How to take amazing first day of school photos
By Photobox on 12 August 2025
From sleepy breakfasts to proud waves at the school gate, here are seven cute, funny and practical first day of school photo ideas to help you capture a milestone worth printing.
First day of school photo ideas don’t need to be perfect to be meaningful. The first day of school always seems to arrive before you’re quite ready. One day you’re buying school supplies and hunting for the right-size shoes, and the next you’re waving them off with a lump in your throat. Whether it’s their first day ever or just the start of a new chapter, it’s a picture-perfect life moment that you’ll always remember.
Taking great back to school photos might feel like one more thing on an already busy morning, but it’s often the thing you’ll look back on the most. That big, beaming smile. That huge school bag. That little flash of pride in their eyes.
In this guide, we’re sharing seven back to school photo ideas that work in real life. No pressure, no perfection. Just easy ways to capture the day and turn it into something you’ll be glad you saved.
The best first day of school photos
1. Location, location, location
Go beyond the front door for your school pics. That traditional front-step photo with the school bag and shiny smiles? Still a classic. But there’s so much more to capture in the run-up to that iconic back to school moment. The last-minute sock scramble, the excitement (or nerves) bubbling up as they get dressed and zip up their bag. It’s all part of the story.
Taking a few relaxed photos in different locations throughout the morning gives you a fuller picture of the day. You don’t need a fancy camera, a perfectly tidy house or an Instagrammable front door. Just snap what’s real. These are the moments that will mean the most when you look back.
Our top tip for capturing first school day moments: Take a few candid snaps throughout the morning for an easy way to create a little photo story.
2. Let them strike a pose (or two)
Not every photo has to be picture-perfect. Some of the best back to school photos come when you let your kid be exactly who they are. Maybe that’s a proud superhero stance, a peace sign, a big silly grin or a full-on sulk about going back to school. However they’re feeling, it’s all part of their story.
The trick is to give them a bit of space to do their thing. Gently prompt them if you want, but chances are they’ll come up with something funnier, messier and more uniquely them if they’re left to their own devices.
Our top tip for funny back to school photos: Try a before and after the first day of school photo. One snap when they’re fresh and full of energy, and one after school: messy hair, muddy knees, and a story behind every smudge.
3. Create easy DIY props
A simple signboard or chalkboard with their name, year group, and a few of their favourite things (food, colour, hobby) adds a personal touch to your child’s first day at school photo, and starts something fun to look back on each year. The best part? You can wipe it clean and use it again every year. It’s simple, sustainable, and adds a personal touch to your photo. Plus, looking back at what they wrote over the years will be just as fun as looking at the picture itself.
Our top tip for a cute first day of school photo idea: take a close-up photo of the board on its own as well. Later, you can pair it with their photo in a print or photo book, so you’ll always remember that “ballerina firefighter who loves pasta and Taylor Swift” era.
4. Photos from the school run
The school run might not feel like the most obvious photo opportunity, but it’s often where the most natural moments happen. Whether you’re walking, cycling or piling into the car, the journey has a rhythm of its own, and capturing just a few of those in-between bits can tell the story in a way a posed photo never could. They’re blink-and-you-miss-it moments, but they’re full of personality.
Our top tip for school journey pictures: stand back and shoot from a distance as they walk or ride ahead. It adds a sense of story to the image and looks great as a full-page photo in a school memories photo book.
5. Capture the whole crew
It’s not just about the solo shot. Some of the best first day of school photo ideas come from those spontaneous, slightly chaotic group shots. Whether it’s siblings, cousins, neighbours, or their very best school friend, these group shots don’t have to be perfectly posed. Some of the best first day at school photos are the most chaotic, backpacks half on, arms flung around each other, one of them mid-jump. And if you take a similar photo each year, you’ll see how not just they’ve grown, but how their relationships have too.
Our top tip for great group school photos: pick the same spot for your back to school photos each year, like the front step or garden wall. Seeing the same group change over time makes for a brilliant before-and-after effect in a photo book or print series.
6. Parents, get in the picture too
You’re trying to get everyone out the door, the clock’s ticking, and your morning coffee is still untouched on the counter. The first day of school can be a full-on experience. But if you can, try to jump into one or two photos before the morning is over. It doesn’t have to be perfect. A quick hug, a selfie on the doorstep, or a wave at the gate is more than enough.
Years from now, those photos will mean the world. Not just to you, but to them too. Being in the frame helps tell the full story of their first day and of the person who helped them get there.
Our top tip for a great parents and kids school photo: Use the timer on your phone and rest it somewhere stable, like a shelf or windowsill. Natural, relaxed and hands-free.
7. Give your school snaps a home
Once the first day is done and you’ve got a camera roll full of gems, don’t just leave them sitting there. Pick a few of your favourites and bring them to life. Print a few for around the house, and send some to grandparents, aunties and uncles. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Just something simple that helps those photos live beyond your phone and become part of your everyday.
Our top tip for making those school photos matter: Create a dedicated photo book just for school photos. Add a few pictures from the first day, then build on it through the year with drawings, awards or end-of-term snaps. By summer, you’ll have something really special to look back on.
With a bit of thought and a few simple touches, those quick snaps can become something more. Print a few favourites, share them with family, or start a photo book you can add to as the year unfolds.
Big smiles, messy mornings, tiny details: it’s all part of the story.
