If you’re prepping for a photo session with your sweet little kiddos, you may be feeling a bit apprehensive. We all have this idea in our head of how the shoot will go: kids will be angelic, and smiling serenely for the camera – always doing exactly what the photographer directs them to do. However, if we get back to reality and realize that kids don’t always do what we want them to, we can work around that! We’ve put together 5 tips for making photoshoots with kids easier, I dare you to try on (or all!) of them when you do your next session!

5 Tips for Making Photoshoots With Kids Easier

1) Make it FUN!

As an adult, I absolutely believe that if it’s not fun, why are we doing it?! And if it’s not fun, how can we make it more fun?! So how much more will little kids (who have the attention spans of goldfish!) be much more genuine if we make it FUN?!

Trade off – tell the kids if they take one nice picture, you’ll let them take a goofy picture. It’s even better if you can get mom and dad to join in goofing off – the kids always seem to love that!

Make the session into a game – Simon Says is a classic that works very well, and can be played anywhere.

2) Get Them Talking

Get the kids talking. If they are focused on telling you about their awesome science fair project, they will be less concerned with keeping a fake smile on their face. It’s a great way to get some genuine (and often hysterical!) portraits.

Ideas for what to talk about:

• Favorite subject in school
• Favorite animal and the sound it makes (for little kids)
• Favorite song to jam out to
• Tell them to stop smiling (always works like a charm!)

3) Don’t Make it A Huge Deal

I get it! During the session you’re freaking out and cranky and promising the kids a pony if only they’ll give you one good smile… It’s tough because we think that pressuring them is going to give us the results we want, when that is never (usually) the case.

My advice: your kids will behave WAY better for someone else than they will for mom and dad, so I’d suggest letting the photographer work their magic rather than standing over our shoulder and glaring encouraging your kiddos 😉

4) Be Patient

This is one of the biggest things that often gets ignored. We are in such a rush (the photographer included!) to get all the amazing shots we want, that it’s hard to remember patience! While we all what that photo of everyone looking and smiling, sometimes the best photos come from kids just doing their own thing. Candid and fun, that’s what we’re striving for. And maybe – if we’re patient – we’ll even get that elusive “real smile” out of your sweet baby!

5) Be Prepared

All the planning in the world can only go so far, it’s a good idea to be prepared for whatever might happen! I always suggest bringing snacks to keep the hangry monster at bay (especially for daddies!), a brush to fix hair, something to sit on during the session (grass stains aren’t a good look for anyone!), etc.

So there you have it: my top 5 tips for making photoshoots with kids easier!

Love What You See? Want to Have Your Own Session?!

If you enjoyed our top 5 tips for making photoshoots with kids easier, we would LOVE to put it into practice and create a custom photo session for you and the ones you love! Feel free to message me by hitting the { CONTACT ME } button or by giving me a call at 757-749-5350. I can’t wait to create some magic for you!