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40 Of The Most Hilarious Kid School Photo Fails That Surely Made Their Parents Cry-Laugh
School days bring many precious memories where hilarity ensues just like it happened yesterday. And having your school photo taken was one of them. Mom would pick the clothes the night prior, and dad would coach you on posing in what was really just another good ol’ dad joke.
Fast forward to today, and the evidence persists. That holy school photo of yours is a gift that keeps on giving. Call it a free ticket to time travel, a hilarious vindication of your innocent days, but kids are gonna be kids, and as long as we have them, school photos will stay forever.
So this time, Bored Panda has compiled some of the most entertaining and funny school photographs where kids are totally nailing them—just not the way their parents would want them to. But hey, we’ve all been there and just because your little sis is going nuts in an elementary class shot, it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. So please everyone, just calm down.
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#1
My Friend’s Boyfriend Was Not Happy About His Kindergarten Picture. His Parents Still Have It Framed In Their House 20 Years Later
RELATED:
#2
Reagan Brought Home Her School Pictures Today. Should I Ground Her Or High-Five Her?
#3
Apparently I Didn't Know How To Smile In First Grade
For millions of kids, picture day is that one special day in a year when they align to form a tiny conveyor belt. Smiling widely at a camera (or not, as we’ve seen in this amusing post), they will be forever memorialized in a small photograph that captures it all: innocent awkwardness, clumsiness, and carelessness which will haunt their moms and dads forever.
Kristin Boyer, a photographer in Atlanta, Georgia, told Mental Floss that school photographers get about 30 seconds per kid. “And it’s amazing how much impact you can have. You want to make them feel like a million bucks—beautiful, awesome, and smart.”
#4
I’m So Mad Right Now. I Checked My Son's Book Bag And Find These
Full of Giggles 4 years ago
I wouldn't be mad. I'd rather have pictures that capture my kid's personality than the same ol' pose year after year.
#5
In Case You've Ever Wondered What Happens When Your Kid Wears Green On Picture Day
#6
10m, And Looking Like A Middle Age Mom Who’s Deciding To Grace You With A Smile, While Still Judging You Just A Little
The school photographer also explained that photographers normally get paid when parents order photos, and the school takes a percentage from that price. Moreover, the school may well take bids in order to decide on the photographer that suits their need best. In order to get selected, Kristin makes a presentation where “I'll explain what I do. Sometimes schools are looking for certain things.”
Most importantly, as much as the little ones are excited by the big photo day at school, it’s parents who take the occasion the most seriously. Sometimes parents get so excited, they take their phones out to take some snaps on there. But Kristin is strict about that. “I usually say no cell phone photos. If they take theirs, they won’t buy mine.”
And when it comes to selfies, the little ones have grown much more comfortable standing in front of a camera. But that’s not necessarily a good thing. The photographer calls it “bad selfie behavior” when kids are “doing duck lips, thrusting their arms out.”
#7
Mason Got His Kindergarten Pictures And I Didn’t Want His Name On The Bottom So I Typed In “I Don’t Want This” And They Freaking Printed This... So Now I Have Like 30 Pictures Of Him With This On The Bottom
#8
His Face Says It All
#9
I Still Think That This Is My Favorite Photo Of All Time
#10
My Brother's Pre-K Picture. He Didn't Know How To Smile
#11
I Told My 9-Year-Old I Didn’t Care What He Did In His Spring School Photos. This Is What He Gave Us
#12
The School Offered To Re-Shoot The Photo But My Parents Declined
#14
My Wife’s School Picture With Her Most Prized Possession At The Time. An Evanescence Cd
#15
I Too Was Instructed Not To Blink During My Elementary School Yearbook Photo
#16
How’s Your 2020 Going?
#17
My Daughter's First Ever School Photo. She Was So Excited For Days, Went In And Got A Mugshot Instead
Jeremy Porter 4 years ago
Photoshop it into a mugshot with the height sign in teh background and tablet with booking reference.
#18
Me In The 4th Grade Ready To Go On Some Sort Of Tropical Safari With My Best Friend
#19
School Photos Sometimes In The Early 2000s. I Really Thought I Was "Da Bomb"
I remember going to "Limited Too" and thinking those velour pants were a must.
