I think in my twelve years of school pictures, I liked maybe one or two of them. Actually, my first grade one is the best.
I was a little cuter back then than now.
Anywho, that whole school photo thing was such a blur of a yearly experience.
I remember every year being lined up in a random school hallway, given a little black comb, and told to wait patiently for what seemed like the next three hours. We usually flicked each other’s head or shoulders with the combs before they broke. And then we would get scolded by one of the teachers assigned to herd us in the hallway, who would say something gentle like, “I don’t get paid enough for this” or “I really could be using this time to teach more about fractions.” Well, you know it’s bad when I’d rather be enduring a refresher on fractions than standing in that hallway trying not to wrinkle my clothes.
Invariably, about ten seconds before I got to the door I remembered the cheap comb and its real purpose, to fix my hair. But where was the mirror? Nowhere to be found. In the twelve years I had school photos snapped of me, I never remember a mirror. And, to top it off, I had hair nearly halfway down my back – this little piece of black plastic was no match for my tangle-prone locks. Furthermore, what’s the use of trying to fix my own hair without a mirror. I had to trust that the frazzled photography assistant was telling me the truth when she said I looked “fine.” {Oh, that’s a four-letter word in my house. My husband knows not to tell me I look “fine.” But, I digress.} And then, before i knew it I had been called into the creepily lit room with the funny umbrellas, muddy backdrop and the brilliant lights; shoved onto a stool; told to say “cheese;” snapped twice; told the purple dots would go away; and sent back to my fractions lesson. Yup, every year.
Well, that doesn’t happen if you’re homeschooled. Or, maybe it does, but not if I can help it.
Anyway, I had the opportunity to take some non-school photos for a local homeschool co-op the other day. And they didn’t get the cattle-call line-up in the hallway treatment from me though. Each family got about fifteen minutes to pose and just act a bit silly. We captured more personality than you’d see in most yearbook photos and no one was hurt by cheap combs.
Enjoy. SPL
