Although the majority of my content on Instagram and Facebook are couples, I shoot families all the time! Don't get me wrong, it can be much easier planning and executing a session with adults. But, I literally melt over an awesome family session. The Cancer in me brings out all my motherhood instincts when kiddos walk in the room. So, I've discovered a few tips and tricks on how to make your next kiddo session easy!
Here's a quick table of contents to make your searching easier!
Snacks and Toys
A quick way to allow your child to feel more comfortable (or even distracted) is to bring their favorite snacks and toys with you to your session. However, we need to use these things when the time is right. If we bring out the treats and toys too early, it might cause the child to throw a fit if they're taken away for a specific pose or prompt. So, we have to be a little strategic about it!
Since the child may want the toy for the entire session, try to bring a toy that is "aesthetically" pleasing. I'm not a mom, so I'm not going to recommend toys that you should consider having, but try to make sure that the toy doesn't have a ton of crazy colors (and brownie points if it matches y'all's outfits)! Similar when it comes to the treats. The only additional thing to give attention to is that the treat doesn't cause a huge mess!
Prep a Playlist
This set of advice is going to be short and sweet, but consider creating a playlist of your child's favorite songs. We all love a candid photo of a child smiling and dancing! But most important, I recommend a playlist instead of pulling up Youtube.
I totally get it - photo sessions can already be nerve racking, and then adding a crying toddler might make it a nightmare. I'll just say, I love photo sessions and I love crying toddlers (partially kidding). If they get a little upset, let's work through it before handing over the ultimate pacifier... Cocomelon.
Backup Outfits
Sessions with little ones can quickly get messy. We're talking snack food that got out of hand, spit up that's made it all down the front, or that mud puddle that look really enticing at the time. Bring a few outfits to alleviate any stress about outfit malfunctions. On the topic of outfits, make sure it's something comfy and enjoyable for your child to roll around, be tossed up, and snuggled in! Scratchy outfits don't make for good photos if your baby isn't happy.
Nap Time (On Time)
If your kiddo is still young enough to have designated daily nap time (jealous), try to make sure that your child takes a nap before or on the way to the shoot! If a toddler is fussy because of no sleep, they are tough to get along with during the session. We can give all the fruit snacks in the world, but they're still going to be grumpy! Which lead me to...
Session Time
It is a-okay to be specific about what time you want your family sessions. Please, by all means, be picky about this! My mind might immediately jump to the best lighting for that day to decide our start time, but that might be the time y'all unwind and put the baby to bed. If you don't want to adjust your daily routine for our session, there are zero hard feelings. Tell me those boundaries early so we can game plan your session together!
Kids Will Be Kids!
If you scroll through my previous galleries or social platforms, you'll notice that the majority of my photos are prompts over poses. Therefore, I'll ask your kids to run around and play tag, sprint towards the camera, bear hug their mom and dad, and much more! If they're playing with their hair or picking on their sister, that's not an issue at all! Those candid photos really allow you to remember what they were like at this age. We'll grab all the facial expressions and laughter. I'm not one to make children "stand still and smile for the camera", so be prepared to let your kids be kids!
Thank you so much for reading my blog post!! If you're looking to book a family session, I would LOVE to be considered! All my family sessions are under the "Multi" section on my pricing page. If you're expecting, I also have a maternity and newborn package!
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