I love the buzz of matric photo sessions — the rush, the getting ready, and the excitement. The fact that the farewell is the final celebration of school, of being a child… oh, the joy.

But with the rush comes the limitations. You can’t shoot at golden hour, and you often can’t shoot in locations where you need to drive to. You can’t shoot with the car that you so much want to be seen in. And then there are delays — one delay at the hairdresser’s, and the whole matric farewell photoshoot gets shortened.

But why?

Your matric farewell is the one day that Dad is sure to be home from work. Big bro will probably drive your arrival vehicle. Chances are, Grandma will be there. So why not make the extra effort and book an additional matric photo session — whether you add a family shoot or a proper couple shoot at the time of day you really want to shoot, it doesn’t matter.

What does matter is that if plans and schedules don’t work, you’ll have that breather.

I know from Jeandré and Mira’s matric farewell photos that the next day’s family photo session was so much more relaxed than the afternoon of the farewell. When we arrived at the dunes along the Namibian coast, they could just be. They laughed and played, they fell and posed – it just worked, and the photos show it.

The seconds where they forgot about the camera and simply enjoyed the moment became more frequent and longer. The laughter returned to their eyes and bubbled from their stomachs. We all had fun. Nothing was forced.

So for next year… or even if you still have a farewell this year… consider booking that extra shoot. A relaxed next-day matric photo session gives you time to breathe, to laugh, to just be you.

I promise – you won’t regret it.