Caption: Seniors take their cap and gown group picture for the 2024-25 school year. [by Dr. Cristina Meier]
by Anita Silva
Picture days were scheduled during the week of September 9th to the12th for both students and school staff, and the PACA community prepared themselves throughout the week to take both individual and group pictures.
A professional photographer, from the company School Picture, came to Pan American Christian Academy to take digital pictures of the students, teachers and staff within the community to be put in the school yearbook.
In order to help students and teachers look their best, the school provided two large mirrors near the area of the photo booth so that people could review their appearance before getting their picture taken. The photographer also provided final tips for posture, head angle and hair positioning before he took the picture. He would also suggest adjustments to their wardrobe when needed, such as straightening out a shirt or moving something at the neckline.
Freshman Isabelly Carvalho said, “I came with more formal clothes, I put makeup on, made a different hairstyle and asked for help for a good posture in the picture.”
Hairstyles, makeup, and good posture are very significant for those who want a good picture. Especially if you will keep these photos in a book for years in your school.
Freshman Luisa Almeida, affirmed the importance of looking good in a school picture.
“I did a quick makeup and I dried my hair so it could be as perfect as possible,” said Almeida. “because the photo will be in a book for everyone to see. I would need to be as presentable as possible.”
For Senior Arthur Silva, the process of getting ready for a school picture is no different this year than any other year.
“During this year what I did was basically what I do every single year,” said Silva. “I brush my hair and go to school.The only difference this year was that we had to use seniors’ clothes and formal shirts.”
The grade 12 students were asked to wear black pants with a white shirt. They not only took individual pictures in these outfits, but they also took “cap and gown” pictures in which they wore the PACA gowns for graduating from high school at the end of the year.
Since there were class pictures it was relevant to put on nice and pretty clothes, that all the class students choose to be as organized as possible, even wearing formal shirts and wearing the same color t-shirts.
For some people the photo shoot location is a big part of having the ‘perfect’ picture, and some think that it is just as important and getting themselves ready for getting their picture taken.
“I think last year’s location was better because it had no wind so our hair and the quality of the picture was better,” says Almeida.
Last year’s location for the school picture was in the preK and kindergarten area of the PACA campus with the photographer and his lights set up inside one of the preK rooms.
“It was bad because of the wind that messed up the hair and the face,” says Carvalho.
Although for some other people what really matters is to respect those around you and being conscious that there are more people having classes.
“I think this year was better because we didn’t have to disturb the pre-k and kindergarten [classes],” said Silva.
Different people have different opinions that lead to different expectations. These expectations provide different perspectives on the picture taking process. and different realities.
“I thought that the way that I was going to be in the picture and also the quality of the picture was going to be better but when I saw the final result of the picture I got disappointed, but I got another chance to retake it,” says Almeida.
Some people think about the positive parts of the situation, such as improvements from last year.
“It was better than the last time,” said Carvalho.
All the pictures taken go to the Pictures School business to be adjusted, after some months they will send these pictures back to school so they could be available for the students, and for the yearbook group so they may build up the PACA 2024-25 yearbook.
