Morning Star School Portraits


March, 7 + 8


I am excited about the opportunity to take your child's school pictures again this year! To help you understand my process better and answer some of the most frequently asked questions, I created this page. Hopefully this is also a good way to contact me for any additional questions you might have about your child's portraits.

Picture Day Schedule

Tuesday, March 7

  • DK
  • Preschool West
  • Preschool House
  • Infants, part 1
  • Any child who doesn't attend on Wednesday

Wednesday, March 8

  • Toddlers
  • Toddlers Too
  • Infants, part 2
  • Any child who doesn't attend on Tuesday

If you have more than one child attending Morning Star, their pictures will be taken on the same day as your youngest child's.

If your child doesn't attend either day, feel free to drop in or wait for make-up day. Please remember that make-up day will be the LAST chance to get your child's pictures taken.

What color background do you use?

I have found that a light gray background works best with natural lighting and a variety of skin tones and outfit colors.


Should I bring my child to school in their picture outfit?


Bring your child's picture outfit (including accessories) in a separate bag. Your child's teacher will get everyone ready when it's their classroom's turn. Don't forget to include a note with special instructions about your child's outfit (e.g. undershirt or not for dresses, hair bow on right or left). Your child's teacher will do their best to follow your instructions.

What footwear should we bring?

You don't need to worry about footwear. Your child's bare feet are much more photogenic than a shoe sole that's visible in a sitting position.



Can you recommend any colors that photograph well?

With my vibrant editing style, earthy neutrals sometimes pop in a much more natural way than bright colors do. Neutrals do not have to be variants of gray, brown and black. They can be mustard, forest green, rust, mauve, blush etc. If you want brighter colors, I would suggest choosing just one. I suggest avoiding bright oranges and magenta/pinks, (usually, not always!) as they can make skin look green in comparison in photos. To get good skin tones, it is usually a good idea to balance cooler tones with warmer ones and not have a dominance of blue.

What patterns photograph best?

Be careful with patterns but don't be afraid of them! Try and think more texture and less pattern. Thin stripes sometimes tend to do odd things to your eyes on screen and in print. Say "yes" to layers!


If we are buying our child's portrait outfit, are there stores you can recommend?

  • I think that Old Navy clothes tend to have patterns and colors that photograph well while also being reasonably priced.
  • H+M has a lot of cute sets in colors like khaki green, dusty rose, dark taupe, marsala red and light grays that are great choices for portraits.
  • Another good store with good picture outfits following current fashion trends is Target, with one of my favorite store brands being "art class"
  • If you are ordering your clothes online, consider stores like Quincy Mae, or Rylee and Cru
  • If your child likes fancy dresses, check out Joyfolie.com as well as OnlyLittleOnce.com
  • If you are shopping through Amazon, consider Amazon's sub brand SimpleeKids



Can you make my child look at the camera?

It is definitely my goal to provide you with a lovely smile at the camera. That being said, my first priority is to make your child feel comfortable in front of the camera. To achieve that, I use a variety of tools, like hand puppets, bubbles and animations. I love to capture their natural reactions and lead their attention back to the camera once they feel relaxed.

My child missed Picture Day. Is there a make up date?

Yes, our date for make up pictures is March 24.




Can I ask to have my child's pictures re-taken?

Please talk to your teacher if you would like to have your child's pictures re-taken. If your child was having a bad day or was too shy, your teacher will likely have made a note and will try to send them again with an assistant teacher on make up day. If you do not like how your child's pictures turned out, please consider accompanying them for re-takes on March 24.