#20
Jack's Picture This Year. Seriously, School Photographer? Seriously?!?!
#21
Sasshole
#22
My 2nd Grade School Pic. I'm A Girl
#23
This Was The Retake Of My Second Grade School Photo
#24
My Friend Was Saying “Yee” Before You Were Saying “Haw”
#25
My Mom Found My Old Elementary School Photo The Other Day
I just remember my mom was mad because they didn't let me do a retake.
#26
"He Was Told To Wear Nice Clothes For His Graduation Pictures. I Expected To See Him In His Green Cap And Gown. This Was So Much Better! I Literally Laughed Until I Cried. I Hit The Picture Lottery. -- I Asked Connor How Pictures Went And If He Smiled Nice. In True 6 -Year Old-Fashion, He Told Me He ‘Smiled Handsome.' I Thought Nothing More Of It. Until Yesterday Morning
#27
School Photo Circa 1996. Allergies Were Hitting Me Hard That Day
#28
Why Yes!! My Vest Was Homemade!
Dilly Millandry 4 years ago
Thankfully not what we call a vest in the UK. That would be more worrying.
#29
School Pictures Today. I Hope I Don’t Get A Repeat Of This Gem From 2016
#30
What? You Don’t Always Have Your Arm Straight Out To The Side While Looking Terrified During Pictures?
#31
My Original 3rd Grade School Photo (Left). Mom Demanded A Retake (Right) With The Instructions "Smile! Show Some Teeth!" Note Which One Got Framed, And The Caption On The Envelope
#32
When You're Super Excited To See Your Kids School Pictures... And Then You Find This In The Packet
#33
Note To Self: Don’t Let Your Kid Wear Green On Picture Day
#34
Best Yearbook Picture Ever. Apparently The School Sees No Future For This One
#35
Best School Picture Ever. Kai Kai Was Obviously Not Feeling Picture Day
#36
1994, Age 7 First Grade. My Stepdad Says I Wanted My Hair Cut That Way
#37
Beau And The Photographer Had Great Chemistry
#38
I Promise My Child Is Happy And Isn’t Living In Misery As He Appears In This Photo
#39
School Pictures
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Wolfowl 4 years ago
The photo taker: Okay, move to the left. The other left. No, the right. Move up, chin down. My parents, getting the photos: Why do you look so angry?
Sergio Bicerra Descalzi 4 years ago
The photo taker? Weird name for a photographer XD
Load More Replies... Dilly Millandry 4 years ago (edited)
People need to chill and just let their kids be. These days most of us take photos all the time so surely school photos matter a little less than they used to.
DamnBecky 4 years ago
My favorite one I ever took, my dad let me dress myself. I wore all my favorites, little mermaid t-shirt, pink tutu, the green velvet belt from my Christmas dress, plastic sea shell necklace. My mom was PISSED. My dad loves it bc it shows "me"
Astrid Nineor 4 years ago
Is it common to use green screens? We never did that, then again, it's been a while since the days of school photos....
Damon Tripodi 4 years ago
School photographers have never known what they're doing they're the worst
Anna Repp 4 years ago
I'm a photographer and I see this forced smile on the little ones often. It is very, very common in small kids. They just have not mastered their facial expressions. You tell them "give me a smile!" and they pull the corners of their little mouths as far as they can and show their teeth as much as they can and open their eyes wide and are so very proud of the big smiles they are showing! :) Sometimes (not too often) the parents and I are able to get a more natural expression from them, but most of the times we just let them do that face for a photo :)
Dippin Dot 4 years ago
My son had a really bad one a couple of years ago... he popped his collar like it was the 80's. (but I refuse to share it bc I don't want to put his pic on the internet.)
Fixin'Ta 4 years ago
Picture day is stressful enough without your parents posting your awful photo on the interwebs for the entire world to see. I hope the kids gave their permission. Some kids could blow it off and laugh, but not all. (And they're not "snowflakes" if they can't. It's perfectly okay to be a sensitive person.)
Jaydin Soto 1 year ago
All of them are masterpieces so yeah I agree with all of y'all none of the need retakes and I was making fun of them because their masterpieces like come on you never ever ever in your life pointed out the funniest things in masterpieces it out the funniest things
Faith Hurst-Bilinski 4 years ago
My son always made faces in his school pictures. Just before freshman year he had one of his best and then found out it would be used for EVERYTHING in high school. HIs bus driver made him show his bus pass every day, even though she had been his bus driver forever (same bus driver does the routes at every level). She had a great time with it.
