Find quick answers to all your school photography questions organised by topic.
What to wear, sibling photos, registration process, and session details.
Accommodations for special needs and privacy policies for your children.
Gallery access, troubleshooting, group photos, products, and payment options.
Account management, retouching requests, download help, and print issues.
Who are we?
We're a Canberran team of portrait photographers. Steph and Ben are our directors, and both have spent years running photography businesses here in Canberra. Our on-site coordinators run Photo Week alongside us, making sure every child is photographed and nobody gets missed.
Our photographers work with children all day, every day. We take a playful approach, because a child who's relaxed and having fun gives us a far better photo than a child who's been told to say cheese.
What should my child wear for their photo?
If your school doesn't require a uniform, and you're aiming for a timeless look, we recommend clothing in solid colours or small patterns to keep the focus on your child's face. Avoid large logos, distracting text, or trendy outfits that may date the photo quickly. That said, your child should wear something they feel great in. If that's a bright Minecraft shirt or a beloved, slightly-too-small dress — that's perfect too. Comfort and confidence are what matter most.
Sibling Photos and Registration
Can siblings be photographed together?
Yes — but only if you have pre-registered. Sibling portraits are offered during our visit to the school, and those photos will be delivered in a separate gallery at the same time as the individual portraits. If you don't pre-register, we will not photograph siblings together, even if they're at the same centre.
Will my child be photographed if I forgot to register?
At early learning centres and preschools: registration is required. Due to recent changes in early childhood education policy, we need explicit opt-in from families and cannot photograph a child without it. If you haven't registered, your child won't be photographed.
At schools: we'll still photograph your child unless you've told the school you don't want photos taken.
Either way, sibling photos always require pre-registration.
How can I prepare my child for photo day?
Have a quick chat with them beforehand. Let them know a friendly photographer is coming to visit, and that they'll get to show off their favourite spots in the playground.
Mostly, tell them to relax and have fun. The smiles come on their own once they're playing. There's no need to say cheese.
Viewing & Ordering
Is pre-purchasing a package required?
No. There's no pre-payment and there are no envelopes to send back to school. Unlike traditional school photo companies, you decide on a package after you've seen the photos. We'll send you a gallery, you'll look through it, and then you can choose from a range of options that suit your budget.
What do the packages cost?
We offer a range of packages to suit different budgets:
All prices are per child. Each child has their own gallery.
You'll see every option available to you when you open your child's gallery.
How do I place an order?
We've put together short walkthrough videos that take you through the whole process:
If you get stuck at any point, email us and we'll walk you through it.
The Photography Session
When will my child be photographed?
If your child attends a centre or daycare: we work to a flexible schedule across the week rather than booking specific days. We prioritise children who attend part-time and children who have pre-registered, so if your child attends fewer than three days, they'll most likely be photographed on the first day of the week that they're in.
If your child attends a school: the school usually sets the schedule with us and may let you know when your child's class is booked. Otherwise we photograph children as they're ready, in the order their educators give us.
Either way, if a child is feeling anxious or simply isn't up for it, we'll come back to them another time. A good photo is worth the wait.
Can parents be present during the photo session?
We understand it can be tempting to be there, especially if your child is nervous. However, unless there's a specific reason for needing to attend, we kindly ask parents to let their children go about their day as usual. In our experience, this helps the child settle more easily and allows us to connect directly with them during the shoot.
How long does the session take?
It varies with each child's comfort level, but we generally aim to finish individual portraits within a few minutes. We want to keep disruption to their normal school day as small as possible.
Special Needs and Privacy
What if my child has special needs or requires accommodations?
We're committed to creating an inclusive and comfortable experience for all children. Our photographers are experienced in working with kids who need a little extra support. We work closely with educators to ensure each child's needs are considered. If you have specific concerns or requests, please notify your school before photo day so they can pass this information along to us.
How is my child's privacy protected?
Every child's gallery is protected by a unique access code sent only to the contact provided at registration. We don't share images or information publicly, and digital group photos aren't offered at all, to prevent unauthorised distribution.
