Five Tips to Having the Perfect Family Photoshoot
How to Have a Great Session with Young Children
Summit and Sur Photography | Southern California Photographer
For many parents, there is nothing more anxiety inducing than a family photography session. Between picking outfits for everyone and hoping that the kiddos cooperate for “JUST ONE GOOD PHOTO!”, it’s enough to actually keep families from having sessions in the first place. As a parent to two wild toddlers myself, I know firsthand how this feels and the stress it can bring on. But, as a seasoned lifestyle photographer, I can say this:
I’ve got you.
From documenting tons of family sessions and navigating them with my own toddlers, I have gained a lot of knowledge on making sure you have a great experience and get some amazing photos. Keep reading for five tips that will help make this a reality!
Manage your expectations
Let’s start this list with probably the absolute most important one: expectations. Expectations can be the thing that, in my opinion, can either make or break your family session. If you are having a session with young children (especially toddlers), it is important to remember that they typically don’t realize what you are hoping to achieve in the photos. They don’t understand the planning or the cost involved.
All they want is to have fun!
It is important to go into your session with your own kiddo(s) in mind and knowing that they rarely do what we ask them to do, at least on command. So ditch the idea of every single photo being “perfect” with everyone looking at the camera (I almost never ask you to do that anyways so there’s that) and embrace the chaos. Invite the imperfections that truly show who your family is because that is probably what you’ll want to remember in 20 years.
Plan outfits that everyone will be comfortable in during your session
Outfit choices can be one of the most stressful parts of a photoshoot. While color combinations and coordinating clothing for everyone that complements the location and each other is important, the most important thing here is comfort—-especially for kids! If clothing is too tight or falling down or itchy, they are likely to not be very happy during your session and you will likely be pretty stressed too. Footwear is another one that important to note, especially if we will be doing any amount of walking to get to your session location. Make sure their shoes have the proper grip and fit well so they can play and run!
Adjust your schedule
If you are hoping for a session during golden hour, sometimes this can seriously impinge on your baby or toddler’s sleep schedule! Having gone through this myself with two kiddos, I remember being stressed about their nap and feeding schedules in relation to golden hour sessions. During the fall and winter months, this isn’t too tricky as the sun sets pretty early; however, for spring and summer sessions, we are sometimes looking at 9pm sunsets which is way past most baby’s and toddler’s bedtimes. With that in mind, I have found it helpful to give an extra nap in the day and extra snacks. Adjusting your schedule to accommodate for that later bed time or different nap time will help them be in a better mood during your session.
Pro-tip: try not to arrive to your session with a toddler who fell asleep in the car and now you have to wake them up right before starting your session. I know it seems like a good idea to let them get extra rest, but I can count on one hand the amount of times this has resulted in anything but an extra cranky, fussy toddler. If it happens, it isn’t the end of the world and we will make it work. But if you can avoid it, I would try!
Take their interests into account
This goes hand in hand with the first part about managing expectations but it deserves its own section. With my sessions being lifestyle based, I rarely have you looking at the camera. While I definitely will give you prompts and direction if you want it, I find the most authentic photos are the ones where we follow your little one’s lead. What do they enjoy doing with you? Hide and seek? Let’s do it. Duck duck goose? You got it! Tag? Let’s go!
Another option in this realm of thinking is to bring toys that your kiddos enjoy playing with. For toddlers, I tend to suggest wooden toys that are still really photogenic and entertaining for kids. But if your kid is attached to an orange plastic dinosaur, bring that buddy along. Isn’t that something you want to remember when they are all grown up?
When you do things that they normally enjoy, you stand a much better chance of having cooperative kiddos and truly authentic photos!
Bring snacks. Lots of snacks.
I don’t know about you, but I am HIGHLY motivated by snacks…and I am a full grown adult! Most kids are similar and will do a lot for a goldfish or a skittle. I know bribery isn’t usually the answer when it comes to parenting but in this case, I find it can be helpful for those especially independent, strong-willed kids (trust me, I have one of those myself). That said, depending on session time and length, your child may actually get hungry so having a snack and water on hand is usually helpful.
So there you have it, some of my best practices for having an awesome family session with young children! I know it can seem daunting but if you keep these things in mind, you should have a great session no matter what!