FAQ

Some common questions about Schoolpix photo days.

How do I access my student’s photos?

Each student receives an Access Code Card within a day or so of the photos being captured.
Scan the QR code or enter the unique Access Code on the Gallery Homepage to unlock your private gallery.

If you’ve lost the code, ask your school office or email us at info@schoolpix.ca. For security, we’ll request your student’s full name, division, and a brief description of what they wore on photo day. Each code is unique and changes yearly.

If you did retakes, we may not send a new card home. Please contact the school or email us if you no longer have your card/ code.

How long does delivery take?

Digital Downloads – Delivered instantly by email link after payment (check your junk/spam if you don’t see it).
Ship to Home (fastest option) – Orders go straight to the lab for processing, then shipped directly to you. Postage is added at checkout (about $15 per order).
Free Batch Delivery to School –
• Batch orders close every Sunday at 11:59 pm.
• Orders are transferred to the lab, processed, and shipped back. Delivery to the school is about 2½ weeks later.
• Please note: the whole batch ships together, so slower items (like mugs and specialty items) may delay the entire batch.

After the final batch deadline (Sunday, Nov 16, 11:59 pm), only Ship to Home will be available.

2025 Batch Deadlines & Estimated School Delivery

Batch closes Sun, Sep 28 → Est Delivery Wed, Oct 15
Batch closes Sun, Oct 5 → Est Delivery Wed, Oct 22
Batch closes Sun, Oct 12 → Est Delivery Wed, Oct 29
Batch closes Sun, Oct 19 → Est Delivery Wed, Nov 5
Batch closes Sun, Oct 26 → Est Delivery Wed, Nov 12
Batch closes Sun, Nov 2 → Est Delivery Wed, Nov 19
Batch closes Sun, Nov 9 → Est Delivery Wed, Nov 26
Batch closes Sun, Nov 16 → Est Delivery Wed, Dec 3

Can I change my background?

We use a clean, white studio backdrop with our photos for a number of reasons:

White seamless allows for a variety of expressive poses including full-body.
Green screen limits us to waist-up and often leaves halos around hair during post-processing.
By using a consistent background, we can capture and include more high-quality photos in each gallery.

If you’d like to customize your background:

Consider our Digital Downloads products that can be edited with various phone apps to swap backgrounds, add text, or apply filters.
You are welcome to any of our free background files. Learn more HERE.
We have a Photoshop Edit service available within the online shop for professional retouching including background changes.

We focus on capturing genuine smiles, not swapping backdrops.

What to wear for photo day?

The white background works with any outfit but keep in mind:

White/light tops may blend into the background more than darker colors.
Solid, bold colors or simple patterns tend to work well.
Shoes may be visible in full-body or action poses.
Outfits and accessories can highlight personality and are welcome.

Comfort matters most – happy students make better photos.

My student gets nervous or doesn’t like having photos taken.

Not to worry – many students (and adults) feel the same!

Some ideas to help prepare a nervous student for photo day include:

Practice silly faces or “awesome cool poses” at home. We like to include both in our school sessions.
Reinforce our relaxed approach – there is no rush and no pressure to pose a certain way. No forced smiles. Everyone can be themselves.
Students can wear a special outfit or accessory or bring a prop that highlights their personality if it helps them feel more comfortable.

How do retakes work? What if my child missed photo day?

If you’d like retakes, please complete our Retake Request Form at least 48 hours before your date (available from your school or within your gallery).
If your child missed the original day, no request is needed – we’ll coordinate with the school to include them.
Retakes are added to a new gallery – orders can be made from either the original or retake gallery, not combined.

Can I share my child’s gallery?

Yes. Share your unique Access Code with relatives so they can view and order. For security, we cannot provide codes directly to others without verification.

A reminder that all batch orders (printed products) are delivered directly to the school for in-class distribution. Consider Ship to Home if school delivery is not ideal.

How many photos are in a gallery?

We aim for at least 8 photos per student, but often capture more.

Some students are comfortable right away, others take a little extra time – we follow the student’s lead while keeping to the school schedule.
We do our best to spend a little extra time with students in special outfits.

Our goal is a genuine smile somewhere within the mix of fun expressions and poses. If your student would rather not do any different expressions or silly faces, ask them to mention that to our photographer.

Do you provide a printed class photo?

Instead of a single printed class photo, we provide a gallery of class images.
It’s near impossible to capture a single photo where all the students have their eyes open so we provide families with a selection to choose form.

Class photos are added to the individual galleries ~48 hours after the class photo day each spring. Families can select their favorite image(s), download the digital files, backup and/or print in whatever size they prefer.

Many families prefer this flexibility over receiving a single print where their student may be the one with their eyes closed!

Why the watermarks?

We don’t like watermarks any more than you do but they protect our work from AI removal and unauthorized printing.

For class photos – our system doesn’t distinguish between the paid and free images so everything gets watermarked. The good news is that all of the class photos are free to download! If you are having trouble seeing faces in the group images, download a few options and view them in full resolution with no watermarks at all.

Do you do professional / business headshots as well?

We do! We often use the same professional studio background for our business portraits and headshots. Our relaxed approach with real-time review helps ensure everyone is happy with their images. If you are interested in having us visit your office or location, please reach out.

FAQ