Yearbook Tips for Parents

Did you know that more photos were taken in the past two minutes than all the pictures captured from the time photography was invented to the turn of the 20^th century?

That is a good thing and a bad thing.  It’s easy to take photos but most of those images are never going to be downloaded, a whole lot of them will be lost in some sort of accident (smart phones don’t swim), and the ones that are shared will not tell a very good story.

There is an art to telling a story with pictures and a yearbook is a good example of such a visual history.  These books are more than a catalogue of formal senior portraits.  The candid photos will help graduates recall fond memories or relate their personal experiences to family members over the years.

Parents are a great resource as students prepare their yearbooks because adults have the benefit of experience to share.  Parent Teacher Associations often get involved in yearbook efforts because they can expand on the value of their input.

Connecting Families to Yearbook Staff

PTAs can reach out to families and turn those people into yearbook resources.  These publications require a lot of volunteer effort to organize and promote.  People will be needed to sell ads, wrangle clubs and organizations into contributing their input, and just offering creative ideas.

Planning the Publication

Many events are organized by PTAs and a yearbook staff can benefit from their experience and advice when pulling together what is essentially a group of students who may have never worked together before and definitely have no real publishing experience.

Coordinating Teachers and Students

It can be easy to forget about the learning aspect of school when graduation parties and end of year celebrations get close on the calendar.  PTAs can be an effective liaison between the yearbook staff and teachers to get that part of the story told well, including candids in the classroom and the results of special projects.

Avoid Mistakes

By the time students realize what they should avoid, they’ve already made the mistake and it may be part of their yearbook forever.  PTAs can help in this area and, as an organization rather than individual parents, they can build on success year after year, providing continuity from one yearbook to the next.

Premier Portraits Studio is always ready to act as a resource to help students and their parents create photographs that tell the story of this important time in life.  Call today for more tips and support!