As we approach mid-August, the back to school season is in full swing. This annual season is typically host to lots of events — setting up new classrooms, parent-teacher conferences, welcome back events, and, yes, Picture Day. That day in early Fall where we send our children to school looking their very best, in hopes of a photographer capturing a shot worthy of sending to the grandparents for Christmas, or at least to post up on the fridge!
This year, things are looking a little different! Many classrooms may be virtual, parent-teacher conferences likely held over Zoom, and Welcome Back events featuring lots of social distancing, hand sanitizer, and awkward elbow bumps.
But, what will change with Picture Day this year? How can we still ensure that every family gets that keepsake of their child, while staying safe amidst a pandemic? This is on the forefront of many minds, especially school administrators and parents.
Quick link: Bring Waldo to your Picture Day now
The Problems with Traditional Picture Days
Keeping everyone safe is the number one priority, and thankfully, Waldo simplifies the Picture Day process to make sure memories are captured and delivered while safety is ensured!
The challenges of a traditional Picture Day are numerous. First, an outside company coming into the school creates security challenges. Traditional Picture Day processes involve several outside staff to coordinate as they have to track every photo taken to a child and their form. These forms (aka germ carriers) are the second big risk with more folks required to handle them and the current heightened need to minimize the transfer of germs.
Lastly, there’s the dreaded line-up and the need to take everyone’s photos quickly. Traditional solutions require the students to line up and maintain their order, in order to take them quickly, as the outside photographer is “on the clock”. This pressure makes social distancing a challenge.
That said, fear not — Picture Day can still happen safely as Waldo’s cutting edge solution solves all these problems. Waldo’s facial recognition supplants all the forms and the operational challenges of tracking who has been photographed in each slide. And, with the solution’s simplicity comes the ability for schools to eliminate the professional photographer, and the risk associated with outside personnel, while turning Picture Day into a powerful fundraiser at the same time.
So, how does it work exactly you ask?
How to turn your Picture Day into a safe and productive fundraiser
It’s simple. Schools recruit either the yearbook staff, a teacher, or a parent volunteer to snap the photos. These photos can be taken over a more extended period of time, say a week to two weeks, instead of one to two days. This allows for social distancing as who is photographed when does not matter because Waldo does all the sifting and sorting for the parent and the school.
Once the photos have been captured, they are simply uploaded to Waldo. Then, the school provides its unique Waldo code in an email or text to parents.
Parents, this is where you come in! Text in your school’s unique code and a selfie of your child to Waldo, and you’ll get access to your proofs in near real-time as Waldo’s facial recognition software kicks in and finds all the photos of your child.
Way easier than waiting weeks to get the printed proofs in years prior (and much safer too)!
Say goodbye to sending your child to school with the old-school printed photo packages, hoping they remember to turn it in. When Waldo finds a matched photo of your child, you’ll receive back proofs immediately and the Waldo app then allows you to order and pay from the comfort and convenience of your phone, right at home! Once you’ve purchased your digital or print copies of your student’s photos, you’ll receive the hi-res versions in the app and any prints will be drop-shipped directly to your home or office.
Not only does a Picture Day with Waldo have its perks for the parents, but it’s great for schools, boosters, PTOs, and PTAs too!
In these challenging times, fundraising to support our schools is crucial. Waldo makes sure that fundraising happens! 80% of your Picture Day net sales will go straight to your school’s designated fundraiser, instead of the usual 5 – 15% shared by traditional photography companies. On top of that, you price the photos, so parents aren’t gouged while donating to the school and getting something valuable in return.
Bring Waldo to your Picture Day ?
Picture Day with Waldo is a win-win for everyone. Say goodbye to the old, time-consuming, and expensive process of Picture Days of the past and welcome Picture Day, Waldo-fied — simple, convenient, safe, affordable, and beneficial for all!
