It's back to school for children across the UK in September, and after months off at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, there will be a mixture of excited and nervous feelings for all concerned.
Parents are used to doing the annual 'first day at school' photo of their children in their sparkly new uniform – but this year it seems even more poignant after so long at home.
To help bring a little joy to the occasion, supermarket Tesco is offering its customers a unique chance to be photographed by royal photographer David Levenson, who has previously shot Prince William and Prince Harry on their first day of school, as well as taking portraits of the Queen and Princess Diana. What an amazing opportunity!
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Three families can win the special commemorative photoshoot and all you have to do is purchase at least one item from Tesco's core school uniform range or F&F child jeans between 29th July and 21st August. Then you just need to email your receipt to TescoBackToSchool@Splendidcomms.com.
The supermarket launched the competition in response to research revealing that, after months of uncertainty, families are faced with mixed emotions about children going back to school in September.
Prince Harry on his first day of nursery school in 1987
Over half (51 per cent) of parents are feeling anxious about the first day back, with a quarter (24 per cent) saying they feel different to how they normally do. However, over a quarter (27 per cent) of parents admit they are looking forward to the end of home-schooling.
Tesco also found that despite such unusual circumstances, over half (55 per cent) believe it's more important than ever to mark returning to school this year. Over two thirds (68 per cent) of parents are planning to capture the moment on camera.
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Browse Tesco's back to school range HERE
Here, David Levenson shares his top tips for taking a memorable back to school photo of your own:
1) For a good portrait, always stand the subject in the shade and avoid the bright sunshine
2) Be aware of the background in your picture. Brick walls don’t photograph well. Stand the subject in front of a cleaner backdrop and move any dustbins or eyesores out of the shot
3) For a more interesting ‘Back to School’ picture, get your kids to walk away from you and then turn their heads to the camera, to capture them smiling or try a shot where the kids are all jumping in the air, to give a bit of life to the photograph
4) If the weather is bad, make it a feature of the photo. For example, have them laughing under an umbrella
5) Have the subject reasonably close to the camera, and the point of focus. Just give a hint of anything behind them
6) On a sunny day, it is better for the subject to have their back to the light – it will stop them squinting too
7) For good pictures of kids, always get yourself down to their level – don’t look down on them from above
8) Learn to edit your photos down to just the best one or two of each shot. Only show people a few pictures, nobody wants to sit through your rejects or umpteen versions of the same picture
9) Don’t worry about whether or not your camera is good enough, some of the best photos in history were taken with simple equipment
10) A camera flash only travels about ten feet, so make sure your subject is within that distance
For more information on how to enter the competition and full terms and conditions visit: tesco.com/BackToSchoolCompetition