What If Your Toddler Won't Cooperate At The Photo Shoot? | Austin Family Photographer

I have been a Family Photographer for about 10 years now.

I’ve been a mom for 6.

For the first 4 years of my business I expected wayyy too much from the kids at my family sessions.

“Say Cheese!”

“Sit up straight!”

After becoming a mother and watching my daughter grow into a toddler and now a sassy six year old, I laugh at anyone who thinks they can make her do something against her will. Kids are fearless and are not afraid to tell you when they’re unhappy. Especially if it’s when you WANT them to be on their best behavior.

I completely get it. You’ve gone through a lot to set up these family photos. You’ve hired a photographer, paid lots of money, bought everyone new clothes, all while maintaining the house and somehow a full time job. Now your 6 month old is crying because she’s teething or your oldest doesn’t want to come out of his room. All you want is that one perfect family photo where everyone is smiling and looking at the camera.

Let me break it to you gently, mama. Those “perfect” family photos you see online are rare and probably forced. There were probably lots of bribing and threatening going on behind the scenes. That’s not what you want, right? No. When you look at your family photo, you want to FEEL the love.. not just see it. No, you may not get that cheesy mantle shot, but if you play your cards right you might just walk away with some really meaningful images that you never expected.

Here are my tips for when your kiddo is not cooperating at a photo shoot.

1. Mention the photo shoot casually.

   Kids are friggin’ intuitive. If you hype up the activity from the moment they wake up to the time you arrive, they will be on high alert. Don’t make them practice their smile or start bribing them at breakfast. “If you smile pretty at the photo shoot you can have your tablet later!” It places pressure on them to act a certain way and already poses consequences for something that hasn’t even happened yet.
   
   Instead, casually mention it about an hour before. “Oh yeah, here’s that cool shirt I want you to wear today! We’re going to take pictures in a little bit. Let’s have a snack now so our bellies will be full of jelly!”
   
   Kids like to know what’s happening next, but they don’t need to be coached to have fun. Pretend it’s an every day outing and they’ll happily follow along blindly.
   

2. Give them a chance to be themselves.

   If the Photographer asks your child to do something and they don’t do it right away… just sit back and watch. Don’t try to intervene. Watch what happens. Give them a moment to be in charge. Allow them to say ‘no’ or turn their head away from the camera. That is 100% okay. They’ll warm up to me eventually.

   
   When they do something unexpected, roll with the punches so to speak.
   
   Your 4 year old is laying on the ground and won’t stand up? Get down on the ground with her!
   
   Your 2 year old won’t let you set him down? Hold him and spin him around until he’s so dizzy he begs to be put down!
   
   The more you make a game out of it, the more likely they are to let their guard down.
   

3. The unexpected shots are the best.

   What you think might be complete chaos or nothing at all, might surprise you when you see the final outcome. I am a MASTER at capturing the small moments. The in-between shots that show your family’s love in a way you never thought possible.
   
   Though I know you would prefer if the smiled with all of their teeth, sometimes letting them be true to form can be just a beautiful. Silly faces, tongues sticking out, and throwing their head back in laughter are some of my favorite faces on kids. When they let their individual personalities shine through, that’s where the magic lies. In 10 years you’ll be so thankful you didn’t force them to make fake smiles, but instead captured their true essence in all their glory.
   

4. Parents are worse than kids.

   When I am selecting the final images after a shoot, the ones I throw out the most are of parents. Sometimes Moms and Dads can be so concerned over their children being perfect that they themselves forget to smile and have fun. Kids can make any face and still be cute. That’s not really the case when it comes to grown-ups.
   
   During the session I want you to let go of any expectations and just be present in the moment. Soak in your babies and love on your family. It’s not every day you get to document your life.
   

5. Distract, don’t react.

   If you’ve done everything you can and your child is still on a rampage, try to distract rather than react. “Race you to the top of the hill!” or “Oooh look at this bumpy leaf I found on the ground”. Sometimes a gentle nudge is all they need to regain focus.

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