7 Tips For Making a Photoshoot with Children Easier
by Durango Family Photographers: Kelly Miranda Photography (970) 946-7279
I know a lot of parents are intimated by the idea of doing a family portrait session with their kids because they are worried they won’t be able to get their children to cooperate, they don’t know what to wear, where to go, or what to do with posing during the session. It can be a lot to think about! However, I always say that NOW is the best time for a photography session, because your kids aren’t getting any younger, and time moves way too quickly when you have a family. In this blog post, I’m going to address concern number one: How to make a photoshoot easier with children.
LENS CHANGE: If you have this picture in your mind of how your session is going to go, the truth is, kids are unpredictable and whatever you are picturing, whether it’s good or bad, may not happen. Be open to the idea of your session having a plethora of amazing candid photos and organic moments as well as some sit down portraits. Remember that I have LOTS of tricks up my sleeve and can get really amazing portraits of even the wildest kiddos. I always aims to get a little bit of both candid and “looking at the camera” portraits during your session, so that you have a well rounded collection of images that represent your family and personalities. Just be open to all sorts of expressions and poses because I will work with whatever your kids are able to do.
SNACKS: Most parents already know this trick, but just in case you forgot- snacks are key to happy kids! If you can, make sure your children get a good meal in right before the session and always be sure to bring more snacks to your session just in case. Keep in mind that dry, less messy snacks are preferred for bringing to the session. Things like cheerios and graham crackers are the best bet for a snack that kiddos can munch on in between photos. Don’t forget a sippy cup of water and a wet wipe for messy faces and hands too!
INCENTIVES: I’m not above offering a nice little incentive (cough, cough, bribery, ahem) for kiddos who follow directions during a photography session. Just know your kid and how they will react (some kids don’t respond well to rewards if they just aren’t capable of the behavior being asked of them and then it backfires). Most children perk up at the idea of going out for ice cream after their portrait session. Of course, the kids will soon find out that the session is far more fun than they imagined and they won’t need much of a bribe once we get going.
WAIT TO DRESS: Wait to get your kids dressed in their outfits until you arrive at your session or just before getting in the car. For babies, I recommend waiting until the last minute. For older kids, as long as they aren’t eating or drinking in the car, it may be easier to have them get dressed before getting in the car- but not a moment before! Also be sure to bring a back up outfit just in case your baby or child messes up their clothes before the session is finished.
SLEEP: Especially for the littler ones, it’s imperative that your kiddo is well rested before their session. I’d much rather reschedule if your child had a poor night’s sleep or missed their nap, than spend time trying to get a very cranky child to smile and laugh. Do the best you can, but of course, as everything is with kids, you can’t control when they sleep so let me know if you think your child is not well rested enough for their session.
WHERE TO LOOK: During times where we are aiming to get a portrait of everyone looking at the camera, be sure to keep your focus up on me, and let me do the work getting your baby or child to look at me. So many portraits have been ruined by a parent looking down at their kiddo to make sure they are smiling and looking at the camera. Of course, I will also have you all interacting and looking at each other during other times in the session, but during the poses where we want everyone’s attention, let me do the work, so you can all look amazing.
YOUR OUTFITS: Be sure you choose outfits for yourselves that you can easily move in without having to adjust constantly. You may be sitting, walking, running, throwing a kid in the air, wearing them on your shoulders, holding them, dancing, etc. Wear shoes and an outfit that you can do all that in, and not have to be constantly pulling up your pants, adjusting your blouse, or straightening your accessories.
