My business is really wedding photography so outside of that I don’t do lots of family photos. I do however do them for previous clients. In fact my couples are typically so happy with my work that they call me whenever they need family or newborn pictures and I’m happy to oblige them.

The number one concern with family photos is getting the kids to cooperate, especially when they are younger. Will they cry, will they do what you ask them to? Are they going to be rude? Will they get dirty? Whenever little ones are involved then the work can become a little “what happens now” if you aren’t prepared. The upside is I’ve always managed to get great photos even when these things happen so this post will give you what you need to relax and enjoy your session.

How do you do this you wonder? The first step is just practice. I’ve had hundreds of family sessions and I can use that experience to our advantage. The rest is just employing these three little steps.

Get Them Ready

If your kids are old enough to understand what is going to happen tell them about it before it happens. Let them know they are taking family pictures next week, where you are going to hang them and how nice it is to have reminders of them as littles. Children thrive on knowing whats going on and making them aware that you want a nice picture of you all to hang above the fire place and that there is a nice treat for them if all goes well will typically enroll them in the success of the session.

I might even suggest going so far as asking them where they think the best place is to take a picture. It let’s them know they are part of the process and that always smoothes the way. If you do this, give the distinct choices like the park or the beach. Don’t make it open ended unless you have a gateway to the set if their favorite cartoon lol.

Get Into It!

Get involved with your children for the majority of the session. This is why all our portrait sessions are at least two hours, it gives you the time to be free form. When you engage with your kids they are at their best and they become a lot less conscious of what’s happening around them. Give them your attention for a bit and you’ll end up with golden moments.

Kids Are Going To Be Kids, So Let Them Be Kids!

The title of this section says it all. Don’t spend to much time making the kids stand still and do formal poses. I recommend 5-10 minutes of those kinds of shoots and then 20 minutes of letting them be themselves. This what you really want, is pictures of your family being themselves. The best way to get that is to interact with the children and let them lead the session with their strange and wonderful ideas. Give them piggy back rides and play catch and push them on the swings. Thats where the magic happens!

Catch you next week.