Wear something you feel good in
If you don’t love your outfit, you won’t love your photos. You don’t want to constantly fidget or try to get comfortable when you’re not feeling right in what you’re wearing. Pick something that you know flatters you and your confidence and comfort will come through in the photos!
Bring an activity
Sometimes kids (and adults!) need a little something to do to take away the awkwardness of the camera. Bubbles, soccer balls, pinwheels, books, flowers, leaves- can all go a long way in taking the attention away from photos and just on being yourselves! Making things a game is always a great way to engage the kids. Who can walk the slowest? Who can give mommy the biggest kiss?
Make each other laugh
Photos don’t come with a soundtrack, so potty humor jokes, tickling, and singing songs are all fair game! Find what makes them smile and use it to your advantage! Acting crazy behind the camera is great too- You’d be surprised what was actually behind a lot of these laughs!
Let go of high expectations
If you have your heart set on that perfect family shot where everyone is smiling confidently at the camera and looking like a magazine cover, you might be setting yourself up for disappointment. Trying to force anything, especially involving little ones, never results in the desired outcome, and actually takes you further from achieving it. Relax and go with the flow. If the kids want to run around, we run around for a bit. If they don’t want to sit on the blanket, that’s okay. We’ll do something different to capture “them”. Forcing them to do what they don’t want to do only results in time wasted in tears, tantrums and negative associations with photos! If you let go and go with the flow, you’d be amazed how that Christmas card photo comes more natural and in unexpected ways.
Don’t Be Still
Keep it moving. Trying to get kids to sit still is not easy and we keep things moving to prevent anyone from getting too restless. Bouncing, airplane, spinning- these are all great tips to get some great smiles! And if we need to take a break and just let the kids run, it’s all part of the process to get the results we want! However best not to show them a playground until after the session- it’s all over at that point! But that can be a great way to end the session!
Schedule around the light and temperaments
Lighting is so important in getting great photos. Sometimes what people attach to without realizing it is the way light is used to make everyone look so good! Lighting is always best closest to sunrise and sunset, so during the summer months that can be very early or very late! However I also defer to when you think your family is going to be at their best, as good light cannot make up for cranky and tired moods!
