I’m a photographer and mum, I also chair our school parent council – in a mid sized rural school in Aberdeenshire. I’m aware of how fundraising can really benefit schools and the experiences they can offer children. When I first offered school portraits at our medium sized rural school, I was blown away at the uptake and I was able to make a payment of £950 to our parent council funds!
Our parents are amazingly supportive and generous and they know that funds raised are put to really good use. Funding school trips and busses for trips is one of the main ways funds are spent. With the cost of travel escalating it’s great that small schools have funds to allow trips to happen. Smaller rural schools are often disadvantaged because of transport costs, they can’t just jump on the public bus which would be free for the children.
SO, HOW DO YOU START A FUNDRAISING PARTNERSHIP?
Each year I select the number of schools I have availability to work with. I offer every school generous commission and speedy payment. Ideally we shoot our school photos in September and October, just as the new school year begins. I love taking photos outdoors but we can easily shoot indoors in a reception area or the school library – every school is different and I can always find somewhere with good light and create some beautiful images for the families your school serves. Some schools never manage to get professional photography because they’re too small or too rural! I work with all types of schools – even the smallest!
MY APPROACH TO SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY
I deal with everything – this really cuts out the admin for schools – more about that towards the end!
It’s always me! – When you book Donagh Costello Photography for your school photos, it’s always me. I don’t take bookings and then send an associate. I want to ensure that you get exactly the style and service you signed up for. Sometimes with bigger schools I bring another photographer who has the same style and I always do my own editing and delivery ensuring great quality.
I’m a photographer and mum, I also chair our school parent council – in a mid sized rural school in Aberdeenshire. I’m aware of how fundraising can really benefit schools and the experiences they can offer children. When I first offered school portraits at our medium sized rural school, I was blown away at the uptake and I was able to make a payment of £950 to our parent council funds!
Our parents are amazingly supportive and generous and they know that funds raised are put to really good use. Funding school trips and busses for trips is one of the main ways funds are spent. With the cost of travel escalating it’s great that small schools have funds to allow trips to happen. Smaller rural schools are often disadvantaged because of transport costs, they can’t just jump on the public bus which would be free for the children.
SO, HOW DO YOU START A FUNDRAISING PARTNERSHIP?
Click here to register interest (no obligation)
Each year I select the number of schools I have availability to work with. I offer every school generous commission and speedy payment. Ideally we shoot our school photos in September and October, just as the new school year begins. I love taking photos outdoors but we can easily shoot indoors in a reception area or the school library – every school is different and I can always find somewhere with good light and create some beautiful images for the families your school serves. Some schools never manage to get professional photography because they’re too small or too rural! I work with all types of schools – even the smallest!
MY APPROACH TO SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY
I deal with everything – this really cuts out the admin for schools – more about that towards the end!
IT’S ALWAYS ME!
When you book Donagh Costello Photography for your school photos, it’s always me. I don’t take bookings and then send an associate. I want to ensure that you get exactly the style and service you signed up for. Sometimes with bigger schools I bring another photographer who has the same style and I always do my own editing and delivery ensuring great quality.
As a parent of three school aged children, I know only too well how quickly the years pass and I try to capture special memories as they grow up. School photos come round each year and it’s a great way to notice the changes in your children. The smiles change, teeth are missing, they become more mature, their character shines through. I know that natural, authentic images are what parents really value and it’s so important for me to offer images with sibling groups and class photos too.
PARENTS RAVED ABOUT THE IMAGES – THEY’D NEVER LOVED SCHOOL PHOTOS BEFORE!
“Wow, I mean WOW! This is the first time I’ve loved the school pics, fantastic work Donagh – I will be ordering of course!”
“I just wanted to say how incredibly beautiful the photos are that you have taken and how pleased we are with them – you are very talented and your work is beautiful”
AUTHENTIC IMAGES
SO, WHAT DO I MEAN BY AUTHENTIC IMAGES?
I mean capturing the essence of the person or group of people in front of me in a truthful and believable way. Not stiff posed or staged with props. No forced smiles – just the character of the child as they truly are at this stage in their life.
I have systems to make sure that your school isn’t burdened with the admin of a photo day.
Bookings can be made by the school’s head teacher or the parent council or PTA with agreement of the head teacher. Once we have the date I send a link for you to share with parents. They sign up, give me their children’s names and classes. I create my own lists to run the sessions, I do sibling groups and individual portraits. I have a PVG which is important to know and I can even provide an assistant who has a PVG – they run around on the day getting groups together and that means school isn’t giving up a staff member.
After photo day, I edit and create private, password protected galleries for parents to view their images and place orders. They pay directly through their gallery, there’s no cash to be dropped off at the school office. Prints are delivered to the school office – they’re already labelled and ready to be sent home with the eldest child. Your fundraising donation is paid really promptly, usually within a week of final orders.
TAKE THEM AS THEY ARE
It might surprise you how quickly I can work through groups of children, taking beautiful portraits of each child. I don’t pose them or ask them to do silly things. I just let them be who they are. Sometimes they’re shy and quiet, sometimes full of beans and personality bursting out. Whatever way they are, I work with them to capture them just as they are in gorgeous, natural images.
