School Spotlight: NOPA Montessori Preschool
When Masha, the director of NOPA Montessori Preschool, first reached out to me, I was genuinely excited. As a former teacher, I had been hoping to work with a Montessori school, and I still get excited whenever one reaches out!
What’s So Special About NOPA Montessori?
I know pretty quickly when I walk into a school that children are truly welcomed as they are.
NOPA Montessori has a calm, grounded feeling from the moment you walk in. The whole school has beautiful natural light, warm wooden Montessori materials, and spaces designed so children can move independently from one activity to another.
What stands out most, though, is the way the adults interact with the children. Masha knows every child by name. Teachers speak softly, get down to their eye level, offer choices instead of commands, and give children time to think before expecting a response.
The school is structured without ever feeling stiff. There is plenty of movement, curiosity, laughter, and room for children to be themselves. You can feel that respect for each child in the way the entire day unfolds.
Picture Day at NOPA
Every spring, I set up in NOPA’s indoor playground, which is one of the most beautiful spaces I get to photograph in. It has gorgeous natural light, play structures all around us, and enough room for children to come over in small groups without Picture Day taking over the whole school.
The way the teachers introduce the experience matters enormously. The children don’t know me yet, so they often look to the adults they trust to decide how they feel about this new person with a camera.
At NOPA, there is never a sense of Okay, sit here, smile, next.
Some children walk over ready to go. Others need a little reassurance or a moment to take in what’s happening. Some need a teacher nearby at first. If a child is clearly uncomfortable, we don’t force a smile. We give them a little reassurance, try again when appropriate, and keep the day moving.
After six years, Picture Day has developed its own little rhythm. Masha and I talk each year about what worked well and what might make things easier for that particular group of children. Sometimes the best ideas are incredibly simple.
One of my favorites came from Masha. Each child already came over with a small paper with their name written on it, but she turned it into something much more fun by calling it their “ticket to go see Nicole.”
I loved that.
For the children, it turns a logistical system into something playful and easy to understand. They come over carrying their little ticket, often quite proudly!
The same flexibility applies once they arrive. Sometimes we talk. Sometimes we jump. Sometimes they want to see the back of my camera. Sometimes they need a few seconds to take me in before we find something that gets a genuine reaction.
Six Years Together
One of the nicest parts of photographing the same school year after year is that Picture Day stops feeling like a completely separate event.
The staff know me. I know the flow of the school. Masha and I can look back at the previous year and make small adjustments rather than starting from scratch.
And over time, I've watched children grow from shy toddlers into confident preschoolers. I've photographed younger siblings who arrive just as curious as their older brothers and sisters once were. I've built relationships with teachers who now know exactly how Picture Day flows.
Those are the kinds of details that make this work so seamlessly.
School photography is still volume photography. There is a schedule, there are lots of children to photograph, and the day has to keep moving. But working with a school over many years creates something more personal within that structure.
NOPA Montessori has trusted me with Picture Day for more than six years now, and I’m very grateful to Masha and the entire team for continuing to welcome me back year after year!
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Planning Picture Day? Explore the School Director’s Guide to Picture Day for more advice on logistics, parent communication, privacy and creating a positive experience for children.
