take school pictures every weekday during school picture season.

“We have to travel quite a lot,” Young stated. “We see all grades, K-12, with a new school every day.”

Time constriction is a major factor in photography. Young does other photography, such as wildlife and astrophotography, outside of her professional job.

“What they all have in common is that timing is key. Catching a person’s smile, catching a bird mid-flight; it’s all luck,” Young said.

Even with the non-stop clicks of the cameras and the cliche, “Say cheese!” every 10 seconds, photographers never seem to get tired of the age-old saying that we’ve all heard before. In fact, some photographers come up with variations to the old reliable, “Say cheese!” Young said when she works with younger children, she’ll put a stuffed tiger above her camera lenses and tell them he will “tickle [their] toes.”

“Portrait photography is about being able to come up with ideas spontaneously,” she explained.

Although photographers can sometimes go greatly unappreciated, most consider it a passion, and that seems to be rewarding enough to them.

“Photography is my passion,” Young stated. “It just makes me so happy inside.”

So next time you have to stand in that awkward position to get your school picture, be sure to give your best smile and show your photographer appreciation.

And don’t worry if you didn’t love your school picture, photographers will be back to Bartlett on Monday, October 15 for retakes.