Authentic School Portraits is ELPA accredited. ELPA (Early Learning Photographers Australia) sets the national benchmark for child-safe photography in early learning settings, covering consent, data security, child safety and professional conduct, and aligns with the National Quality Framework and ACECQA's National Model Code for Taking Images and Videos of Children.
For a detailed explanation of the safety provisions built into our workflow, read the ELPA framework at https://elpa.au. You can also read our full privacy policy at https://orders.authenticschoolportraits.com/privacy-policy/.
After Photo Week — Gallery Access & Viewing
When will I receive my photos?
Gallery release: photos are generally available to view and purchase within 6 weeks of Photo Week.
Free school delivery: Orders are dispatched to the school 10 days after your gallery opens, and free school delivery is only available within that 10-day window. We hold orders that long so every family has a fair shot at it. After the window closes you can still order, but delivery will be to your home address with postage charged. After dispatch, allow 5 to 14 business days for the courier to reach the school or centre.
Home delivery: allow 3 to 14 days from the time you order.
I haven't received the gallery. What do I do?
First, check your junk or spam folder, as our emails sometimes land there. Then, confirm that the contact information you gave during registration is correct. If everything looks right and your child was present during photo week, but you still haven't received anything, please get in touch with us and we'll look into it for you.
How do I log in and view the photos?
To access your gallery:
- Go to the login page provided in the text or email. 1.
- Enter the unique access code sent to you. 2.
- You'll be taken to your child's gallery to view and purchase images. If you're using a mobile device, it may be slightly limited — a desktop or laptop provides the best experience. 3.
Gallery Access Troubleshooting
I lost my access code — can you resend it?
Yes. Just let us know your child's name and the school or centre they attend. We'll verify the details and resend the access code via your preferred method — either SMS or email.
My ex-partner received the gallery, but I didn't. Can I get access too?
Due to privacy and safety policies, we need to confirm with the school that you're approved to receive the gallery. Once the school verifies this, we're happy to send the access code directly to you.
How do I link my children's galleries together?
Once logged in at orders.authenticschoolportraits.com, go to the menu and click "Link sibling codes." Enter the access codes for each of your children, and their galleries will be grouped under a single login for easier access and ordering.
I'm logged in but I can't see my child's photos.
First, check you're logged into the account linked to your child's registration or access code — families often have more than one. If the gallery still isn't showing, email us your child's name and their school or centre and we'll track it down.
Group Photos
Can I request a different image for the group photo?
We carefully select group photos for consistency, expression, and overall composition. Changing one child's photo within a group image requires extra editing time. If you'd like to request a swap, we can do this for a $35 editing fee. Let us know if you'd like to proceed.
My child's name is misspelled in the group photo — can you fix it?
We'll first check whether the name was entered during registration or provided by the school.
- If it was misspelled on your end, we can upload a corrected version of the group photo to your gallery for purchase.
- If the mistake came from school data, we'll provide a complimentary reprint and recommend contacting the school to update their records.
Can I buy a digital copy of the group photo?
No, we do not offer digital versions of group photos. This is to protect the privacy and safety of all the children featured. We do offer physical prints, which can be purchased through your gallery.
Ordering & Products
I want to buy all the digitals for multiple children. Is there a discount?
Yes, we offer several ways to make digital purchases more affordable for families with more than one child:
Let us know if you need help finding the best value based on your order.
Mixing and Matching Products
Can I mix and match prints or digitals from different children's galleries?
For print packages, yes — the Family Print Pack allows you to combine images from multiple galleries, including sibling galleries. For digital images, each gallery is sold separately, but you can still unlock a discount:
Our system doesn't allow for mixing digitals across galleries into a single package, but this method helps you get great value either way.
Are there any discount codes available?
Yes — if you are experiencing financial hardship, we've partnered with schools and centres to provide discount codes for families in need. These are distributed directly through your child's school. Please reach out to them to request support, and they can provide you with a code to use when ordering.
Payment and Delivery Options
Do you offer payment plans?
We don't currently offer payment plans. We do hold your photos safely and securely well beyond the initial ordering window, because we know families often want to come back later to view and purchase. If your gallery has been archived, just email us and we're happy to reopen it for you. We'll also delete your child's photos at any time on request.
I missed the free school delivery window — what are my options?
