A Smoother Way of Planning Family Photoshoots with Toddler
Have you ever seen a picturesque family photo on Instagram or Pinterest and thought to yourself it would be nice to have one for your family and hang those nice photos on the wall?
After a few hundred sessions of experience capturing family portraits, I’m letting you into some secrets on how to prep your kiddo for a smooth family photo session 😉
have your outfits and accessories picked out in advance
Pick outfits that will compliment each family member—instead of matching, let’s mix it up and choose clothes that have subtle patterns and coordinate with each other! I want to highlight YOU so it’s best to wear an outfit that won’t overshadow the moment you’re creating with your family. When in doubt, lean towards neutral colors and definitely avoid big logos and patterns!
You can check the Pinterest Board for outfit ideas. 🙂
Bonus tip: Have your kiddo pick their own outfit from the best 2 outfit choices you prepared so they’ll feel more involved.
keep your toddlers active and happy
Children are highly intuitive and intensely present. They always radiate their true feelings which is the best part of capturing this special event.
During the session, we’ll pay attention to what your toddler loves. Maybe they love it when you throw them high in the air, give them playful kisses and tickles, or they might also like to swing between your arms while you walk together. Whatever it is, go with the flow, they can sense when you are really trying to make them do something they are not feeling. We’ll circle back to get moments as best we can!
I will guide all throughout the session and focus on those activities to make the most of your precious time together.
bring snacks for your toddler
One of the most important tips I can share for a fail-proof photo session is to ensure they are well-fed before the shoot begins and remind them they will get a snack or treat after the shoot.
It makes a huge difference when kids have something to look forward to. A family photo session is not an everyday occurrence, so treat this as one of your special events and a fun adventure!
We can never go wrong with providing them with light snacks to prevent meltdowns and water is just necessary for all that running around during the session. The key part here is no in-between snacks! This is so we can make sure that they won’t get distracted during our session and don’t have food in their mouth! 😉
Let them know that they’re doing a great job in participating in this special moment and reward them by praising or giving them something that will spark their interest (it doesn’t have to be grand, just let them know that they received it because they did a great job!).
On top of all these; getting any must-have family photos will be my main priority in the first 10-15 minutes. While I don’t believe in forcing a child to smile ( I think the best way to capture perfect memories is when kids are naturally enjoying the session)- we all know toddlers can have wild attention spans and I want to make sure we get to have all the essential photos first before letting them do the “full-on fun”.
Bonus Tip:
HEY, MOM AND DAD—DON’T FORGET TO HAVE FUN TOO! No matter what happens, this is the season of life that you’ll never re-live, so let it be what it is.
I can’t wait to see you all!! 🙂
I hope these tips help you prepare your expectations and your child’s expectations for the shoot! 🙂