Saturday, September 12, 2026 · LaGrange, Indiana
Back-to-School Portrait Day at the Apothecary
One afternoon, one photographer, and a schoolhouse set built inside our apothecary. Chance Varner is bringing classic painterly lighting to the back-to-school portrait, so your child comes home with something you will actually want to frame.
Portraits start at $4.99. Nothing is due when you book, and you choose your prints after you see the photos.
A note from Marion
My kids sat for these first.
Chance came out to the apothecary this summer and photographed George, Annie, and Augie so we could see what the day would actually look like. I expected a nice snapshot. What I got back were portraits I have been carrying around showing people, which is not something I ever say about a school picture.
So we are opening the doors and doing it for everybody. If you homeschool and your kids have never had a picture day, this is yours. If your kids do sit for one at school and you have quietly wished it looked like more, this is that too. Come get your photo taken, then stay a while. The shop will be open, there will be something for the kids to do, and nobody is going to rush you out the door.
Marion Wiggins
The sample session
What the portraits look like
Individual portraits, sibling groups, and buddy shots are all part of the day. Every child gets their own frames, and Chance can fit two kids into a single slot without anyone feeling hurried.
Before you come
How the day works
Book a slot, or just show up
Chance has 5-minute slots running from 10am to 2pm with a few breaks built in. Booking ahead means you walk straight in at your time. If you would rather come when the day allows, walk-ins are welcome the whole window and Chance will work you in between appointments.
Five minutes is plenty
It sounds short and it is not. Chance can photograph one child comfortably in that window, and two kids together without cutting anything short. He has been doing this since 2014 and knows how to get a real smile fast.
Bringing more than one child
Reserve a slot for each child so everyone gets their own individual portraits. Sibling shots and buddy shots happen right in the same session, so you are not booking anything extra for those.
What to wear
The set is warm and earthy, so fall colors photograph beautifully against it. Think rust, olive, mustard, cream, deep brown, and denim. Skip bright neons and busy graphic prints if you can, and solid colors will always give you the most timeless result.
Your photographer
Chance Varner
Chance is an award-winning portrait photographer, teacher, and coach who has been photographing professionally since 2014. He grew up in Shipshewana, and he works with children and families constantly, both in the classroom and behind the camera.
His work has taken him from schools across northern Indiana to programs and events in Indianapolis, Detroit, and Dayton. The approach has stayed the same the whole way through: take the time to make the person in front of the camera feel comfortable, confident, and cared for.
For this day he is doing something different from the assembly line. Each child gets an individual portrait with classic, painterly lighting on a timeless schoolhouse-inspired set. The goal is a photograph that does not just record what your child looked like this year, but earns a spot on the wall for years.
Pricing
Portraits start at $4.99
Nothing is due when you book. After the day, your finished portraits go into a secure online gallery, and you decide what you want from there. No package to commit to in advance.
Overture
$24.99
- 8 wallets
- 2 prints at 4x6
Showstopper
$34.99
- 8 wallets
- 2 prints at 4x6
- 1 print at 5x7
Finale
$74.99
- 16 wallets
- 2 prints at 4x6
- 2 prints at 5x7
- 1 print at 8x10
Digital files
| Sized for sharing online | $4.99 |
| Full resolution for printing | $19.99 |
Prints on their own
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| Wallets, set of 4 | $10.99 |
| 4x6 | $4.99 |
| 5x7 | $10.99 |
| 8x10 | $19.99 |
| 11x14 | $34.99 |
| 16x24 | $79.99 |
| 24x36 | $149.99 |
Matted and framed options are available for the 8x10, 11x14, and 16x24 prints. Ask Chance on the day or when your gallery arrives.
While you are here
Camp Bloomfield
Picture day is easier when the kids have somewhere to be. We are setting up simple activities in the shop so little ones stay busy before and after their turn: a lavender sachet to make, a sensory station, and a story corner. Come early, browse the apothecary, and let them play. Full activity details are coming soon.
Saturday, September 12 · 10am to 2pm
Come sit for your portrait.
Slots are limited to what fits in four hours, and homeschool families in particular tend to move fast on these. Pick your time now, or plan to walk in and we will find you a spot.
