Kids are little sweethearts, and every moment spent with them is incredible and precious. It’s no wonder that parents are always rushing around, cameras in hand, looking to snap a shot and capture a memory.
Children are also notoriously challenging to photograph, though, especially if you’re not going for whimsical playtime candids. Still, it’s not impossible to get high-quality shots of all family members beaming and looking their best.
Let’s explore ten tips to help you nail your next session and get wall-hanging-worthy pics with the kids.
Technical Tips
Let’s get the skill-based side of things out of the way first. Kids are unpredictable, but keeping these techniques in mind is a sure way to achieve high-quality, authentic shots of your happy family.
Capture Incessantly
This rule applies to any photoshoot, but its importance doubles with little ones. Set your camera on continuous shooting mode or encourage the resident photographer not to stop snapping.
Get On Their Level
When it comes to the angles, shooting from the child’s eye level is your best bet. It makes the photo seem more natural and gives you an extra opportunity to get goofy, sit on the ground, roll around, or crawl with your child.
Keep It Dynamic
Youngsters are super active, which allows you to switch up the poses, vary your shots, and seize endless significant moments. For example:
- Sit, stand, run, and play together.
- If most photos you took are low-key, have the family jump together for a more energetic shot.
- If you’re laughing in all photos, talk to your child to get them in a reflective mood.
Management Tips
Low-spirited, irritable toddlers don’t enjoy themselves in photoshoots. These tips will make them happier, more manageable, and willing to compromise.
Avoid Crankiness
Crankiness is sometimes unavoidable, but there are things you can do to circumvent moodiness:
- Dress your youngsters in comfortable clothes.
- Choose a moment between nap times when they’re usually at their most energetic.
- Have them eat an hour before you go out.
- Bring water, snacks, and their favorite toy.
Dress the Part
You might already have an ideal outfit in mind to make your kid look adorable for the photoshoot. However, if it’s a white, stuffy dress, you’ll spend the entire session stressing about the dirt.
Instead, make sure the outfit lets them play without a care in the world. Coordinate your clothes with theirs, not the other way around.
Go Outside
Taking pictures in your home is more convenient, but if you take the activity out to the park, you’ll turn the session into an event worth remembering.
Drop the seriousness once you arrive. You’re there to have fun, and photos are no more than a happy byproduct.
Include Props
Props work for all ages, but they’re an invaluable asset for photographing kids. Have them bring their most-loved everyday artifact – a stuffed animal, book, or anything else they’re holding dear to their hearts at that moment.
Session Tips
Once the camera is out, it’s time for you to loosen up and lose yourself in the moment.
Follow the Kids
Posing doesn’t work with children. Treat the photoshoot like playtime, not a chore, and let the kids lead the way, both literally and by picking the game or activity.
Don’t worry too much about composition. You can always employ an editing tool to cut the pic, smoothen blurry edges, fix the lighting, or even change the hair color photo to make it flawless.
Promote Interaction
Whatever activity you pursue, get involved. Kids find it easy to engage with a game or a toy, but it’ll look even better if you’re as immersed as they are.
Let siblings talk, play, hug, or run along the path. If you have a newborn, ask the older child to talk to or hold the baby for delightful shots you’ll cherish.
Discard the Filter
Adults come to photoshoots reluctant to express themselves. Children have no such filters, and their photos always end up looking hectic yet authentic.
Even if you can’t release your inhibitions in the same way, take advantage of their lack of self-consciousness to make the session lively and relaxed.
Have Fun With It
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, don’t start your photoshoot with a set of rigid ideas. Doing so only leads to a scenario of you getting stressed and annoyed, and nobody has a good time.
Instead, embrace the hectic mood and try to relax into it. Take what you have and improvise, and you’ll cherish both the experience and its results.