No problem. If you missed the free delivery period, you can still place an order and have it shipped directly to your home. Select private address delivery at checkout, and your order will be delivered to your preferred address.
Download & Account Help
How do I download all my digital images at once?
To download your full set of images:
- Log into your account at orders.authenticschoolportraits.com. 1.
- Go to My Account > My Pictures. 2.
- You can download each photo individually by clicking Download picture, or 3.
- Click Download all bought pictures as zip to download the entire gallery at once. 4.
Important: If you're on a Mac using Safari, you may run into issues with the zip file not downloading correctly. We recommend switching to Chrome or another browser if this happens.
Once the ZIP file has downloaded, double-click it (or right-click and choose Extract) and your photos will appear in a new folder.
I'm having trouble viewing or purchasing from my phone — help?
Mobile works, but it's limited. For the best experience, especially when placing large orders or downloading multiple images, we recommend using a desktop or laptop. If you're on a mobile device:
- Tap the menu icon (three lines in the top left).
- Select Download digital files.
- Under Picture Sets, click View to see all your images.
We've also made a short video walking through downloading on a phone — [link coming soon].
I forgot my password — how can I reset it?
On the login page, click "Forgot your password? Click here." Follow the prompts to reset it. If you're still stuck, contact us — we can manually reset your password and send you a temporary one. We recommend changing this as soon as you log in to keep your account secure.
Account Management
I want to unsubscribe from emails — how do I do that?
Log in and go to My Account > Account Settings. From here, you can uncheck communications for all galleries or just specific children. Alternatively, you can reply to any email from us with "Unsubscribe", and we'll remove you manually.
How do I delete my account?
You can delete your account anytime:
- Log in. 1.
- Go to My Account > My Settings. 2.
- Click the "Delete My Account" button. 3.
Note: Deleting your account will permanently remove your access to any digital images you've purchased. Please download anything you want to keep before deleting.
Retouching & Edits
Are the photos edited?
Yes. Every image in your gallery has been selected, colour-corrected and processed before you see it.
What we don't do as standard is retouching (removing marks, scratches or injuries). That's handled separately, and you can read how to request it below.
Can you retouch a scratch or mark on my child's face?
Yes. If you've already received your gallery and just want a few images (up to 2) retouched, we're happy to do that complimentary. Simply send us screenshots or filenames of the images you'd like edited. Once we've made the touch-ups, we'll replace the originals in your gallery.
I'd like all the images retouched — is that possible?
Yes. If you'd like the entire gallery (usually 10–20 images) retouched, we can do that for a $35 editing fee. Let us know you'd like this option and we'll send you an invoice before starting.
Prints & Technical Support
What if I'm not happy with my photos?
Please email us at admin@authenticschoolportraits.com and tell us what's wrong.
Please include your order number and a photo of the problem where you can — it saves us going back and forth.
In most cases we'll ask you to return the prints to our studio so we can take a look, or you can bring them in to us in Macgregor at a pre-booked time. Once we've assessed the issue we'll work out a resolution with you, which may be a reprint, an exchange or a refund depending on what's happened.
Can I change my order after I've placed it?
Orders move into production quickly, so changes aren't always possible once you've hit submit. If you've made a mistake, email us straight away and we'll check whether it can still be amended.
Print Issues
- If prints didn't arrive, check that the order was completed and paid, and whether you selected school delivery.
- For damaged prints, either post them back to our studio or visit our studio in Macgregor with the prints at a pre-booked time.
- If prints are cropped strangely, this usually happens when a customer accidentally zooms in during ordering.
- For color issues, bring your prints to our studio for assessment.
Technical Support
- We store your photos securely and retain them so you can purchase later, and we'll delete them on request.
- We accept payment via Stripe (Visa, Mastercard, and most debit/credit cards).
- For payment gateway issues, try a different card, clear browser cache, or use a different browser.
Contact Us
Authentic School Portraits
ABN: 30 652 318 842
Phone
02 6169 4791
Studio
3/12 Chalmers Place, Macgregor ACT 2615
We also genuinely want your feedback, good or bad. It's how we improve. Email us any time.
Authentic School Portraits Frequently Asked Questions