Learn the exact setup, gear, and workflow I used to photograph 520 students and faculty in a single day for school portraits. From continuous lighting choices to camera settings, I’m sharing everything that made this high-volume shoot successful.
Gear Mentioned:
Sony a1 II:
Sony FE 50-150mm f/2 GM Lens:
SD Cards I Use:
Circular Polarizer Filter:
GVM Pro SD200B:
Nanlite Forza 60:
Nanlite Parabolic 90 35″ Softbox:
Nanlite Forza 60 Softbox:
Tripod:
Falcam F38 Quick Release:
C-Stand:
Light Stands:
Westcott X-Drop Pro Backdrop Stand:
Westcott X-Drop Pro Backdrop Blue Concrete 8×8:
Synology 723+ NAS:
Folding Rolling Cart:
White Board:
Bulk Combs:
In this comprehensive guide, I walk through my complete school portrait photography setup including my Sony A1 with 50-150mm G Master lens, three-light continuous lighting setup using LED panels, the Westcott X-Drop Pro backdrop system, and all the camera settings that kept things running smoothly. You’ll see my exact workflow for managing high-volume photography, organizing student data, staying on schedule, and delivering professional results efficiently. Whether you’re considering school photography or any high-volume portrait work, this video covers the practical details, unexpected challenges, and valuable lessons learned from shooting nearly 2,000 images in one day.
School Photography Setup That Actually Works: Gear, Lighting & Workflow :
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Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:53 The Gear
2:29 Backdrop
2:59 Lighting
6:12 Tripod
8:44 Light Stands
9:21 Cables, Adapters & Batteries
10:10 Camera & Lighting Settings
13:46 Shutter Speed, Aperture & ISO
16:26 Extra Items
17:57 How to Stay Organized
22:41 Setup Walkthrough
24:10 Importing & Backup
26:39 What I’d Do Differently
27:29 Closing Thoughts
⚠️⚠️ Disclaimer:
The content of this video is intended for viewers ages 13+.
Jerad Hill is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program & B&H Photo Video Affiliate Program, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, BHPhotovideo.com, and affiliated sites, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.
Comments
11 responses to “School Portrait Photography Setup Complete Walkthrough: Gear, Lighting & Workflow”
For all day power, look at a larger battery system like the Ecoflow Delta 2. It’s got 1KWh of energy for all day power. AND it has 110v, 12v, AND USB outlets … This is frequently on sale for around $499.
This is so true, kids and flash it is not a good combination. Some will be okay, but we are not all the same and these kids are just not used to be photographed. So it needs to be a relaxing place to get the correct shot. Good to see how you did this.
Peter, the Netherlands
this is so helpful
I have another question please; using a gray backdrop is a good choice? Once i used a gray one; but not sure which is the better choice; blue, gray or white?
I recently added the Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM to my kit — curious to know if you think it’s a practical choice for this type of photo shoot?
It was such a great experience! I learned a lot of useful details about this kind of photo shoot. I recently did one as a freelance photographer for a school I work with, and many of the problems I ran into were explained here — with great solutions too!
And the thing is…schools want you to be FAST. So being organized and a lot of before hand prepping helps with the speed. I can get a student done in 3 seconds, I had had to do schools with over 900 students in 3 hours so everything streamlined and pregame plans help.
22:15 Wireless trigger works great for my team. Makes them feel relaxed and you can squeeze the trigger without them being nervous.
We frequent sports throughout the year 200-1500 kids a day. I love it! Still Working on getting into schools 🙏🏾. congrats to you on your first school! 🙌🏾
How you put the names from the card on the photo?
Wow, that is truly impressive. I would use a polarizing filter for the kids with glasses, but sometimes I’d still have to adjust my lighting because some of the kids glasses just showed everything before even using flash. But I actually found a new software called Evoto that I used for anyone wearing glasses and the software is pretty spot on by removing glare or flash circles in their glasses. So it’s been a lot of help not worrying about any reflections. But over 500 students and faculty I would’ve been stressed out completely. The last few hairs on my head would’ve fell out. But I do preschool pictures and I have a four light system two in the front, one in the back and one above their heads because if I let any of the light from the room that I’m taking photos in it casts a yellowtint on everybody’s hair. The lighting is old fluorescent bulbs and it’s terrible. Keep up the great work.
I was a corporate photographer for 20 years. My record photographing 200 new hires was 30 minutes.