Setting Yourself Up For Success - Photos With Kiddos - Top 10

Typical session with kids :)No worries! Just go with it! Keep smiling! Read my 10 tips for Successful Photos With Kids!

Over the past 4.5 years, I have photographed families with kids hundreds of times.  Throughout those sessions, I have mentally stored away little hints and tricks I felt would help make these sessions more successful.  I usually remember to share some of these with families before -typically during- their sessions, but these tips have been growing and growing and are now hard to keep up with in my #mommybrain. So I decided to make a list! What’s more “mom” than a good ole’ list, right? (Truth be told, I’ve always loved lists! My lists have lists....) I truly hope these tips bring you into your sessions with a calm confidence that results in highly successful Photos with Kiddos!

First, there are several things you can do before you even show up to your session that will help steer you toward success.

1) MAKE IT FUN. Talk to your kiddos about your upcoming session for several days/weeks prior to your appointment.  Be excited about it and talk about how much fun it will be! Even if you don't think it will be lol (People tell me I'm pretty fun, just sayin'....)
2) PRACTICE. Have them practice their smile; make it fun!  What word or phrase will you use to help them during your session? Do they have a favorite song that makes them smile every time?
3) FEED THEM. Eat before your session so the kiddos aren't "hangry". Let's be honest, you would be too! (Or is that just me??)

Then there are things you can do during your session to help keep you on track.

4) BRIBERY. Bring snacks and/or treats to your session. I am not a huge advocate of bribery, but during photos, you don't have much of a choice.  While older kids may understand some reasoning about a later reward, toddlers and younger kids tend to respond more to an "immediate gratification" treat.  But let's not just give it away, they still have to earn it!

5) BREATHE & RELAX. Your kiddos will feed off of your energy.  I promise your kids aren't frustrating me, so don't let them frustrate you and don't worry about how it's affecting me.  They're kids and they're being forced to take photos; it happens and I'm used to it.  Refer back to #1 - make it FUN. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling....

6) **IMPORTANT** LOOK at the camera and don't talk.  While I'm aiming my camera at you, please do not talk to your kids; that will only make them look at YOU.  Once we are set and ready to take some shots, your job is to paint on a continuous smile and look at my lens, while my job is to get your kids to look at me and smile.  If I do manage to get them to do so while you were talking..... you get the idea.  I get it, it's tough, you want to help them do the right thing, but we have a much higher chance of success if you smile and let me talk to them, make weird faces and strange noises, dance around looking like an idiot and do my best to get them to smile :)  Heaven forbid they smile and parents have "talk face". Wah wah wah....

7) COMPROMISE. I don't necessarily promote this as your everyday discipline habit; however, it can very much come in handy during photos!  If your child wants to be silly, let's let him/her do one silly photo in exchange for one normal one.  Yes, this actually works.

Compromise - Silly for Serious.Compromise can work! Compromise - Silly for Serious.It works!

8) RESET. Sometimes kids just need a good reset.

Reset Snuggles are the best!Let's just reset.... Reset with a good spin!Let's just reset....
The best method? I have found that snuggles
work wonders. Did I mention that it's also a
super sweet photo opp??

Also, if your child loves spinning/flying,
this can also be a great reset choice!

Just Go With ItSomestimes kids make their own beautiful poses. Just Go With It.Let your kids play a little; play witih them and reap the dividends!
9) In the end, JUST GO WITH IT.  Candid shots can be your best friend! Don't be afraid to just let your little ones run around for a bit to get some of that restless energy out. Kids aren't designed to sit still for long periods of time so let's not make them. Honestly, some of the cutest photos are of little ones just being themselves <3. Either let them walk/run around by themselves while your photographer takes some shots of just them, or you can play with them and love on them for some beautiful shots of y'all together!  Every pose doesn't have to be "posed".

10) IT'LL BE OK. I can't tell you how many parents have left their sessions discouraged and wondering if they even got one good shot only to receive their album link a few days later to find MANY photos they absolutely love.  The session is going better than you think it is!  AND - If all else fails, I can try to move faces! Seriously? Yes, yes I can; most of the time.  That's why I take a gazillion shots in each pose.  Especially in families with multiple kids, it's unlikely that all the kids and parents will have the perfect expression or smile in the same photo.  So, let's mix and match those faces to make it right!  (Keep in mind that I said MOST of the time as it's not a guarantee, but it is an option!)

*Keep in mind that these are tips for the best chance of success, nothing is a guarantee with kids; they're kids and by definition, unpredictable ;-p.  Thanks for reading; I sincerely hope you've enjoyed these tips!  Feel free to come back anytime to check them out again.  

Comment below if you enjoyed this post!! Pretty please, I'd love to know you were here and that it made a difference for you :)

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