"My child never enjoys our photoshoots... help!"
Does your child never seem to smile in family photos? Does your child never sit still? Here are four things you can stop doing in your photo sessions to help your child have FUN taking photos.
Why can I talk about this? I don't have children of my own, however I was a taekwondo instructor for children 3 years all the way to adults! a class full of hyper toddlers?
You learn a lot!
I've also photographed children for 2 years professionally, using what I've learned from past experiences working with kids.
You're probably asking me "Mikala, what do you mean? I AM their parent!"
Trust me on this one! In photo sessions, the most important thing is not hitting the perfect smile in the shortest amount of time. The most important thing is that your child connects photo sessions with being fun! If your child sees a camera and thinks "this is going to be a good time", the smiles will come easier and definitely be more natural. Refrain from yelling at them and being solely their parent in the session. If your photographer needs your help, we 100% are not afraid to do ask for it. We deal with children all day every day in many different kinds of sessions; we have seen it all. Once a child receives discipline in a session, more likely than not they will shut down and our session will not be successful from there. Take a breath, mama. Let's enjoy watching your baby's personality unfold in front of us!
Most children get overwhelmed when too much is going on, but they can also feed off of our energy as adults. If you're stressed, they will most likely be stressed as well... and a stressed baby doesn't give natural, beautiful smiles that we want! Laying outfits out in the morning, preparing most things needed for breakfast the night before, and setting an alarm for a little earlier than you think are all things that can help you have a calm day in the studio. The energy you carry with you into the studio is the energy your little one will probably carry with them through the whole session. Get to your session a little early, and if you and your photographer discuss it beforehand you can probably enter the studio early to help your little ones get accustomed to the room and the lights!
As stated above, children can get overwhelmed by too much going on. This one is especially important to abide by if you are the type who loves a baby looking at the camera. If you have a family photoshoot, or bring every extended family member you can think of, your little one is not going to know where to look! If everyone is making noises at the baby, it is more likely to overwhelm your child to the point where, because of the confusion, they can start crying. Personally, I love crying photos (I call them the wedding photos because they're the first ones you should include in their wedding slideshow! Haha) but if you're the type of parent to want smiling, posed photos... it will be hard to do this once your child is crying and in emotional dysregulation.
Every child has one thing in common... they all have something that brings them comfort. That thing may be different, however bringing something they find familiar and comfortable may help with their mood during your session. In order to get something that goes well with your shoot, I would suggest maybe having a day where you go to a store and see what your child interacts with during your walk around. Go visit the sections of the sore that correlates with the theme of your photoshoot, such as Valentine's Day, Easter, stuffed animals, etc.! Give them time before the shoot to bond with the item, a couple days or so. It will make a huge difference... kids love having something to do, hold, or a place of their own to sit!
Trust Me, It Works!
