Times Have Changed (Thank Goodness)

Remember back in the day when the time came for school pictures?


Moms would make sure we were dressed in our best (unless, of course, they happened to forget that it was school picture day). Everyone pretty much had the same backdrop and maybe a prop. I remember we all had our hands folded on our science textbook in 3rd grade because it had a "colorful cover" according to our teacher


Plastic combs. It seemed as though the photographer had a big box of combs. I guess even back then they knew enough about head lice so they didn't let kids share combs. The teachers tried to make sure hair was in place, bows were tied, clothes were not unbuttoned, unzipped or crooked.


Then one by one, we sat down. The photographer said, "Look right here and smile" or maybe "Say cheese." There was one shot. One opportunity to get it right. The photographers might possibly take a second photo if they knew for certain a child had blinked or coughed or made a weird face. But usually it was one shot.


These days, school pictures have gone high tech. Everything is digital. The photographers even go to preschools. Color pictures in the fall and black and white playground pictures in the spring. They take the kids outside since the lighting is better. The kid talks to the photographer and plays while the photographer snaps away.


Parents get choices. A few weeks later, we receive 10-12 proofs and then we can go online and order. They'll adjust blemishes, runny noses, etc.


Thank goodness times have changed. Thank goodness there's not just one shot. One opportunity to get it right. Otherwise, we'd be stuck with this as our forever record of our child's time in preschool.