Heather Williams 4 years ago
My mother has some of me in pre school where I absolutely refused to smile. Instead I gave the photographer my best pout. Personally I think that sums up me much more than a happy, smiling one.
Tim Douglass 4 years ago
I got glasses in 3rd grade. My 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade pictures all featured a big wad of tape holding the frames together. Somehow I always managed to break them just before picture day!
Kacey Close 4 years ago (edited)
Not sure what look my son was going for in this one... He *says* he was smiling.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5ovT1JHsGx/ Screenshot...0b-png.jpg 
Julia Daxenbichler 4 years ago
Sure, share your child's humiliating photos on the internet for everyone to see! I wonder if the parents who do this would be fine having their worst childhood photos on the internet?
Martha Meyer 4 years ago
Most of these are so old, the now grown up kids posted them themselves.
Load More Replies...
Wolfowl 4 years ago
The photo taker: Okay, move to the left. The other left. No, the right. Move up, chin down. My parents, getting the photos: Why do you look so angry?
Sergio Bicerra Descalzi 4 years ago
The photo taker? Weird name for a photographer XD
Load More Replies... Dilly Millandry 4 years ago (edited)
People need to chill and just let their kids be. These days most of us take photos all the time so surely school photos matter a little less than they used to.
DamnBecky 4 years ago
My favorite one I ever took, my dad let me dress myself. I wore all my favorites, little mermaid t-shirt, pink tutu, the green velvet belt from my Christmas dress, plastic sea shell necklace. My mom was PISSED. My dad loves it bc it shows "me"
Astrid Nineor 4 years ago
Is it common to use green screens? We never did that, then again, it's been a while since the days of school photos....
Damon Tripodi 4 years ago
School photographers have never known what they're doing they're the worst
Anna Repp 4 years ago
I'm a photographer and I see this forced smile on the little ones often. It is very, very common in small kids. They just have not mastered their facial expressions. You tell them "give me a smile!" and they pull the corners of their little mouths as far as they can and show their teeth as much as they can and open their eyes wide and are so very proud of the big smiles they are showing! :) Sometimes (not too often) the parents and I are able to get a more natural expression from them, but most of the times we just let them do that face for a photo :)
Dippin Dot 4 years ago
My son had a really bad one a couple of years ago... he popped his collar like it was the 80's. (but I refuse to share it bc I don't want to put his pic on the internet.)
Fixin'Ta 4 years ago
Picture day is stressful enough without your parents posting your awful photo on the interwebs for the entire world to see. I hope the kids gave their permission. Some kids could blow it off and laugh, but not all. (And they're not "snowflakes" if they can't. It's perfectly okay to be a sensitive person.)
Jaydin Soto 1 year ago
All of them are masterpieces so yeah I agree with all of y'all none of the need retakes and I was making fun of them because their masterpieces like come on you never ever ever in your life pointed out the funniest things in masterpieces it out the funniest things
Faith Hurst-Bilinski 4 years ago
My son always made faces in his school pictures. Just before freshman year he had one of his best and then found out it would be used for EVERYTHING in high school. HIs bus driver made him show his bus pass every day, even though she had been his bus driver forever (same bus driver does the routes at every level). She had a great time with it.
Heather Williams 4 years ago
My mother has some of me in pre school where I absolutely refused to smile. Instead I gave the photographer my best pout. Personally I think that sums up me much more than a happy, smiling one.
Tim Douglass 4 years ago
I got glasses in 3rd grade. My 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade pictures all featured a big wad of tape holding the frames together. Somehow I always managed to break them just before picture day!
Kacey Close 4 years ago (edited)
Not sure what look my son was going for in this one... He *says* he was smiling.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5ovT1JHsGx/ Screenshot...0b-png.jpg
Julia Daxenbichler 4 years ago
Sure, share your child's humiliating photos on the internet for everyone to see! I wonder if the parents who do this would be fine having their worst childhood photos on the internet?
Martha Meyer 4 years ago
Most of these are so old, the now grown up kids posted them themselves.
Load More Replies...
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