How Many Days of Photos Should My Center Have?
Updated: Sep 26
As a director, choosing how many days your center should have for photos can take some consideration.
My general recommendation for the number of photos days that a center should have, (based on the number of non-school-aged kids), is as follows:
Under 40 kids: 1 day
40-80 kids: 1-2 days
81-120 kids: 2 days
121-175 kids: 2-3 days
Over 175 kids: 3+ days
If your center has over 40 children, you'll have a couple options for how many photo days you can have.
If you're deciding between 1 or 2 days of photos, here are a few things to keep in mind:
One Day of Photos
Pros:
"All done!"
If the thought of hosting a Photo Day makes your heartrate increase just thinking about the added planning and coordination it can take, then the 1-day option may be your best bet. You can wrap up the whole event in one day and get back to "normal" sooner. :)
Consistent weather/lighting
With outdoor photos, it's never guaranteed that one day of photos will have similar weather than the other. Because of that, you won't have to worry about one batch of kids getting a 45 degree day with clouds and wind, while the other batch gets 65 and sunny skies.
Less room for parent confusion
No matter how many times you tell a group of people the details of an event, someone will always forget or get confused. If you're only hosting 1 day of photos, you have less chances of a parent getting their dates turned around and dressing up their kiddo on the wrong day.
Cons:
No chance for a make-up day
When you host photos over 2 days, there is a potential for a kid who was sick/gone on day 1 to be able to make up their photos on day 2. If you only take photos on one day, however, you likely won't have that opportunity.
Part-time kiddos may miss out
Similar to Con #2, with only one day of photos, some of your part-time children may not be able to attend.
Multiple Days of Photos
Pros
Inherent make-up day/s for absent kids or bad weather
In contrast to a 1-day plan, if you have multiple days for the children to get photos, the ones who were registered for the 1st day and couldn't make it due to sickness, etc will have another shot to get their photos on the next day. In addition, if the weather goes south for Day 1, you already have one set option for those children to make up their photos.
Easier for part-time attendees
Spreading your photos over two days of the week can capture all of your part-time kiddos and make sure they get their own photo day. Whether they're a M-W-F kid or a T-Th kiddo, you can get them all. :)
Cons
More drawn out
Spreading the photos over two days will mean that you'll need to be ready for the center's schedule be a bit disrupted for two days, instead of just one.
Potential to confuse parents
Juggling family life, work, and daycare can get tough for parents, and they don't always take the time to read and understand all the notices that daycares give them. ;) If you have your photos over two days instead of one, you increase the chance that a parent (or two) will get confused about which day they're supposed to be getting photos.
More chances for bad/inconsistent weather
Since we typically take photos outdoors, when you host photos over two days, you're taking the chance that the weather will be nice and relatively consistent both days. In the event that it's not, this can lead to differences in lighting, location, and clothing needed for each day.
Hopefully, this article has helped to guide you to the right decision for your center. If you ever have any questions at all, please contact me at hello@genesisphotog.com or 402-413-0129. -Bonnie
