Picture Days: Looking through the lens
While most students stand in front of the camera for what feels like a fleeting moment, photographers must spend a lot of time taking the perfect photo. While their vague hand signals convey how students should angle their heads and bodies, they actually visualize the photo to ensure that it comes out exquisitely.
August 26, 2016
Picture day: the one day students both dread and love regardless of how they look. On Monday, August 23, Cady Studios set up green screens, umbrella lights, tripods, stools, tape lines, and cameras in the Freshman Cafeteria, Main Cafeteria, and Old Gym. While it may seem like a picture comes from just a simple click, far more goes on behind the scenes.
The Cady Studios staff shares secrets about picture day behind the scenes that students may not know or understand.
“We wake up in the morning really early, go to the studio, get all our equipment together, bring it to the school; and we set up backdrops and lights and everything, and make sure the lighting is correct and stuff,“ Jamal Jackson, Cady Studio photographer, said.
Cady Studios photographers set their cameras up bright and early, trying their hardest to perfect the lighting and angle of the shot. “Yearbook photos are like a yearly reminder of how much or how little you’ve changed,” sophomore Morgan Brown said.
Photographers wake up at 3 a.m. to prepare for the day of camera-clicking and smile-watching ahead. Their set-up process takes only thirty minutes, a routine practiced to perfection over the years.
“I mean, y’all know we edit the pictures. And the green screen does change, people ask that a lot,” photographer Ian Kabethi said.
A large number of Cady Studios employees come fresh out of college, making them perfect candidates with fresh eyes for eye-catching photos.
“When I graduated, I wanted to be a photographer, so I started looking at stuff online. I found Cady Studios, and I came here!” Jackson said.
Cady Studios also shoots senior photos, sports games, class portraits, prom, and various other events.
“A lot of us have little [jobs] on the side,” Kabethi said.
Photographers describe school photos as normal, but many seniors make wacky faces and bring in props for their picture. With upperclassmen bringing mustaches, pets, lemonade bottles, fake grills, and money, NC’s cheerful and exciting character definitely livened the mood of the day. Even Harry Potter paid the school a visit, with senior Brandon Isnetto adorning a Gryffindor jacket, magic wand, round glasses, and the iconic lightning bolt drawn on his forehead.
Seniors Brandon Isnetto and Kevin Waweru exemplify the hidden witchcraft that goes on in our school. Don’t mess with Harry Potter.
While Cady Studios allowed Brandon to wear his costume in his portrait, another senior, Audrey Widmier, said, “I brought a mustache to wear in the photo, but they wouldn’t let me.”
Still, picture day may always evoke a sense of panic.
“I was not ready! I never am, I forgot it was picture day!” sophomore Morgan Stafford said.
However, photographers at Cady Studios know the perfect advice for the best picture.
“Brush your teeth, wash your face, do your hair. Come up and sit up straight in the chair, just do what we say and your picture will come out pretty well!” Jackson said.
