Preparing children for a photo session

Here's what to expect

If you have ever had a session with your children then you already know exactly what I'm talking about. You're thinking ‘oh my gosh it's going to be chaos, they aren't going to listen, they probably aren’t going to hold still and there is absolutely no way that I can prepare them for a session unless we are talking about bribery.’

OK so you're only a little bit right. There's no way to see into the future and know exactly how the session is going to go and how your children are going to be during it. But that's the joy in working with children. I know that it's not always going to go to plan, especially when we expect so much from these little humans.

There are a few simple steps that you can take to prepare your children for their photo session.

Talk to your children the days leading up to the session

Let them know what is going to be happening, who you are going to be with and get them excited for their session by talking about some of their favorite things that we can do during the session. If you have a very outgoing and active child be sure to let your photographer know so they can better prepare for your session. Give your photographer all the information and tools they need to successfully adapt and handle each situation. But most importantly speak positively about the upcoming experience (whether it’s on the drive there or when you and your spouse are talking in front of the children). Tell your child "Tomorrow we get to meet Tina and she’s going to play with all of us at the lake”. Children are just little people and want to know what’s going to be happening (this is especially important for introverted kids).

Plan the session around activities that you know your child absolutely loves

Discuss with your photographer what items you could bring to the session and find ways to incorporate each child's individual interests. Be prepared for both active play as well as downtime during your photo session. Let your child freely run around and enjoy the location and explore. But also be sure to bring along an activity for quiet time such as a blanket for picnic and snacks. This naturally gives kids the opportunity to show both their playful side as well as their little personalities. During this quite time is when I’ll be asking them to interact gently with their other family members and will get shots of them looking into the camera as well as candid moments. I feel it’s important to gently encourage positive behaviours and interactions during a session vs asking children to sit and pose.

Pack a backup outfit

Sometimes you just have to roll with it and come prepared. If you have a child that loves being included in their outfit planning or you know they might decide spontaneously that moment that they actually HATE that hat its’s good to have another option available for them (one that of course you have already picked out and know still goes with the outfits). Kids love to be included and given options! And hey….. if they decide to run nakey and free into the lake that’s cool too. Cause we came prepared.

Give your photographer the low down

You’d be surprised how well we (photographers) can adapt to any situation but knowing some of your child's quirks will help us make even better decisions. Whether a kid absolutely hates bugs, doesn’t like “pokey plants”, gets embarrassed when the spotlight is on them or has a sensory or handicap, these are all important notes to pass on to your photographer. I myself completed my degree in Early Childhood Education for Kindergarten ages and know how important it is to respect and handle these situations with care.

Share share share during a session

I always welcome parents to share activities/prompts during the session. “Oh yes she absolutely loves being picked up in the air!” or “Her and dad always play this balancing game every night!”. These are perfect small and quick prompts to do during a session. Definitely share them with your photographer in the moment! During a quite and intimate moment share something sweet like “she’s always telling mommy the best secrets” (this is such a cute prompt to get them whispering in your ear or if you’ve got a silly child.. a tongue licking your cheek haha) and while they are in active play share something high energy that they love such as dancing and twirling.

Have fun!

DUH! Have fun and don’t worry about who’s looking or not looking at the camera and just have a blast. Chase your kiddos, have a tickle fight, get dirty, eat all the food. They will be thanking you and when you look back at these pictures you’ll remember that you had a heckin good time.