Hey mama! Getting awesome photos of your kids can be exhausting, but it is not impossible! It is frustrating to get everyone dressed and ready to go, only to have the photos you were looking forward to be a flop. Here are my tried & true tips to get your kids to behave when taking their photos.
1.) Plan
Write out the 3-5 must-have photos you want to take (Pinterest is a great place for inspiration). But be realistic! Look for poses that will work for your kiddos ages and temperaments—it’s going to be hard to get a 0, 1.5 and 4 year old to sit and smile, so have a few backup options and give yourself grace for your current family situation.
Open your calendar and pencil in the time and place of your photos. Plan for the best light and location, keeping in mind nap/bed times for little ones. You may have your heart set on the beach at sunset, but if getting there is stressful, save it for another time. If you are stressed, your kids will feel it!
Consider bringing help. Yes, this can be a patient relative or friend, but this can also be a chair, fun prop like a wagon or blanket—these work great when you have a newly mobile toddler! Props can be fun and give your kiddos something to interact with.
2.) Set Expectations
Tell the kids ahead of time what is expected. Even very little kids can understand simple instructions. Put your older kids in charge of holding the younger one’s hands or tickling them for laughs. Honestly I tell my kids (currently 8, 6 and 2) “We are taking photos for 15 minutes. I expect you to listen and when you do so I have a lollipop/m&ms in my bag for you on the car ride home.” I am definitely not above bribery—a little incentive helps us all perform in life, right?
3.) Work fast
The second you get to your location, get the eye-contact poses done first. You will only have a few minutes to get their attention to look at the camera before they lose interest.
4.) Be silly
Once you have them in position be silly. Funny noises, crazy faces, dancing, throwing leaves on your own head. You’re going to be sweating at the end. Consider it your cardio for the day.
When I was taking my 4-year-olds’ birthday photos (below), I knew one word that was guaranteed to get a laugh and smile from him (if you have a little boy I am sure you can guess it!). You know your kids best—pull out all the stops for those genuine smiles!
5.) Let them play
Races, ring-around-the-rosy, telling one another a secret, exploring nature—these will give you awesome bonus shots! I took my kiddos out for a very quick photo shoot this summer (the bugs were eating us alive!) and took the two shots (below) in a matter of minutes. I love the one of them chasing one another as much as the first one of them smiling, and they will look great hung side-by-side in our living room.
6.) Reward
Give them hugs and a sweet treat, even if it didn’t go exactly how you planned it. It never does with kids right?
Please share your photo session wins on Instagram #MyStoryInPhotos, I want to see how you rocked your photo session with your kiddos!
