Learn how to partner with schools, run natural-light, outdoor school photo days, and build a profitable extension of your family photography business.
PICTURE DAY
Leah O'Connell
Charlottesville family photographer
A School Photography Course for Family Photographers
You built your business around connection.
Natural light. Real expressions. Images that celebrate personality > perfection.
Traditional school photography prioritizes speed and uniformity.
Harsh lights. Dated backdrops. Factory-style assembly lines. Parents ordering photos that don’t even feel like their kids out of guilt.
We can do better.
Successful school partnerships allow you to:
Lifestyle school photography is both a revenue stream and a growth strategy.
- Introduce yourself to hundreds of local families
- Create recurring annual income
- Generate natural pathways into family bookings without competing for visibility on social media
- Establish quick trust with future potential clients
- Build your reputation in your local community
I've partnered with a dozen schools in my area, most of which return with me every year and sometimes twice a year. I serve programs with children from infants through teens, successfully integrating and running it alongside a thriving family photography business.
Every contract, schedule, pricing structure, consent form, and workflow has been tested in real schools and refined over time. Through trial & error, policy adjustments, school communications, parent support, and a lot of school picture days,
I'm Leah. I've been building and refining this model since 2017.
I've built a method that works so you don't have to.
Outreach strategy, positioning, and customizable templates.
Inside the course:
Managing multiple schools, growing your community, converting families into your regular offers
Pitching: How to Book Your First School (and Many After)
Handling a picture day with ease and fun, working with all ages, prompts for quick engagement and natural expression
Preparing for Photo Day
Consent & Legal Awareness
Forms, opt-outs, privacy workflows & contracts to establish safe and trusted working relationship with schools and parents
Photo Day Logistics
Building long-term relationships
Gear recommendations, communication templates, and scouting tips,
All the logistics and systems training you need to cull, edit, and sort, gallery setup, pricing, and deliver efficiently
Systems for Processing & Delivery
Simple spots on school grounds like this are all you need!
No backdrops, extra lighting gear, or awkward props required.
By the end, you'll know exactly how to-
- Find schools that align with your larger photography values and style
- Pitch your services with confidence
- Run a smooth, successful picture day
- Process and deliver images efficiently
- Honor parental privacy requests and proper handling of child names and images
- Build a profitable, repeatable income stream that doubles as marketing for your regular offers
Who it's for:
- Love natural light and lifestyle imagery
- Want recurring, predictable income
- Value long-term community relationships
- Want a marketing strategy that side-steps social media
Q&A
Is this only for private schools?
Most larger public institutions aren't currently set up to adopt or align to this model - it's best for private institutions, but if you have smaller public schools in your area (<300 students) it's totally worth a shot! All of my experience comes from private models, including church preschools, Montessori schools, homeschool coops, forest schools, and more!
Do I need lighting gear?
Yes! When structured correctly, you can add thousands to your bottom line without a big team, without creating offer confusion, and without running yourself down with mini sessions. The course walks through pricing models and volume planning so it supports your business instead of draining it.
Is Outdoor school photography actually profitable?
When will this be available?!
SOON! It's currently in development and I plan to release the full course for any-time purchase by May 2026.