I LOVE getting to work with kids, to document their every-evolving personalities and curiosity. I'll be honest though, I've avoided this topic for a bit because well, I could give you all the best advice and tips and tricks and yet let's be real, they're the ones running the show on picture day. So let's let them! Let me explain...
Choices
I'm a big fan of choices, within reason. I have one child that could care less what he wears (although would prefer "no pants today") and another who finds a lot of joy in choosing her outfit every morning. Both are totally fine by me (well, on most occasions)! However, they're not the ones scheduling, planning and paying for the photo session and you probably have a vision in mind.
If your child has thoughts on wardrobe, I'd narrow it down to two options that you are totally okay with and let them choose which one of the two to wear. If it's something new, this might mean trying it on to make sure there's no itchy tag or fabric bugging them, because that's no fun (and can be easily fixed ahead of time, not so much during the session).
Practice
We'll get a mix of candid and posed pictures (I typically try to get the posed ones done first), so it helps with the kids already know to look straight at the camera and smile.
Having a cue word (like the obvious "cheese" or what have you) is perfect. Sometimes, I'm the first person to ask a kid to "cheese" which leads to a confused reaction 😂 so practicing that ahead of time can help. Bonus points if you come up with a funny cue word that gets the whole family laughing!
Read Together
If you have a favorite book that you like to read together as a family, bring it along! There are some books (Will You Be My Sunshine is one that comes to mind) that you can incorporate hugs and kisses though. Start doing this ahead of time so your child will be prompted for those actions as you read along for extra cuteness in your photos.
Let Them Explore
A lot of these tips vary from age to age but this is one that I think really could apply to anyone, but especially toddlers/school age kids. Like mentioned, I'll try to do our more posed/everyone looking shots from the beginning, but depending on everyone's mood and the child's personality, sometimes giving them space to just be and explore can go such a long ways. Not only does it make for cute pictures, it just takes the pressure off a bit and helps them relax.
Try Not To Over Stimulate
I've seen it, like a lot. The child isn't having it and we've got like five different adults standing behind me clanging things, jumping around, yelling "say CHEESEEEEE"; all warranted, in good effort and honestly, I should turn around and get pictures of that some time because that sounds hilarious.
Anyway, sometimes that works, but when it's not working we need to reset and take a step back because, that can just be a lot - for everyone but especially the child.
Now, you know your child best and sometimes (especially if it's a mini session) we just don't have a ton of time to accommodate (the downside of minis), but that's when maybe giving the child some quiet time to explore can be helpful. When it's already quiet and THEN we use a noise maker to get them to look, they actually will because there's been a change of pace.
Play!
Be willing to get down on their level, play and explore with them. Collect shells, leaves or rocks. Talk about their color and texture. Ask them to show you what they found and have big, excited reactions when they show you.
We Ain't Above Bribery
Mostly in the treat department. I think little treats can be SO helpful during the session (physical rewards like stickers or toys aren't ideal unless you're okay with them being photographed - more on immediate gratification in a moment).
What works for you will just depend on your child and their age. The older they are, the less you'll need something during the session and the more something for later like "remember, smile now because it makes 1) mom happy and 2) we'll go out for ice cream after" will work.
The younger they are, they more I recommend instant gratification (holding off for what happens after the session doesn't seem to make much impact, from what I've seen). So for younger ones, you'll want to have something discrete like puffs, cheerios, skittles, etc. (given one at a time so it's in the mouth and not visible for longer than necessary) that they can have a few of throughout the session when they're doing good or when you need to give them an incentive (or just for when they get hungry! lol).
Just keep in mind you'll want to have something that isn't likely to stain or leave wet marks.
Introduce Us Before You Arrive
If you're like me and have a child that likes a lot of detail ahead of time to mentally prepare, feel free to show them my picture so I don't feel so much like a stranger. You could say something like "this is mommy's friend, Sam. See, she has two little kids about your age (or whatever is applicable here). She's going to take our picture tonight!"
I hope this was helpful! If you think of anything else you think I should add to this list, feel free to let me know below.
I look forward to working with you!
Cheers,
Samantha Block